ARLINGTON, Texas — Nathan Eovaldi got here off the injured checklist to begin a World Sequence rematch for the Texas Rangers as a substitute of pitching a rehab sport within the minor leagues.
“I felt good, I used to be positively excited to be again on the market on the mound,” Eovaldi mentioned after throwing 27 of his 37 pitches for strikes over three innings within the Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday evening.
In his first sport since Could 2, Eovaldi struck out two with none walks whereas permitting two runs on 5 hits. He exited with the Rangers trailing 2-1, and was changed on the mound by left-hander Andrew Heaney at first of the fourth inning. Eovaldi obtained a no-decision.
“It is nice to see Nate on the market,” supervisor Bruce Bochy mentioned. “His stuff was good for 3 innings.”
Eovaldi hadn’t began a sport since departing after 5⅓ scoreless innings towards Washington. He went on the 15-day injured checklist the subsequent day with a proper groin pressure.
Bochy had indicated to reporters over the weekend that Eovaldi would pitch some other place earlier than rejoining the Rangers rotation. That modified after conversations Sunday with Eovaldi earlier than the group flew residence from Minnesota and had a time off.
Requested about these conversations after the Arizona sport, Eovaldi mentioned pitching coach Mike Maddux requested him if he was 100% — “I mentioned yeah,” the pitcher replied
Though Eovaldi had labored as much as throwing 60-70 pitches within the bullpen, and wished to go one other inning, Bochy mentioned the plan was for round three innings.
“Mike would not actually let me know precisely like what the restrict goes to be or something like that. So I used to be simply attempting to work fast and maintain the pitch depend down,” Eovaldi mentioned. “I assumed it was low sufficient to return on the market for a fourth, however it was both, I suppose, three innings or a pitch depend, which I nonetheless do not know what it’s. However we had been in a great place.”
Eovaldi threw seven strikes in a nine-pitch first, however Arizona opened the second with back-to-back doubles. The second run got here residence on a foul come out that become a sacrifice fly when first baseman Nathaniel Lowe made an over-the-shoulder catch whereas going away from the plate.
An All-Star final season in his Rangers debut, Eovaldi threw six scoreless innings and was the profitable pitcher within the clinching Sport 5 of the World Sequence for Texas over the Diamondbacks on Nov. 1. He allowed 5 runs over 4⅔ innings within the sequence opener that the Rangers gained in further innings.
Bochy mentioned Dane Dunning (3-3, 4.43 ERA) would pitch Wednesday within the finale of the two-game set towards the Diamondbacks. It is going to be his second begin again from a 15-day IL stint for a proper rotator cuff pressure, although that had been anticipated Tuesday.
“We wished to provide Dane an additional day. He obtained some fairly good things there in Minnesota, he was fairly sick,” Bochy mentioned earlier than the sport. “So, yeah, there have been a few variables concerned.”
