ANAHEIM -- The Rangers placed right-hander Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list with right posterior elbow inflammation, retroactive to Sunday, ahead of Monday's series opener against the Angels. Right-hander Ben Peoples was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move.
Eovaldi, who was sidelined for a few weeks with the same injury last season, experienced discomfort while playing catch Sunday and underwent imaging that revealed the inflammation, according to manager Skip Schumaker.
Eovaldi last pitched Friday in the Rangers’ 2-1 win over Baltimore, tossing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball with two walks and two strikeouts. His velocity was down nearly across the board -- including a 1.5 mph dropoff on his cutter (88.8 mph compared to 90.3 mph season average) and 1.6 mph on his four-seam fastball (92.9 mph, 94.5 mph season average).
“Came out of the start feeling OK,” Schumaker said of the 36-year-old Eovaldi. “Obviously the velo was down, but there were no red flags as far as he was complaining about the elbow or anything else.”
Schumaker said he is optimistic that Eovaldi could return as soon as he’s eligible, but cautioned against putting an exact timeline on his recovery or predetermining whether the veteran will need a Minor League rehab stint.
“Knowing Evo and how hard he works, what he puts into this thing, I know he’ll be trying to focus on getting [back],” Schumaker said. “The day that you’re allowed to come off, that’s when he’s going to try to come off. But that’s obviously to be determined.”
Eovaldi leads the Rangers in innings (132 2/3) and wins (10) this season to go along with 137 strikeouts and a 4.21 ERA. He’s struggled since the start of July, posting a 5.01 ERA while allowing seven home runs in 32 1/3 innings.
Eovaldi’s spot in the rotation, which will likely fall Wednesday, is expected to be filled by either Cal Quantrill or Jordan Montgomery, both of whom are currently in the Rangers bullpen. Schumaker said the team has “a pretty good idea” who they’ll go with, but said the final decision would come after seeing how the next two games unfold.
Quantrill sports a 3.56 ERA in 65 2/3 innings across 24 outings (seven starts) with Texas this year. The 31-year-old righty has been a starter for most of his big league career, with 156 starts in 211 appearances.
Montgomery made his first appearance as a Ranger on Sunday after missing almost two years due to injury, including undergoing Tommy John Surgery in March 2025. The 33-year-old lefty struggled in his season debut, surrendering three runs, including two homers, in four innings of relief. He owns a 4.04 career ERA with 161 starts in 167 games.
Peoples, 25, had been optioned to Triple-A on Saturday but now rejoins the Rangers’ bullpen. He has struck out six across 12 1/3 innings in 12 outings this season with a 2.19 ERA.