Yankees: “Nasty Nate” Eovaldi takes the mound for the Rays

On Sunday, Nathan “Nasty Nate” Eovaldi will take the mound for the Rays in his first action since undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in August of 2016 while still a member of the Yankees.

Nathan Eovaldi was a free agent in 2017 and was not offered a contract by the Yankees. The Rays eventually gave Eovaldi a one-year, $2 million deal with a club option for the 2018 season, which the club picked up.

The 28-year-old right-hander suffered his first elbow injury while still a junior in high school and underwent Tommy John surgery at that time. Originally drafted by the Dodgers after his senior year of high school, Eovaldi has also played for the Miami Marlins as well as the Yanks.

On December 19, 2014, the Marlins traded Eovaldi, Garrett Jones, and Domingo German to the Yankees for Martin Prado and David Phelps.

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In 2015, his first year with the Yankees, Eovaldi posted a 14-3 record in 27 starts with a 4.20 ERA. Eovaldi followed that up in 2016 with a 9-8 record in 21 starts with a 4.76 ERA before the elbow injury that ended his season in mid-August.

Aside from the injury that ended his time in the Bronx, Eovaldi proved to be a solid starter for the Yanks. He became known for throwing a nasty split-fingered fastball which is what earned him the moniker “Nasty Nate.”

Former Yankees’ catcher Brian McCann said of Eovaldi’s splitter, “It has taken his game to another level.”

Eovaldi is a five-pitch pitcher relying primarily on his fastball, which Brooks Baseball describes as “blazing fast” at 98 mph. He also throws a splitter (89 mph) “hard with natural sink,” a slider (87 mph), cutter (94 mph) and the occasional curve (76 mph).

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I’m sure Yankees’ fans wish Eovaldi well on his road back from Tommy John surgery, just maybe not for a couple of innings today.