The Texas Rangers have been without starter Nathan Eovaldi since late July, but it appears a return could be just around the corner.

The right-hander took a vital step in the right direction Tuesday, throwing his second bullpen in four days, as reported by Evan Grant of Dallas News. This time, however, Eovaldi threw an inning, took a rest and sat down like he could between frames, and then proceeded to gauge if his forearm strain would stiffen up at all. The Rangers are waiting to see how he feels Wednesday morning.

September 1st looks to be the target date for Eovaldi to return to the rotation when the rosters expand, but there is still a chance he could be back sooner as well. Eovaldi would next face live batters before eventually going on a rehab stint in the minors. The veteran did feel good after Tuesday's pen:

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“It went well and I definitely feel encouraged,” Eovaldi said. “There is still a lot for me to work on.”

Nathan Eovaldi has been a massive part of the Rangers' success, especially with Jacob deGrom out. The 33-year-old is 11-3 with a stout 2.69 ERA in 19 starts, striking out 111 in 123.2 innings while walking just 34. One could say he's emerged as the ace of this rotation. With him and Max Scherzer headlining the staff, Texas has a seriously good one-two punch for the postseason.

Bruce Bochy's ball club is still first in the American League West with a 72-48 record and has gone 8-2 in their last 10 games.