Eovaldi's Recurring Knee Soreness

Texas Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi Scratched from Padres Start Amid Recurring Knee Soreness

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Texas Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi Scratched from Padres Start Amid Recurring Knee Soreness

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Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his Saturday start against the San Diego Padres because of left knee soreness, the team announced roughly three hours before the scheduled 4:05 PM ET first pitch, according to The Associated Press. Lefty MacKenzie Gore was moved up one day to take the mound in his place.

It is the second time in six weeks Eovaldi has been pulled from a start. On May 11, left side tightness forced him out against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rangers, sitting at 36-39 and two games out of a Wild Card spot, can ill afford to lose a starter who has gone at least seven innings in half of his outings this season, per RotoBaller.

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Gore Steps Up to Face His Former Team

MacKenzie Gore, 27, will face the Padres — the team that drafted him third overall in 2017. The Rangers acquired the left-hander from the Washington Nationals in January for five prospects, including Gavin Fien and Abimelec Ortiz, according to MLB.com. Gore enters Saturday with a 4-2 record and a 4.27 ERA.

The pitching change flips a right-handed matchup into a left-handed one. San Diego has struggled against southpaws this season. The Rangers are still listed as a slight favorite at -134, a sign the betting market views Gore as nearly equal to a hobbled Eovaldi, per Action Network.

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Eovaldi's Injury History Raises Red Flags

Eovaldi, 36, signed a three-year, $75 million deal in December 2024. He is 6-7 with a 4.23 ERA in 14 starts this season, according to FOX Sports. But his health record is long and troubling. He has had two Tommy John surgeries, a sports hernia operation after the 2025 season, and previous stints on the injured list for a rotator cuff strain, groin issues, and back soreness.

Analysts at RotoBaller warn that given his "lengthy history of injuries," a trip to the injured list would not be surprising despite the team officially calling the knee soreness "minor" and his status "day-to-day." Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said earlier this month he "wasn't going to push" Eovaldi, even when the pitcher was performing well.

2 sources

Sunday's Rotation Spot Left Blank After Scratch

With Gore moving up to Saturday, the Rangers' Sunday series finale against San Diego is now listed as TBA, per Field Level Media. The team could be forced into a bullpen day or a spot start from a minor league call-up. That would put extra strain on a bullpen that has been one of Texas's few reliable weapons all season.

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Trade Deadline Picture Clouds Around Eovaldi

Texas sits 3.0 games behind the division-leading Seattle Mariners, according to StatMuse. Eovaldi had been floated as a potential trade deadline name if the Rangers stay below .500. But repeated scratches make that complicated. Teams looking to buy at the July 31 deadline will be wary of a pitcher with two mystery injuries in six weeks.

Sporting News noted the recurring soreness "significantly complicates" his trade value. Globe Life Field has also played 15% below the league average for run scoring this year, per Action Network, making Eovaldi's 4.23 ERA look slightly worse than it reads. He has logged 83 strikeouts in 87.1 innings — a slight drop from his 2025 peak.