“I went to throw it and I kind of felt it” – Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi says he instantly noticed his groin injury prior to 6th inning exit

Nathan Eovaldi has stepped up for the Texas Rangers with multiple starting pitchers injured. He has been more than reliable, with aces like Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom trying to make their way back.

Eovaldi got the start on Thursday against the Washington Nationals and was cruising. He went 5.1 innings, giving up zero runs on two hits while striking out eight batters.

However, Eovaldi was pulled early from his Thursday start with a groin injury. He stated in the postgame interview that he knew exactly when the injury occurred.

"I've had hip flexors and groin injuries before, but never really one that took me out of the game. I was where my pitch count was and it was just that one pitch, I went to throw it and I kind of felt it" - said Eovaldi.

Eovaldi thought about trying to throw some warmup pitches after the injury, but manager Bruce Bochy wanted to play it safe. Major groin injuries can be hard to come back from.

We'll see how it feels tomorrow. Get an MRI and get it all checked out and play it safe. Again, trying to be smart with this and not push it" - said Eovaldi.

Eovaldi will get an MRI on Friday to see the extent of the injury. Hopefully, he is not out long-term; Texas needs all the arms they can get right now.

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Rangers need Nathan Eovaldi in the rotation following the latest Max Scherzer update

Texas Rangers - Nathan Eovaldi (Image via USA Today)

An injury to Nathan Eovaldi is the last thing the Texas Rangers want to face. They are already without multiple pitchers, and while one starter was close to a return, he has hit a snag in his rehab.

Max Scherzer is currently in Double-A on a rehab assignment. While he was slated to start on Tuesday, he was scratched after experiencing a sore thumb.

Scherzer stated that the pain closely resembled the pain he felt last season that caused him to miss some time. Last season, he experienced thumb soreness that led to his forearm and eventually led to the torn teres major muscle.

However, his thumb is improving, per team reporter Jeff Wilson. While he will not travel with Texas as they take on the Kansas City Royals, he could pitch in the minors next week.

Scherzer's return to the rotation will surely be a boost for Texas.