What’s next for Royals after All-Star pitcher Seth Lugo lands on injured list?
The Kansas City Royals placed ace starter Seth Lugo on the 15-day injured list — retroactive to Sept. 1 — ahead of Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.
Lugo, 35, is dealing with lower back tightness. The injury occurred a few days prior when he was preparing for an upcoming start. Lugo was slated to pitch on Thursday but was pushed back due to the injury.
“He came out and tried to play catch today and his back was still pretty stiff,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Lugo.
In his stead, the Royals inserted left-hander Noah Cameron against the Angels. Cameron will be making his first start since Aug. 25, when he faced the Chicago White Sox. Cameron received additional rest last week.
The Royals recalled right-hander Stephen Kolek from Triple-A Omaha. Kolek made a spot start for Cameron against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 30 at Kauffman Stadium.
Quatraro mentioned that Lugo felt discomfort while stretching.
The Royals were hopeful Lugo could still pitch, but it was dependent on how he felt. On Thursday, the back discomfort hadn’t subsided and the decision was made to place Lugo on the injured list.
“Something cramped up back-wise just like stretching the other day,” Quatraro said. “It wasn’t a game issue. … Today was the same as yesterday. We needed to see some improvement for him and (for us) to feel comfortable putting him out there.”
Lugo has struggled in recent weeks. He has posted a 9.11 ERA across his last six starts while allowing 28 runs in 26 2/3 innings. Earlier this season, Lugo also missed time with a right middle finger sprain.
The finger injury zapped some of Lugo’s effectiveness. Lugo told The Star that he tried to “pitch too fine” while compensating for the injury. He has since overcome the finger pain but is now dealing with the stiff back.
The Royals, of course, hope he can return to form.
“We want Seth out there, and he is a big part of what’s going on here and he has been,” Quatraro said. “So it’s not fun for us to put him on the IL, but to have someone like Kolek available, that’s the comforting part of it.”
Lugo joins fellow starter Cole Ragans on the injured list. Both pitchers anchor the starting rotation, and now the Royals have to fill the void. Ragans is progressing toward a return and will likely pitch in a rehab game this weekend.
At the moment, the Royals have Cameron, Kolek, Michael Wacha, Ryan Bergert and Michael Lorenzen available to start.
Kolek impressed the Royals’ coaching staff in his debut start with the organization. He was acquired — alongside Bergert — from the San Diego Padres at the MLB trade deadline.
Kolek allowed one earned run in six innings against the Tigers in his lone start. He registered three strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter.
“He did a great job for us last week and hopefully that continues,” Quatraro said.
The Royals (70-69) will need their starting rotation at full strength if they want to make another postseason run. Heading into Thursday’s game, KC was 2 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners (73-67) for the third and final American League wild-card spot.
The AL wild-card third spot is down to five teams. The Royals join the Texas Rangers (72-69), Tampa Bay Rays (70-69) and the Cleveland Guardians (69-69) in pursuit of that spot.
Each team is within three games of catching the Mariners.
Lugo’s injury comes at an inopportune time. However, the Royals have confidence in Kolek and others to pick up the slack moving forward.
And Quatraro is optimistic Lugo will be able to come back and contribute.
“I’m not exactly sure what they will do for the treatments,” Quatraro said, “but hopefully it’s the minimum (number of games he’ll miss).”
The Royals were to conclude their three-game series against the Angels on Thursday. Cameron was KC’s starting pitcher, opposite Angels right-hander Kyle Hendricks. First pitch is 6:40 p.m. Central.
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 6:04 PM with the headline "What’s next for Royals after All-Star pitcher Seth Lugo lands on injured list?."
