In a devastating blow to the Texas Rangers’ postseason aspirations, the team announced that their ace pitcher, Nathan Eovaldi, has been sidelined with a rotator cuff strain, potentially ending his stellar 2025 season. The news, reported by ESPN, comes just hours before the highly anticipated Cy Young Award announcement, where Eovaldi was a leading contender.
The 35-year-old right-hander, a former rising star with the New York Yankees, revealed he underwent an MRI after cutting short a bullpen session due to persistent soreness. “It just felt like it was getting a little worse, so I shut it down and had the trainers look at it,” Eovaldi told ESPN. “Obviously, it’s just frustrating given how great the season’s been going. … I don’t want to rule out the rest of the season, but it’s not looking very great.”
Eovaldi’s 2025 campaign has been nothing short of spectacular. Boasting a career-best 1.73 ERA and an 11-3 record over 22 starts, he was in the running for the American League Cy Young Award alongside Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Boston’s Garrett Crochet. His injury not only dims the Rangers’ wild-card hopes but also casts a shadow over what could have been a crowning achievement in his 14-year career.
Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young expressed the team’s heartbreak, saying, “Obviously it’s a big blow. He’s been just a tremendous teammate and competitor for us all year long. Hate to see this happen to somebody who’s been so important to the organization. But it seems par for the course with how some of the season has gone.”
Eovaldi’s journey to this point has been one of resilience and triumph. A Houston native, he has played for six MLB teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and the Rangers. His time in the Bronx, following a December 2014 trade from the Marlins, saw him shine with a 14-3 record in 2015. However, his 2016 season was derailed by Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the entire 2017 season.
Undeterred, Eovaldi bounced back to become a two-time All-Star and a World Series champion, first with the Red Sox in 2018 and then with the Rangers in 2023. His loyalty to Texas was reaffirmed in December 2024 when he inked a three-year, $75 million contract to remain with the club.
As the Rangers grapple with this latest setback, the baseball world holds its breath, hoping for a speedy recovery for one of the game’s most respected pitchers. For now, Eovaldi’s focus shifts from the mound to rehabilitation, leaving fans and teammates alike to reflect on a season of brilliance cut short by injury.