Michael Lorenzen will return from the 15-day injured checklist tomorrow. The Royals checklist him because the possible starter for the second recreation of their sequence in Washington. Kansas Metropolis might want to make a corresponding lively roster transfer.
It’s an important begin as Ok.C. fights for a playoff spot. The Royals squeaked out a 1-0 win in additional innings over the Nationals tonight. That saved them in entrance of the Tigers for the AL’s second Wild Card spot by way of the tiebreaker. They’re two video games up on the Twins and a couple of.5 away from the Mariners within the race.
Lorenzen has been down for greater than a month due to a left hamstring pressure. Acquired from the Rangers on the deadline, the righty had a glowing 1.85 earned run common in 24 1/3 innings over his first 5 begins. That wonderful run prevention was regardless of mediocre strikeout (17%) and stroll (10%) charges. Lorenzen’s outcomes have usually outpaced his peripherals for consecutive seasons. He carries a 3.43 ERA over 126 frames between Texas and Ok.C. this 12 months.
Alec Marsh stepped again into the rotation whereas Lorenzen was on the shelf. He pitched pretty nicely, delivering a 4.50 ERA whereas putting out greater than 32% of opponents over 4 begins. Marsh is transferring into the bullpen to open a rotation spot, tweets Jaylon Thompson of the Ok.C. Star. The 26-year-old righty has turned in a 4.65 ERA with a stable 23% strikeout price over 25 appearances (24 begins) on the 12 months. He had a wonderful begin to the season earlier than a horrible July led the Royals to possibility him to Triple-A for the three weeks previous Lorenzen’s damage.
Whereas Lorenzen’s return is a lift to the pitching employees, skipper Matt Quatraro offered disheartening updates on a pair of relievers this afternoon. The Royals have formally dominated out Hunter Harvey and James McArthur for the season, Quatraro mentioned (X hyperlink by way of Anne Rogers of MLB.com). Harvey has been out for the reason that center of August with a again damage, whereas the Royals misplaced McArthur to an elbow sprain final week.
Quatraro mentioned the Royals have been sending Harvey for a second opinion, which a minimum of raises the query of whether or not he’ll want surgical procedure. Accidents have been a recurring drawback for the 29-year-old righty. Harvey underwent Tommy John surgical procedure as a prospect and has had prolonged absences throughout his MLB profession for forearm, lat and elbow accidents.
Harvey could be a high-leverage reliever at his greatest, as he confirmed with the Nationals between 2023-24. He fired 60 2/3 innings of two.82 ERA ball final season. This season’s 4.20 mark throughout 45 frames wasn’t as spectacular, however Harvey punched out greater than 26% of opponents behind a 13.4% swinging strike price. The Royals considered him as a late-game weapon and despatched third base prospect Cayden Wallace plus the thirty ninth choose on this summer time’s draft to accumulate him. They’ve gotten primarily nothing out of that deal, as Harvey allowed 4 runs over 5 2/3 innings earlier than occurring the shelf.
Kansas Metropolis controls Harvey for yet another 12 months by way of arbitration. The Royals would tender him a contract in the event that they anticipate him to be again early in 2025, however a long-term damage may clearly change the calculus. He’d be due a small elevate on this 12 months’s $2.325MM sum.
McArthur operated as Kansas Metropolis’s nearer for a time. He picked up 18 saves but additionally blew seven leads. McArthur’s heavy reliance on ground-balls with out many whiffs performs higher within the center innings than it does within the ninth. His 12 months concludes with a 4.92 ERA by way of 56 2/3 frames. The Royals are utilizing deadline acquisition Lucas Erceg as their nearer whereas turning high-leverage innings to transformed starter Kris Bubic and left-hander Sam Lengthy.
