Feb 16, 2026, 1:32 PM ET

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (shoulder, hernia) does not expect to have any limitations ahead of spring training, he said during an appearance on the SportsDay Rangers podcast. Eovaldi's 2025 season ended early due to a rotator cuff strain last August, followed by a sports hernia that required surgery in October. However, it sounds like he's going to be a full-go for spring training, and projects as the Rangers No. 2 starting pitcher behind Jacob deGrom. When healthy, Eovaldi was excellent in 2025, with a 1.73 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts in 130 innings pitched. Eovaldi showcased excellent control with a 4.2 percent walk rate (98th percentile) and arguably had the best season of his 14-year career. Health is the main concern for the 36-year-old right-hander, as he has only thrown more than 170 innings in three of his 14 seasons at the MLB level. While there may be room for regression when you have a 1.73 ERA (3.02 xERA, 3.17 SIERA, 3.03 xFIP), all of those metrics are still above average, and combined with his experience and excellent control, he should provide value if he gets through Spring Training without any setbacks. Eovaldi relies heavily on his split finger, which he throws 31.4 percent of the time, which contributes to his excellent 51.1 percent groundball rate (86th percentile). RotoBaller ranks him as the SP41, while NFBC ADP has him going 158.0 overall, making him a strong pick in the middle part of your drafts if he's able to stay healthy.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller