SURPRISE, Ariz. -- It’s been just over seven months since Kris Bubic took the mound in a game, a number he was aware of leading into his spring debut on Sunday -- but not a number he was actively dwelling on as he prepared to pitch.
Bubic was more looking at it as the next step toward the season -- a big one, sure, but one he was ready to take. And one everyone was looking forward to now that the Royals are more than a week into Cactus League games.
“I don’t look every day on who’s pitching the next day [in the spring], but with him, I’ve been anxiously awaiting seeing him back out there,” manager Matt Quatraro said.
Bubic allowed one run in two innings in the Royals’ 3-1 win over the Brewers at Surprise Stadium, working around four hits and striking out three with a 40% whiff rate (8-of-20 swings).
“Free and easy,” Bubic said. “Definitely felt like I had more in the tank. But [it’s] first outing, kind of get my legs under me again and into the speed of the game.”
Bubic’s 2025 season is a tale of two stories. The All-Star first half with a 2.48 ERA, and the injured second half, when he made two starts following his All-Star appearance and then was shut down the rest of the year with a left rotator cuff strain. Bubic is no stranger to injuries -- the scar on his left elbow is a reminder of that -- but ending the season when and how he did left more to be desired.
“I don’t like to remember that last [start],” Bubic said about his 2 2/3-inning start on July 26, when he knew something was wrong with his shoulder.
Health is, obviously, as important as anything for Bubic this season. A constant tinkerer, Bubic spent less time this offseason on his arsenal and more on his delivery, trying new things to make it more efficient and “calmer,” in his own words.
Bubic traveled with the Royals for their final road trip last season, the West Coast swing through Anaheim and Sacramento, and he underwent a 30-minute movement assessment to better understand the way his body moves. While he didn’t build a delivery plan from that assessment, it did make him more aware of what his motor preferences are as he thought about the changes he might make.
His posture is what Bubic ended up focusing on the most, trying to stay more upright rather than bending over so much as he comes set.
“You still want to stay athletic, you still want to be moving fast, but I think staying a little more stacked with the posture kind of allows everything to move a little more free and easy, as opposed to where I’m coming in like a sidearmer,” Bubic said. “You’re going to have to hike up at some point. It’s just an effort to move freer and easier and just get into better positions, more consistent positions when I get to foot strike and launch into the throw.”
Bubic even toyed with departing from his closed-off stance when coming set, rather having it more in line with the rest of his body. That change is still a work in progress, and it might take away some deception that Bubic has against hitters. But he’s confident enough in his arsenal -- and if it means a more efficient and healthy delivery, Bubic is more open to it.
“The more closed off you are, you’re going to have to rotate a lot more violently to get your hips through together,” Bubic said. “It’s just a little easier on my body to be a little more in line with my target. I’m more than happy to sacrifice some deception for prolonged health. That’s the name of the game here for me.
“It’s really just a matter of coming back to what feels good and what’s allowing me to recover well.”
Bubic is well aware of how important this season is for him. He hasn’t participated in a full Major League season since 2022. He’s a much different pitcher now than he was then, and if the Royals get a full healthy season from this Bubic, their rotation looks even more dominant.
“Sticking to these core principles that we established in the offseason and early on in camp will keep us in a good spot,” Bubic said. “ ... Even the first couple of years when I probably wasn’t pitching as well, I was still out there for just about the whole season. I’m definitely capable of doing it. Now it’s just about going out and doing it again.”