Royals will go without rotation workhorse Jakob Junis to start the season. Here’s why
Right-hander Jakob Junis will not be on the active roster when the Kansas City Royals open the MLB season Friday in Cleveland.
The club placed Junis on the 10-day injured list — the transaction was dated July 19 — announcing that the move was made in order to allow him to continue to ramp up for the season. He received late clearance and thus a late start to spring training 2.0 because he’d tested positive for COVID-19 during MLB’s intake testing.
Junis, 27, led the Royals’ pitching staff last season in wins (nine), starts (31), innings (175 1/3) and strikeouts (164). He’d been one of four solidified starters going into the Royals’ initial spring training camp in Arizona, along with Brad Keller, Danny Duffy and Mike Montgomery.
Junis joined spring training 2.0 camp roughly 10 days ago after he received medical clearance. He had pitched in live batting practice sessions as well as an intrasquad scrimmage.
“It’s unfortunate, but I need to take a step back and get caught up before I’ll be able to contribute the way I feel I’m capable to help this team,” Junis said in a statement from the team. “My start in camp after the quarantine period was delayed due to a positive COVID-19 test and while I’ve been cleared, I am not built up to be where I need to be to start the season. After talking to Mike (Matheny) and Cal (Eldred), it became clear that the best course of action would be for me to return to the I.L. and continue to throw and prepare to contribute when I’m ready.”
Matheny said the additional time for Junis was as much about getting a feel for his pitches, including his slider, as it had to do with him building up is pitch count.
The Royals are scheduled to host the Houston Astros in a pair of exhibition games on Monday and Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. They’ll also have an exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis Wednesday.
The Royals begin the regular season against the Cleveland Indians on Friday night at Progressive Field. Duffy has been named the club’s Opening Day starting pitcher.
Keller, who missed part of spring training 2.0 due to a positive COVID-19 test, returned to camp last week. He expressed optimism that he’d be ready to pitch in big-league games soon.
“I think we’re concerned (about) both,” Matheny said. “For both guys it’s not a matter of fact of ‘Can I go out there and throw?’ Are they strong? Are they healthy completely? Does there stuff look right because of either an interruption or a late start? Those are just questions we’re going to have to have really good answers to before guys are ready to jump into the competitive season.”
The Royals were still sorting through their options to fill the fifth spot in their starting rotation during spring training. Now, it appears they have two spots in the rotation that are question marks as the opener approaches.
Matheny has discussed the possibility of the Royals using an “opener” and relying on bullpen pitchers to help carry the load for a thin starting rotation. He’s also alluded to being “creative” in how they deploy their pitchers in a shortened season.
“I think it’s going to open doors for a lot of guys, not just necessarily pitchers who are labeled as starters, but just opportunities to come in and pitch,” Matheny said. “It could be in extended roles.”
Highly touted prospect Brady Singer, the club’s top draft pick in 2018, remained in big-league camp throughout the two segments of spring training. He earned the organization’s Double-A Pitcher of the Year award last season.
While he is not currently on the 40-man roster, Singer seems an even more likely candidate to begin the year on the major-league roster now, considering the Royals’ lack of starting pitching depth and the fact that they’ll have an expanded 30-man roster to start the season.
The Royals have now reported seven players who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of MLB’s testing program. That group includes catchers Salvador Perez, Cam Gallagher and Nick Dini, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and pitchers Junis, Keller and Daniel Tillo.
Players must give the club permission to reveal a positive test before such results are announced.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Royals will go without rotation workhorse Jakob Junis to start the season. Here’s why."
