Rangers Scratch Nathan Eovaldi with Back Stiffness, Jacob Latz to Start vs Tigers

The Texas Rangers have scratched right-hander Nathan Eovaldi from his scheduled start against the Detroit Tigers due to back stiffness that flared up during batting practice. Eovaldi, who has been dominant this season with a 1.58 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 91 innings, had previously missed a month with elbow inflammation but returned strong before the injury. In his place, left-hander Jacob Latz will start, despite mostly being used in relief, and he recently flirted with a no-hitter in a June start. The original pitching matchup was to feature Eovaldi against Tigers ace and defending AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, who has a 2.23 ERA and 10-3 record this season. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy indicated they will continue to evaluate Eovaldi's condition, with potential treatments considered, but felt it would be unwise to push him to pitch while dealing with back tightness. This change means the anticipated marquee pitching duel for the Sunday primetime game will not take place as planned.