WEST SACRAMENTO – The Royals will be without two young starters whom they expected to contribute for them in 2026, including one who was at the top of the starting depth chart.
Right-handers Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna had elbow surgeries on Wednesday, with Bergert undergoing a full ulnar collateral ligament repair (Tommy John) and Kudrna – the Royals’ No. 9 prospect – undergoing an olecranon stress fracture repair on his elbow. Both are expected to miss the rest of the season.
Bergert was expected to be a major contributor for the Royals in ‘26 after they acquired him, along with Stephen Kolek, from the Padres at last year’s Trade Deadline. Bergert opened the season in Triple-A Omaha but was viewed as No. 1 on the depth chart should the Royals need a starter in the big leagues or even a fresh arm in the bullpen.
He made just three starts for Omaha before landing on the injured list there on April 10.
After initial imaging, Bergert was seeking a second opinion over the past couple of weeks. That led to the surgery Wednesday.
“Obviously, [Bergert] was a guy we would have considered to come up as a starter or reliever. We thought really highly of him. He did a tremendous job for us last year when we acquired him. So it does hurt. But that’s why you got to continue to build the depth. You have Kolek available, [Mitch] Spence available. There’s plenty of guys. Any time you think you have enough, you need another one.”
Kudrna made just one start that lasted two innings in Triple-A this year before he was placed on the IL on April 6. The olecranon is the bony tip of the elbow, and it can fracture due to overuse, typically in throwing athletes. The surgical option typically involves placing screws into the elbow to stabilize the fracture.
The Royals added Kudrna to the 40-man roster this past offseason ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. He needed more time in the Minors before a callup to the big leagues, but there was some thought that he could pitch himself into a role later in the year if the Royals needed him.
Now, the Royals have seen their depth shrink. They still have Kolek on his way back from an oblique strain that he suffered in Spring Training; the right-hander was slated to make another rehab start in Triple-A on Wednesday. Spence is also in Triple-A as a starter.
“It stinks,” Quatraro said. “Any time a guy gets hurt and you know they’re going to miss significant time, it’s no fun, because rehab is tough. Just the mental part of working your way back from that is not an easy thing. These guys train all the time to compete. When they don’t get to compete, it’s not fun to hear.”