The Rangers hitters were apparently sufficiently shamed by Wednesday’s performance that they got their act together and scored some runs. And Nathan Eovaldi pitched great until a tight groooooooiiiiiiiinnnn ended his day in the sixth.

Player of the Game: Jonah Heim, who has had some struggles early on, went 2 for 3 with a pair of runs scored, a walk and an RBI.

The Rangers’ depth in starting pitching has been put to the test early in the 2024 season, and they may have encountered yet another hurdle on Thursday.

Nathan Eovaldi, the ace of the Texas team, was performing well in the series finale against the Nationals at Globe Life Field, with five shutout innings under his belt before encountering an obstacle. However, Eovaldi had to exit the game with one out in the sixth inning due to tightness in his right groin.

In the top of the sixth inning, Eovaldi started by inducing a lineout from CJ Abrams, but then issued a one-out walk to Nick Senzel. He threw one more pitch, a 93.8 mph four-seamer for a strike to Luis García Jr., before pitching coach Mike Maddux, manager Bruce Bochy, and head trainer Matt Lucero emerged from the dugout to confer with Eovaldi on the mound.

Following the discussion, a prompt decision was reached, leading to Eovaldi exiting the game. His next scheduled start is on Tuesday in Oakland, and his condition will continue to be monitored until then.

Eovaldi expressed that he felt a strain during the pitch to García and initially believed he would be fine after a couple of warmup pitches. However, as a precautionary measure, the coaching staff opted to remove him from the game. The plan is for him to accompany the team to Kansas City, where he will undergo imaging tests.

In Eovaldi’s absence, rookie reliever Jacob Latz entered the game, recording a strikeout and a groundout to conclude the inning, leaving Eovaldi’s inherited runner stranded on first base.

The Rangers are already dealing with injuries to four starting pitchers: Max Scherzer, Cody Bradford, Tyler Mahle, and Jacob deGrom.

They are also scheduled to play a doubleheader in Oakland on Wednesday, during which they will likely require an additional starter. The amount of rest Eovaldi will need before his next start is uncertain, but Texas will undoubtedly exercise caution with their ace, regardless of the schedule.

“It’s still early in the season, isn’t it?” Eovaldi remarked. “We need to ensure that we approach it cautiously and assess how it feels tomorrow. Considering it’s still early in the season and our rotation, along with the bullpen, is performing well, we’ll take a wait-and-see approach.”