Here’s the state of the Royals bullpen with multiple relievers out of action
In the wake of multiple bullpen injuries, the Kansas City Royals received a hefty lift from a group of young relievers.
The trio of Steven Cruz, Evan Sisk and Jonathan Bowlan have stepped up in recent weeks. They have all arrived from Triple-A Omaha to fill a need after injuries to veteran relievers Hunter Harvey and Sam Long.
The Royals also are without potential starters in Kyle Wright and Alec Marsh. Fellow reliever James McArthur is on the 60-day injured list alongside Marsh.
It’s possible the Royals could get a few of their injured pitchers back.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro provided an update on Wright (right shoulder surgery) and Harvey (right teres major strain) this week.
“Harvey threw off the mound when we were home last week,” Quatraro said. “It felt fine when he was throwing and the next day he was a little bit sore. He’s not throwing off the mound and he is continuing to play catch to keep his arm going. But we need to get all the symptoms out of there before we progress.”
Additionally, Wright is heading back to Double-A Northwest Arkansas to continue his rehab work. He is still recovering from a right shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire 2024 campaign.
“Kyle is going back on rehab and I believe he throws Sunday in Double-A,” Quatraro said.
The Royals also sent Long to began a rehab assignment in Triple-A Omaha. He will get a chance to face live hitters as he works back from left elbow inflammation.
The top arms in the bullpen, led by fireman Lucas Erceg and closer Carlos Estevez, remain available for KC, while KC also weathers injuries at the top of the rotation.
This story was originally published May 24, 2025 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Here’s the state of the Royals bullpen with multiple relievers out of action."
