Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi recovering from surgery for sports hernia

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is recovering from surgery for a sports hernia.

Eovaldi is expected to be ready for the start of the season after having the surgery this week in Phoenix.

The Rangers had revealed the potential hernia issue for the 35-year-old Eovaldi in their season-ending news conference last week. They said then that the pitcher was doing well in his recovery from the rotator cuff strain in his shoulder that prematurely ended his standout season after his last start Aug. 22.

Eovaldi was 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA in 22 starts, but he was short of the innings needed to qualify as the MLB leader. Pittsburgh starter Paul Skenes finished with a 1.97 ERA to lead the majors.

It was Eovaldi’s third consecutive season with at least 11 wins since joining his home state team, and last December he signed a new $75 million, three-year contract through 2027. He and Hall of Fame strikeout king Nolan Ryan are the only big league players from Alvin, Texas.

Eovaldi has a 102-84 career record and 3.89 ERA, and was part of World Series championships with Boston in 2018 and Texas in 2023. His first pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2011-12), then Miami (2012-14), the New York Yankees (2015-16), Tampa Bay (2018) and Boston (2018-22).

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