Nathan Eovaldi Injury Update: Rangers starter placed on 15-day IL after early exit during last start

Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi recently left his Thursday start against the Washington Nationals early. He went 5.1 innings but grimaced on his 92 pitch of the afternoon.

After the game, Eovaldi stated that he was experiencing a groin injury, and would get an MRI on Friday. Now, it has been announced that he has been placed on the 15-day IL with a right groin strain, per team beat writer Evan Grant.

In a corresponding move, the team called up Yerry Rodriguez. He has made six appearances with Texas this season, posting a 10.50 ERA, and will be looking to lower that number.

Eovaldi is just the latest Texas starting pitcher to hit the IL. Since the start of the season, they have been playing musical chairs with their rotation, leading to their 17-15 record.

The Rangers must stay competitive with Nathan Eovaldi out

Texas Rangers - Nathan Eovaldi (Image via USA Today)

Nathan Eovaldi's injury is the last thing the Rangers wanted to see. He has gotten off to a solid start this year, posting a 2-2 record with a 2.61 ERA over the course of 41.1 innings.

He has been a workhorse for a club that is missing a handful of starting pitchers. Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle, and Cody Bradford are all on the injured list alongside Eovaldi.

Scherzer is the closest pitcher to coming off the IL. While he is dealing with a sore thumb, he is still envisioning a mid-May return, which would be huge.

For degrom and Mahle are not expected to return until later into the season. Both are rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Hopefully, Eovaldi can return quickly after the 15-day time period is up. He and Scherzer in the rotation should provide a sparkplug for the rest of the squad.