Kolek (left side tightness) scratched from 2nd spring outing

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Stephen Kolek was warming up in the bullpen for his scheduled outing on Wednesday at Surprise Stadium, but when he felt tightness in his left side, the Royals shut him down.

Kolek stopped throwing and left the bullpen after a moment of talking to coaches and trainers, and the team said later that there will be further evaluation of Kolek’s injury on Thursday.

“If they can figure out what it is [inside at the complex], we’ll have an answer,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “If not, we’ll have to get him more testing. But we were just being cautious and not forcing him out there.”

Kolek was scheduled to pitch two innings in the Royals’ eventual 8-8 tie against the Mariners on Wednesday, coming in after starter Noah Cameron’s two scoreless innings. It would have been Kolek’s second Cactus League outing after he pitched two innings on Friday in the spring opener. He started warming up in the second inning but sat down, prompting pitching coach Brian Sweeney to run out to the bullpen and see what was happening.

Instead of Kolek in the third inning, the Royals called on Chase Jessee, a 26-year-old lefty who signed a Minor League contract this offseason out of independent ball and has never pitched in affiliated ball.

Kolek, 28, is competing for a spot in the big league rotation this spring after the club acquired him at the Trade Deadline last year, along with Ryan Bergert, from the Padres. Kolek made five starts for Kansas City in late August and September and posted a 1.91 ERA with 21 strikeouts and just five walks in 33 innings. The Royals entered Spring Training this year with a ton of pitching depth beyond their five main starters in Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic and Cameron -- and Kolek is a major part of that depth.