Brutal Nathan Eovaldi injury news huge blow to Rangers' postseason chances

The Texas Rangers' rotation took a big hit on Monday, as the club announced that they had placed right-handed starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list with right posterior elbow inflammation (retroactive to Aug. 9). As a corresponding move, Texas recalled right-hander Ben Peoples from Triple-A Round Rock.

Ahead of Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, the Rangers hold the third American League Wild Card spot with a .500 (59-59) record. They don't have a safe lead by any means, with the Detroit Tigers just one game back, the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians 1 1/2 games back, and the Baltimore Orioles two games back. Additionally, the Rangers are only half a game behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League East.

Given how close the postseason race is, losing Eovaldi is a huge blow for Texas. Eovaldi hasn't had an amazing season, posting a 4.21 ERA in 132 2/3 innings across 22 starts, but losing his veteran presence in the rotation is nonetheless bad news for Texas. He has plenty of postseason experience, playing major roles on the 2023 World Series champion Rangers and the 2018 World Series champion Red Sox. Basically, there's a reason why they call him "Big Game Nate."

Hopefully, it's just a short IL stint for Eovaldi. It has yet to be revealed how long he will be out. Unfortunately, there's a strong chance he could miss significant time since it's an elbow injury.

Nathan Eovaldi's injury is bad news for Rangers, but at least the rest of the rotation is nearly fully healthy

On the bright side, the rest of the Rangers' rotation is nearly completely healthy. Left-hander Cody Bradford returned from the IL earlier this month and threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants in his first start back. Jordan Montgomery also returned from the IL recently. Montgomery is in a bullpen role for now, but Texas could use him as a starter if needed. The Rangers announced that Cal Quantrill would be moved to the bullpen, but they may put him back in the rotation for a bit now that Eovaldi is out.

Additionally, right-handed starting pitcher Jack Leiter appears to be on the verge of returning from the IL. Texas recently moved him to the 60-day IL, but he will still be eligible to return later this month. Leiter, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle in June, could begin a rehab assignment as soon as Thursday, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

So while the timing of Eovaldi's injury isn't great based on how late it is in the season, the fact that it occurred when the rest of the rotation is on the verge of being fully healthy is one thing Rangers fans can think about to stay positive.

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