The guards are sending Nathan Eovaldi to think about after the veteran started reporting to the left side, manager Skip Schumaker told reporters (including Kennedy Landry of MLB.com). Texas scratched Eovaldi from his scheduled start tonight at Arizona. Jacob Junis I got the first few innings of an impromptu bullpen game.
Schumaker’s bullpen should be well rested. The Rangers will be coming off a streak that has been hot for the Cubs. They used three relievers after that Jack Leiter on Saturday, but only Gavin Colyer he threw more than 13 pitches. Jacob Latz was their only reliever yesterday, throwing 20 pitches over two scoreless innings after a good start since Jacob deGrom (seven scoreless and 10 strikeouts).
While the riding staff is well equipped to deal with a missed start, it can be difficult to cope with an injured roster if that is necessary. Eovaldi has been one of the best pitchers in the American League during his time in Arlington. His 4.15 earned run average this year is higher than his ERA in any of his first three seasons, thanks in large part to an increase in his home run rate.
Eovaldi has had three bad starts but has also reeled off four quality starts, including two perfect games against the Yankees in his last two starts. He held New York in one race (an Aaron is the judge homer) with 15 strikeouts in as many innings in those two starts. Texas won both games.
The Rangers have a below-average offense for the third straight season. Only the Giants and Mets had scored fewer runs entering the game on Monday. Texas stayed close to .500 (19-21) thanks to a pitching staff with the sixth-best ERA. Their bullpen deserves more credit for that than the first rotation, as their combined relief team has an MLB-low 2.80 mark. The top half of the rotation is Texas’ biggest strength on paper, however.
Texas made no changes to its rotation of deGrom, Eovaldi, Leiter, MacKenzie Gore again Kumar Rocker. Latz’s start in the second game of the season was the only one until tonight’s opening by someone other than the aforementioned quintet. deGrom also raises the bar that will have him in the Cy Young conversation if he stays healthy. The others all have ERAs north of 4.00, though all but Rocker have strikeouts.
The rotation drops off significantly after the top five. Latz bounced back when he was named the starter last season, but the Rangers would be hesitant to ask him to do that again. The lefty took over as the closer after Texas opened the season by committee. Latz allowed just two runs in 20 2/3 innings on the year, recording four saves in his last five outings.
June, Tyler Alexander again Cole Winn all recorded at least one save early in the season. Latz got every opportunity going back to April 13. He’s probably too important behind the bullpen to recover as a starter, especially if Eovaldi’s injury turns out to be minor.
Cal Quantrill work freely for a long time and you can get the look. Jose Cornielthe only deep starter on the 40-man roster, has spent the past five weeks at the team’s Arizona complex and made his Triple-A debut on Friday. Josh Stephanunselected in last season’s Rule 5 draft and with no MLB experience, he has been the organization’s best starter in Triple-A.
Schumaker also provided an update before Monday’s game Josh Smith. The second baseman, who was out last week with a glute strain, is also dealing with wrist inflammation (link via Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News). Schumaker said the team hopes to be shut down for only a few days, but all but confirmed that Smith will not be taken off the injured list when he starts qualifying on Thursday.
A productive player since 2024-25, Smith was named the second everyday linebacker after the game. Marcus Semien/Brandon Nimmo trade. He got off to a very slow start, hitting .217/.324/.239 with no home runs in 108 plate appearances. His strikeout and walk profile is solid, but he doesn’t make any impact. Smith, who has had an outstanding performance in April, has once again posted below par defensively this year.
Ezequiel Duran he has taken over the second helm in Smith’s absence. He’s hitting too well to leave the lineup, hitting .286/.359/.451 in 32 games. Duran previously played mostly on the left because of the games Wyatt Langford injury, so Smith’s injury indirectly opened up more playing time for the outfielder Alejandro Osuna. The 23-year-old has 16 hits in his first 37 games since being recalled from the minors on April 22.
