Nathan

Eovaldi

Eovaldi’s average fastball velocity dripped from 95.4 mph in 2023 to 94.1 mph last season, but he’s come in at 95.2 mph in his five spring starts. He’s a poor bet to make 30 starts — he’s done so only twice, in 2014 and 2021 — but he figures to be plenty valuable while healthy. The Rangers will use him as their Opening Day starter against the Phillies next week.

It’s likely that the decision came down to either Eovaldi or Jacob deGrom, so expect deGrom to get the nod in the Rangers’ home opener. Eovaldi is certainly deserving of the honor after posting a brilliant 1.73 ERA across 22 starts during the 2025 campaign.

Eovaldi struck out five and walked none while dealing with some lengthy waits as the Rangers racked up 18 runs over the first three innings. He has a 4.11 ERA through four starts, and his stuff looks much like it did while he was going 11-3 with a 1.73 ERA in 22 starts before hurting his shoulder last season.

Eovaldi struck out four and issued just one walk while building his pitch count to 68 (49 strikes) in his latest spring tune-up. The 36-year-old veteran has been quietly excellent on a per-start basis over the last three seasons since arriving in Texas, even as injuries have kept the volume in check. Those durability concerns naturally cap his realistic fantasy ceiling, but the underlying performance remains that of a high-end starter when he’s on the mound. He fits comfortably in the top-50 range among fantasy starters this spring — the type of calculated gamble where the risk is obvious, but the sky-high floor is equally tantalizing.

Eovaldi built up his pitch count to 43 (29 strikes) in his second spring outing, scattering two hits and one walk in the process. The 36-year-old veteran hurler has topped at least 130 innings in three consecutive seasons since arriving in Texas, allaying some of the concerns regarding his durability. He belongs squarely in the top-50 starting pitcher conversation in fantasy drafts this spring.

Eovaldi allowed all three runs on homers. He gave up a solo blast to Salvador Perez, and a two-run shot to Michael Massey. The stats obviously don’t mean much — if anything — and fantasy managers shouldn’t forget how good Eovaldi was in 2025 with a 1.73 ERA and 129/21 K/BB over his 130 innings.

The Rangers have yet to name a starter for Opening Day, though Eovaldi will be in the running for that honor as well, along with Jacob deGrom. The 36-year-old hurler had a brilliant 2025 season, compiling a minuscule 1.73 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and a 129/21 K/BB ratio over 130 innings in his 22 starts.

A rotator cuff strain that ended Eovaldi’s season, but it was reported last week that he was also seeing a hernia specialist. The surgery isn’t something that should have much of an effect on his preparation for next year.

Eovaldi was shut down in late September with a right rotator cuff strain, but Young noted that injury is no longer a problem. It sounds like he may need to get the hernia dealt with though at some point over the offseason. The expectation is still that the 35-year-old hurler will be fully recovered and ready to go for the start of spring training.

Nothing has changed in the prognosis for Eovaldi, who is out for the season with a right rotator cuff strain, this was done merely as a procedural move to free up a spot on the club’s 40-man roster for the promotion of Donovan Solano from Triple-A. Eovaldi is still expected to avoid surgery and should be ready to go for the start of spring training.