Why Royals pitcher Kris Bubic’s recovery from injury has required a ‘step back’
Kris Bubic describes his rehabilitation path as “stop and start.”
At the moment, he’s in the stop position.
“I’m trying to be as positive as I can be, given my history,” Bubic said before Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Kauffman Stadium.
Bubic was moved to the 60-day IR retroactive to May 15 with left elbow soreness. But the setbacks during his recovery center on his left shoulder, which was troubling news. He missed the second half of 2025 with a left rotator cuff strain.
Bubic made two rehab starts in Triple-A Omaha, didn’t feel right after the second one (on June 27) and was scratched from his next start.
“A bit more fatigued, a little more achy the following day,” Bubic said about his second start. “That catch play in between wasn’t where it needed to be. We decided to shut it down again. It’s been frustrating to stop and start, and stop and start.”
Bubic received a cortisone shot last week.
“Letting that do its thing over the next week, and if the symptoms continue, or if there’s a lack of mobility or lack of strength there, then obviously it warrants a closer look.”
The plan is to revisit a throwing program during next week’s All-Star Break.
Big things were expected from Bubic after his 2025 All-Star season, when he finished with a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts. He’s made nine starts this season and owns a 3-2 record and 4.11 ERA.
“I don’t always want to say you think worst-case scenario,” Bubic said. “The support of the guys is always great because there are a number of guys who have gone through injuries and have come back stronger because of it.
“... You can try to plan things out all you want, and have a timeline in your head. At the end of the day. This game is hard. Things get in the way. You overcome obstacles and adversity along the way. That’s how I take this.
“It’s frustrating. I want to be out there. I want to throw. But if I can’t throw at the capacity I want to throw and the team needs me to throw at then we obviously need to take a step back.”
This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Why Royals pitcher Kris Bubic’s recovery from injury has required a ‘step back’."