The announcement that Nathan Eovaldi was headed to the injured list caused some angst that perhaps wasn’t warranted
Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi, as we discussed yesterday, was placed on 15 day injured list due to triceps soreness. That was the issue that resulted in him being lifted from his start last Tuesday after just two innings, something that the Rangers described as a precautionary move. After that game, manager Bruce Bochy said that the Rangers could push Eovaldi’s next start back if need be, due to the upcoming off days, but that he didn’t think it would be necessary.
That decision led to a certain amount of angst, both here and on social media, as well as questioning the competency of the Rangers’ organization, and in particular the medical staff. How is it, the question was asked, that immediately after the game we were told the move to pull Eovaldi was just precautionary, that he likely would make his next start as scheduled, and now he’s being put on the injured list?
I get why the questions are being asked. I also think, though, that this is a matter of the Rangers exercising caution and having the luxury of doing a sort of load management with their veteran due to the state of their rotation.
When you look at Shawn McFarland’s article about the move, it would suggest that this was a decision that was made, not necessarily because Eovaldi was so physically impaired that he couldn’t go and had to go on the injured list, but to err on the side of caution with Eovaldi. Per McFarland, Eovaldi said yesterday morning that “he felt ready to return to the rotation this upcoming week,” while Bochy said Eovaldi could start Thursday in Tampa.
The decision to put Eovaldi on the injured list apparently came from higher up, with president of baseball operations Chris Young saying that they want to “make sure we get [Eovaldi] right,” noting that his arm was structurally sound and that the team anticipated he would miss just the minimum 15 days. Since the i.l. stint was backdated to May 29, that would make Eovaldi eligible to return on June 13, at home against the White Sox. With today’s off day and an off day next Monday, there are just nine games between now and then.
The other major factor that I tend to think led to this decision is Kumar Rocker. On the heels of his strong return from Tommy John surgery in 2024, Rocker earned a spot in the Opening Day rotation for the Rangers for 2025. He was up-and-down through five starts, however, with two solid outings and three bad ones before landing on the injured list with a shoulder impingement.
Rocker has now made two rehab starts in the minors — one for Frisco and one for Round Rock — and minor league hitters aren’t having any more success against him this year than they were last year. Rocker has combined to go seven shutout innings in those two rehab outings, retiring 20 of 23 hitters with eight Ks against just one walk.
Rocker threw just 53 pitches his last time out, and so one could argue for him making another rehab start and getting stretched out a little longer, but it appears he’s ready to face major league hitters. And Rocker being ready to return gives the Rangers the luxury of having six pitchers available for their major league rotation that they have confidence in.
That depth puts the Rangers in a position where they can be cautious with Eovaldi, who has made at least 30 starts in a season just twice in his career, and who has had stints on the injured list each of the previous two seasons. With the off days, Eovaldi would miss just two starts if he comes back on June 13, while getting a bit of time off which would, it would be hoped, ensure that the triceps issue doesn’t recur going forward.
It also allows the Rangers to see where Kumar Rocker is after his injured list stint. From McFarland’s article linked above:
The 25-year-old had a 8.10 ERA in his first five big league starts this season and never quite worked himself into a rhythm. His most-recent minor league rehab start, which included four-no hit innings and his liveliest fastball yet at Triple-A Round Rock, was the most in sync that he’d felt all year.
“My body being connected to the results was good,” Rocker said Sunday morning. “Compared to earlier this year when I was getting results but still didn’t feel all there. That’s part of it, and it was a big step.”
If Kumar Rocker is right, he is one of the Rangers’ best five starting pitchers. Rocker hasn’t, by his own admission, been right during his time in the majors this year, but appears to be back to where he wants to be now. From a roster management standpoint, plugging him into the rotation for two starts while Eovaldi gets a breather allows you to see if he can maintain that and have success against major league hitters.
If that does translate to success for Rocker in his next two starts, then, barring an injury elsewhere, you likely move Patrick Corbin into a long-man/swingman role in the bullpen. If it doesn’t, well, you send him back down to AAA as your next man up when Eovaldi returns. It is a more palatable solution than bumping Corbin to the bullpen now for Rocker, leaving maybe not quite 100% Eovaldi in the rotation, and then potentially having to move Corbin back to the rotation if Rocker continues to struggle.
Nathan Eovaldi and Bruce Bochy both appear to think Eovaldi could pitch this week. The front office is going to take a longer-term view than either the player or the manager — particularly when dealing with a guy in his mid-30s who is under contract for $25 million per year through 2027 — and is also going to be taking a higher-level view of things from a roster management standpoint.
I don’t think Bochy’s comments, or Eovaldi’s comments, are inconsistent with the decision made by the front office. If Gerson Garabito, for example, were the option to replace Eovaldi, I suspect Eovaldi would be starting Thursday in Tampa. But with a guy who the Rangers view as a major league caliber starter — and a potential mid- to top-of-the-rotation guy, to boot — waiting in the wings, Chris Young & Co. have the luxury of giving Eovaldi a break while seeing how things play out in his absence.