In a huge blow to the Texas Rangers’ postseason hopes, ace pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a rotator cuff strain.
Rangers President of Baseball Operations Chris Young announced the news on Tuesday. So, what does it mean for the team’s future?
Eovaldi has posted a stellar third season with the organization, posting a miniscule 1.73 ERA and 0.85 WHIP over his 130 innings. The 35-year-old right-hander struck out 129 batters over that span and pitched his way to an 11-3 record despite seeing very little run support from an inconsistent offense. His box score stats are impressive, but his advanced metrics are even more so with a 99th-percentile grade in pitching run value and a 4.3 WAR.
Losing a Cy Young-caliber pitcher certainly hurts in any circumstance, but the stakes are even higher than usual for Texas.
The injury comes as a massive blow to the Rangers as they seek an AL Wild Card spot. They currently sit 5.5 games back of the AL West rival Seattle Mariners for that final MLB Postseason berth, and with Eovaldi now expected to miss the remainder of the year, the situation becomes much more complicated over the campaign’s home stretch.
