Texas Rangers fans can breathe a sigh of relief—ace right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is back on track after a brief scare. The veteran pitcher threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and reported feeling great, just two days after being scratched from his scheduled start due to left side tightness.
Eovaldi first noticed what he called "minor tightness" while playing catch on Sunday. When the discomfort lingered into Monday morning, he consulted with the team's training staff before what was supposed to be the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rather than risk further injury, the Rangers made the call to hold him out.
"We did some of the testing they have for it. I felt it on a few things, and we just didn't feel the need to push it," Eovaldi explained Wednesday. "I've experienced something like that before, and you just try to play it smart."
The 36-year-old's cautious approach paid off. His bullpen session came at high intensity, and manager Skip Schumaker was encouraged by what he saw. "They came out good," Schumaker said. "Let's see how he recovers."
Eovaldi is optimistic about returning to his normal spot in the rotation on Sunday, noting that similar stiffness during spring training only required a couple of days to resolve. Schumaker, however, plans to discuss the situation further with his two-time All-Star and the medical staff before making a final decision. The Rangers have a day off Thursday before opening a three-game series in Houston.
This is welcome news for a Texas team that's been navigating injury concerns. Right fielder Brandon Nimmo was back in the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against Arizona, one night after exiting a 7-4 win with a sprained left ankle. "Hopefully, another bullet dodged with two big-time players for us," Schumaker said.
Eovaldi has been heating up at just the right time. He enters this stretch coming off consecutive wins against the New York Yankees, striking out 15 batters while allowing just one run over 15 innings. That includes a dominant eight-inning, one-run performance at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday and seven scoreless innings in his previous home start on April 29.
Last season, Eovaldi posted a stellar 11-3 record with a career-best 1.73 ERA across 22 starts—numbers that remind Rangers fans why he's such a valuable piece of the rotation. For now, all signs point to a quick return to the mound, and Texas will be watching closely as he prepares for his next outing.