CLEVELAND -- Royals left-hander Danny Duffy's MRI on Saturday revealed a low-grade pronator strain with no damage to the UCL, according to Royals manager Ned Yost.
Yost said the exam showed mild irritation in the back of the left elbow, but that physicians were not even recommending a cortisone injection to ease the inflammation. He also said the Royals were still hoping that Duffy, who went on the disabled list Saturday retroactive to Aug. 23, might miss only one start.
Left-hander Eric Skoglund started Sunday in Duffy's place, and with an off-day Thursday, Yost said the Royals could skip Duffy's next turn.
"They said the worst-case scenario would be three weeks," Yost said. "But we're hoping it's just one start."
Yost also said the MRI of Duffy's elbow showed it was in virtually the same condition it was when an MRI was taken prior to Duffy signing a contract extension in January.
"It's all pretty much what we expected," Yost said.
Duffy left the club Saturday morning to return to Kansas City.