Nathan Eovaldi was scheduled to throw his first live batting practice of spring training last week, but a minor injury to the 26-year-old altered those plans a bit.
According to Chad Jennings of LoHud.com, Eovaldi was running with the team last week when he felt minor tightness in his left groin. The right-hander had the groin wrapped by team trainers as a precaution, but the team took extra steps to avoid making the injury worse.
The Yankees cancelled Eovaldi’s live batting practice session, which was scheduled for the next day. The team has a history of being very cautious when it comes to injuries, especially during spring training, so it’s no surprise that they cancelled his live batting practice session this early in spring training.
Eovaldi told reporters that he feels great physically, and that the team is just being really cautious to avoid making the minor injury any worse. Since the injury occurred, the right-hander hasn’t missed a day of catch or any fielding drills during camp, and expects to throw another bullpen session on Wednesday.
The Yankees need Eovaldi healthy this season, and it’s definitely no surprise that they are being cautious with him at this time. Eovaldi was sidelined at the end of the 2015 season due to inflammation in his pitching elbow, and it’s safe to say the club needs him healthy throughout the entire 2016 season to be successful.
In his first season with the Bronx Bombers in 2015, Eovaldi had a career-year, posting a 14-3 record with a 4.20 ERA in 27 starts. He’ll look to put up similar numbers this season, as he’s expected to be a very important part of the Yankees starting rotation moving forward.
