LATEST NEWS

May 28: LHP Daniel Lynch (left rotator cuff strain) reinstated from 15-day injured list; LHP Josh Taylor (left shoulder impingement syndrome) placed on 15-day injured list
After two months of recovery and rehab, Lynch is scheduled to start the series finale against the Nationals today. It will be the 26-year-old's season debut with Kansas City after sustaining a shoulder injury in the final week of Spring Training and making five rehab starts over the past month. Lynch never had any injury setbacks in his rehab, but he struggled with efficiency during some of his starts, leading the Royals to keep him on assignment and make sure he was 100 percent ready to return.

“Excited is probably the best word to describe it,” Lynch said. “I don’t feel a lot of nerves. I just feel like this is what I worked my whole offseason for, this is my season starting now.”

In his final rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Lynch needed just 61 pitches (47 strikes) in six scoreless innings.

With Lynch back, the Royals hope he can provide some much-needed pitching depth.

Kansas City hasn’t named a starter for Monday’s opener in St. Louis, but manager Matt Quatraro mentioned Mike Mayers as a possible candidate if the 31-year-old wasn’t needed out of the bullpen Sunday.

To make room for Lynch, the Royals placed Taylor on the 15-day injured list after the lefty experienced soreness following his relief outing Saturday, where he failed to record an out and allowed two runs. Quatraro said Taylor will be shut down for five to seven days before being reevaluated.

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INJURY UPDATES

10-day and 15-day IL

LHP Josh Taylor (left shoulder impingement syndrome)
Expected return: TBD
Taylor had soreness following his relief appearance on May 27 against the Nationals, when he gave up three hits and two runs without recording an out. Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Taylor would be shut down for the next five to seven days before being reevaluated. (Last updated: May 28)

RHP Brad Keller (right shoulder impingement syndrome)
Expected return: Late June
After experiencing a velocity dip and shoulder soreness in his start against the Padres on May 15, when he walked eight in 3 2/3 innings, Keller was placed on the IL retroactive to May 16. He was shut down for a few days but began throwing again when the Royals returned home. Keller threw a bullpen on May 27 at Kauffman Stadium and is progressing well. (Last updated: May 28)

OF Kyle Isbel (left hamstring strain)
Expected return: Mid-June
Isbel suffered a hamstring strain while running out a bunt base hit on May 4 against the Orioles. He exited the game immediately and had an MRI done, which showed a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He was placed on the 10-day IL on May 5. Isbel began his rehab process on May 9 and has been ramping up baseball activity for the past several weeks. He still has some boxes to check before the Royals discuss a rehab assignment. (Last updated: May 26)

60-day IL

LHP Ryan Yarbrough (head fractures)
Expected return: TBD
Yarbrough was hit in the face by a 106.2 mph line drive off the bat of A's first baseman Ryan Noda on May 7, immediately exiting the game and going to the hospital. The Royals' lefty has multiple nondisplaced fractures around his left eye but did not need surgery. Yarbrough was released from the hospital on May 8 and entered the concussion protocol on May 9, and once he clears that, he'll begin light activity. He has follow-up appointments for the next month and will take his recovery day by day. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on May 17. (Last updated: May 17)

LHP Angel Zerpa (left shoulder tendinopathy)
Expected return: June/July
Zerpa was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 15 after the shoulder injury he entered camp with hadn’t improved. He was shut down from throwing completely to let the shoulder rest but has been throwing throughout the early part of the season. By mid-May, he was throwing longer bullpen sessions and close to seeing game action. (Last updated: May 15)

LHP Kris Bubic (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2024
Bubic opted for full ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on April 21, after initially being placed on the 15-day injured list due to left forearm tightness he experienced during his start against Atlanta on April 15. Bubic underwent Tommy John surgery on April 25, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on May 3 to make room for Austin Cox on the 40-man roster. (Last updated: May 3)

CF Diego Hernandez (right shoulder dislocation)
Expected return: July
The Royals' No. 17 prospect suffered an unfortunate injury in his first Cactus League game on Feb. 25, when he made an awkward dive on a ball in center field and dislocated his right shoulder. Hernandez, 22, had surgery shortly after and he has been progressing on schedule. The good news was that the injury came on his non-throwing shoulder, so he's been able to keep that in shape. Hernandez is rehabbing in Arizona. (Last updated: April 10)

LHP Jake Brentz (left elbow surgery recovery)
Expected return: September
Fresh off a two-year deal with the Royals, Brentz was placed on the 60-day IL on March 30 to make room on the 40-man roster. He will continue his rehab in Kansas City after he underwent Tommy John surgery last July. Brentz, 28, is throwing now and hopes to be on a mound by late May. If all goes as planned, he'll be making rehab appearances by late July or early August, beginning his progression from there. (Last updated: March 30)

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