Kris Bubic placed on injured list due to rotator cuff strain; Royals roster shuffles include acquiring Randal Grichuk.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals have placed All-Star left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic on the 15-day injured list, citing a rotator cuff strain, ahead of their Sunday matchup against the Cleveland Guardians. This move follows a series of roster adjustments, including outfielder Jac Caglianone also going on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain.
Bubic struggled in Saturday’s start during the second game of a doubleheader against Cleveland, walking the first four batters he faced and lasting only 2 2/3 innings. He threw 42 pitches just in the first inning and gave up four runs along with three hits in his shortest outing since September 18, 2022, against Boston.
Additional roster moves bring new faces to Royals’ lineup and bullpen
In response to these injuries and to strengthen the roster, the Royals activated outfielder Randal Grichuk, acquired Saturday night from Arizona in exchange for reliever Andrew Hoffmann. At the same time, the team recalled right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha to support a struggling bullpen.
Manager Matt Quatraro noted the ongoing evaluation of Bubic’s condition, saying,
“He’s getting some further testing and then we’ll talk to the doc here and see what we got,”
as the team looks to assess the full extent of the injury.
Bubic’s shoulder soreness persisted despite his strong season
Bubic has reported shoulder soreness throughout much of the season but managed to maintain a high level of performance, posting a 2.55 ERA, the fifth-best mark in the American League. Quatraro emphasized Bubic’s perseverance despite pain, stating,
Image of: Kris Bubic
“I mean, you see how he’s performed,”
and continued,
“Most pitchers when they go out there, they feel something almost every time. The severity of it and his ability to continue to deal with it has been manageable, by his own admission. … And it’s gotten to the point where, you know, he doesn’t, and we don’t feel like it’s best for him to keep fighting through it.”
Bubic’s injury further thins Kansas City’s rotation, which was already dealing with multiple setbacks. Left-hander Cole Ragans remains sidelined with a strained rotator cuff and is not expected to return until late August. Meanwhile, right-hander Michael Lorenzen is working through recovery from a strained left oblique and might need to complete a rehab assignment prior to rejoining the team in August.
To fill the gap, the Royals brought back veteran Rich Hill, 45 years old, who impressed in his first start for Kansas City last week.
Young hitter Jac Caglianone sidelined by hamstring strain
Outfielder Jac Caglianone, a promising 22-year-old power hitter, sustained a left hamstring strain during the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. He felt tightness running to second base on a double and experienced discomfort again running to first on a groundout within the same inning, prompting his placement on the 10-day injured list.
Randal Grichuk joins Royals to bolster right-handed hitting
Amid the injury difficulties, the Royals finalized the acquisition of Randal Grichuk, who nearly signed with the team during the offseason. Grichuk is expected to contribute primarily against left-handed pitching throughout the remainder of the season.
Quatraro highlighted the need for balance in the lineup, explaining,
“You’ve seen our outfield had gotten very heavily left-handed. Something we thought we needed to add was a right-handed bat,”
as Kansas City aimed to narrow a four-and-a-half game deficit in the AL wild-card race with a 51-54 record heading into Sunday.
Grichuk immediately inserted into starting lineup after trade
Grichuk learned of the trade while playing for Arizona in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. He went 0 for 2 before receiving the news and embraced his new role, quickly flying to Kansas City to participate in the series finale against Cleveland. He was placed in the starting lineup, batting sixth and taking the right field position.
Grichuk recounted the fast transition, saying,
“When they called they said, ‘If you’re willing to be here to play, you know, we want you in the starting lineup,’
and added,
‘and yeah, I want to play. That’s kind of my M.O. And so I said, ‘Let’s do it. We’ll make it happen, even if it’s crazy travel.’”
Friendly number swap smooths Grichuk’s integration into Royals
Grichuk, who has traditionally worn number 15, faced a temporary obstacle as that number was already taken by backup catcher Luke Maile. Fortunately, the two had a past connection from their time in Toronto, allowing for a quick and amicable exchange of uniform numbers. Maile agreed to switch to No. 17, granting Grichuk the familiar No. 15.
Commenting on the gesture, Grichuk said,
“It’s pretty cool that he was able to give it to me,”
and promised to work out potential compensation with Maile for the arrangement.
Implications for Royals’ season and upcoming outlook
The injury to Kris Bubic comes at a critical moment for the Royals, who are striving to climb back into playoff contention despite a shortened rotation and multiple injured players. The addition of Randal Grichuk provides a timely boost in right-handed power hitting, complementing the team’s existing lineup challenges.
Manager Matt Quatraro and the Royals staff will continue monitoring Bubic’s recovery and the health of other key players such as Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen, as they aim to maintain competitiveness in the American League throughout August and beyond.
