Of Course! Another Texas Rangers Starting Pitcher Placed On IL

Texas Rangers Opening Day starter Nathan Eovaldi was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right groin strain before the club's series opener at Kansas City on Friday.

May 2, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy (15) takes the ball from / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

As a Texas Rangers fan, you probably expected this.

The Rangers placed right-hander Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list with a right groin strain, a day after he left his start early in the sixth inning.

The Rangers announced the move, which includes recalling right-hander Yerry Rodriguez from Triple-A Round Rock, ahead of Friday's series opener against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

"I've had hip flexors and groin injuries before, never really one that took me out of the game," Eovladi said after he was relieved with one out in the sixth in Thursday's 6-0 win over the Washington Nationals. "It was just that one pitch. I went to throw it, and I felt it."

Eovaldi, who had thrown 92 pitches, understood that his day was likely near the end. After conferring with manager Bruce Bochy, pitching coach Mike Maddux and trainers, they agreed to play it safe. An MRI on Friday showed enough strain to warrant an IL stint. With Eovaldi likely to miss two starts, the Rangers are almost guaranteed to need two spot starters during their 10-game road trip, including a Thursday doubleheader in Oakland. Bruce Bochy told reporters that it's safe to assume Jack Leiter could be back up for his second MLB start.

Eovaldi, 34, said after Thursday's game that he and the club would play it safe but neither he nor Bochy sounded too concerned.

Eovaldi, the club's Opening Day starter, is 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA in seven starts this season. The league is batting .201 against him.

Rodríguez, 26, is 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in five relief appearances with Triple-A Round Rock. He made the Opening Day roster before being sent down.

The Rangers have dealt with a slew of injuries to their pitching staff, including left-hander Cody Bradford, who is out until late May with a fractured rib, and Max Scherzer, Tyler Mahle, and Jacob deGrom, who are all recovering from offseason surgeries.

"It's early in the year, right? So we've got to make sure that we are cautious with it and see how it feels [on Friday]," Eovaldi said. "

Evo on the groin. Doesn't sound too concerned but he'll get an MRI tomorrow ... pic.twitter.com/5JDvKGhF61

— Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) May 2, 2024

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