Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who turned in a stellar 1.73 ERA this season, underwent sports hernia surgery Wednesday in Phoenix, multiple sources confirmed.
General manager Ross Fenstermaker had indicated last week that Eovaldi was headed to Arizona for further evaluation after dealing with lingering discomfort late in the season. The veteran starter was previously shut down in August with a strained rotator cuff, an injury that sidelined him for several weeks.
A late-season MRI revealed that his shoulder was healing properly, and the club expects him to have a normal offseason leading into spring training. The recovery timeline for a sports hernia procedure typically ranges from six to eight weeks, aligning with the point in the offseason when Eovaldi would normally begin ramping up his throwing program.
Eovaldi, 34, is projected to anchor the Rangers’ 2026 rotation alongside Jacob deGrom, giving Texas one of the most experienced front-end duos in the American League. Despite missing time in May with shoulder fatigue and later with the rotator cuff issue, Eovaldi’s dominant first half kept him among the league leaders in ERA—though he ultimately fell short of the innings required to qualify for the title.
The 2025 Rangers pitching staff finished with the lowest ERA in franchise history and led the majors overall, a testament to the team’s depth and resilience even amid injuries to its top arms.
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