Nathan Eovaldi faces a potential sports hernia surgery after finishing 2024 with a rotator cuff strain, forcing the Rangers to monitor spring ramp-up closely. If surgery is needed, his readiness could slip, even as the arm shows signs of near-healing. Seager’s 2024 sports hernia history and other IL returnees shape Texas’ spring depth and rotation planning.

Eovaldi’s late-season absence and strong 2024 numbers (11-3, 1.73 ERA, 130 innings) anchor the rotation, but contract through 2027 provides long-term value. Other veterans—Seager, Semien, Langford, Burger, Carter, Bradford, Winn—are on track for normal offseasons, keeping the Rangers’ fantasy upside tempered by health questions.

Texas Rangers head into winter with more questions than answers after back-to-back playoff misses. The offense regressed again, and the club plans to reshape the roster via free agency and trades, even as payroll is expected to dip below the $244 million tax threshold.

Nearly a third of the roster could hit free agency, with Joc Pederson and nine others in that bubble. Arbitration-eligible stars Adolis García, Jonah Heim, Jacob Webb, Josh Sborz, and Sam Haggerty loom, while core pieces DeGrom, Seager, Semien, Eovaldi, and Higashioka are locked long term. The pre arbitration group includes Jung, Burger and Leiter, shaping fantasy value for 2025.

Texas Rangers at Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland sets up a late-season clash with Latz facing Cantillo. Texas sends a youthful, speed-and-power lineup led by Helman, Jung, Garcia, Manzardo, and Burger, with Rodriguez and Higashioka rounding out the core. Cleveland counters with Kwan and Ramirez atop the order, backed by gap power and a patient approach from the middle of the lineup. Expect platoon-driven at-bats and opportunistic runs in a penultimate-season context.

Fantasy angles center on Helman’s center-field work and top-line at-bats for Texas, Jung’s power upside, and Garcia’s RBI potential, balanced against Kwan’s on-base genius and Ramirez’s run production for Cleveland. Late-season shifts can elevate or deflate several bats depending on lineup decisions and bullpen usage.

With both clubs pursuing wins, roster tinkering and lineup liquidity will matter. Track who starts and who sits, as even small shifts can tilt at-bats, plate discipline, and scoring chances in this pivotal finish to the season.