What’s next for Royals after Kris Bubic, Jac Caglianone placed on injured list?
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- Royals placed Jac Caglianone and Kris Bubic on injured list after weekend setbacks.
- KC now misses three Opening Day starters as postseason chase intensifies.
- Front office explores trade options with Thursday’s MLB deadline approaching.
The Royals have been hit with a rash of injuries.
On Sunday, the Royals officially placed rookie outfielder Jac Caglianone on the 10-day injured list with a left-hamstring strain. Caglianone felt discomfort in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians.
As a result, the Royals pulled Caglianone from the starting lineup in the third inning. The club believes the injury is minor but will continue to evaluate him moving forward.
“We consider it to be mild,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Sunday. “He has never had to deal with something like this. So we see all kinds of ranges with hamstring issues and how guys bounce back, but we don’t anticipate it being long-term.”
The injuries kept coming in Saturday’s nightcap against Cleveland. Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic labored through 2 2/3 innings against the Guardians. He walked the first four batters of the game and was ineffective with his command.
After the game, Bubic revealed he was dealing with left-shoulder stiffness. It was discomfort that he had attempted to pitch through in recent starts. However, the pain had gotten worse and the Royals decided to take action.
Bubic was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left rotator cuff . The Royals recalled right-handed pitcher Jonathan Bowlan in a corresponding move.
“He’s getting some further testing and then talk to (the doctors) and see what we’ve got,” Quatraro said of Bubic.
KC is now without three of its opening day starting pitchers. Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen are also on the injured list.
“It’s been tolerable,” Bubic said of his discomfort after Saturday’s doubleheader. “But I don’t know ... with the ball release, it’s tough to accelerate through the ball right now.
“You guys see command and you guys see the velo, so it’s not like a secret. … You know, I don’t attribute anything specifically to it. There wasn’t one specific event that I felt this. I think it could be an accumulation thing, fatigue or whatever.”
The Royals are in the thick of the postseason hunt. Prior to Sunday’s game, KC remained 4 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the final spot in the American League Wild Card standings.
Bubic, who was a first-time All-Star this season, is a big part of Kansas City’s starting rotation. He posted a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts and owns a 3.4 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), per Baseball Reference.
The Royals will now be without him for a few starts. KC has turned to left-handed veteran pitcher Rich Hill to fill one of the vacant rotation spots. Hill, 45, is currently one of KCs few healthy starters with big-league experience.
Right now, the Royals also have Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Noah Cameron in their starting rotation. Lorenzen is still on the mend with a left-oblique strain and Ragans has a strained left rotator cuff.
“He threw yesterday down the mound,” Quatraro said of Lorenzen. “Two sets of 30 throws. He was high 80s, low 90s with velocity. He said he is feeling really good. It’s just a matter of building him up.”
With the Major League Baseball trade deadline on the near horizon — it’s Thursday at 5 p.m. Central Time — the Royals could be looking for another fresh arm. In recent weeks, the club acquired utilityman Adam Frazier and outfielder Randal Grichuk in separate deals.
Royals general manager J.J. Picollo plans to continue evaluating the trade market for ways to improve the active roster.
It’s possible that acquiring another starting pitcher has just made the to-do list.
“We really don’t know what’s going to be out there,” Picollo said on Saturday. “So really every opportunity that presents itself in the moment, you have to evaluate it.”
This story was originally published July 27, 2025 at 1:03 PM with the headline "What’s next for Royals after Kris Bubic, Jac Caglianone placed on injured list?."
