Steve Drumwright

One left-handed reliever is back, while another will be out for a bit. Matt Strahm was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday by the Kansas City Royals with inflammation in his right knee. Bailey Falter, who had been on a rehab assignment, was activated from the 15-day IL. Falter had inflammation in his left elbow and his rehab assignment, which started April 15, had expired. Strahm has been a big part of the Royals' bullpen thus far. Acquired in the offseason from the Philadelphia Phillies, Strahm has a 3.86 ERA in 17 appearances covering 16⅓ innings. Falter had made two appearances with the Royals before going on the IL April 3. He allowed five runs in 3⅓ innings, giving up eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts. View full rumor

The expected became official in regards to Cole Ragans. The Kansas City Royals placed their ace left-hander on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow impingement. Right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who made his season debut Tuesday before being sent to Triple-A, was recalled from Omaha. Also, left-hander Eric Cerantola, who made his MLB debut this week, was optioned to Triple-A and right-handed reliever Steven Cruz was called up. Additionally, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was officially pulled from his rehab assignment after experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder following his first rehab appearance Wednesday. Ragans was pulled from Wednesday's start vs. the Cleveland Guardians after just three innings. On Thursday, it was revealed that Ragans was dealing with pitcher's elbow, with the more technical term of valgus extension overload. The loss of Ragans is a significant blow to the Royals, who are still trying to string some wins together. Kolek came off the 15-day IL and went six innings in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Guardians. He allowed all three runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Cruz, in his second stint with the Royals, made five appearances after an April 1 call-up. In five innings, he allowed eight runs on seven hits, including four homers, with four walks and seven strikeouts for a 14.40 ERA. At Omaha, he had a 6.43 ERA in eight appearances, giving up eight runs on 10 hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts. Cerantola made two relief appearances, pitching Wednesday and Thursday. He went a combined three innings, allowing three runs, including a homer, in two innings in his second appearance. He walked four and struck out five. View full rumor

The bullpen shuffle continues for the Kansas City Royals. Right-hander Eric Cerantola was called up from Triple-A Omaha to make his MLB debut and right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who started Tuesday, was sent back to the Storm Chasers. Also, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was sent to Omaha to begin a rehab assignment. He has been out since April with a left foot contusion. Kolek was called up to make a spot start in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians. He went six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Cerantola was a fifth-round draft choice in 2021 out of Mississippi State and has posted a 3.59 ERA in 133 games, including 24 starts. This season at Omaha, Cerantola appeared in 12 games and had a 1.42 ERA with six walks and 18 strikeouts in 12⅔ innings. View full rumor

It is Stephen Kolek's turn to see what he can do in the Kansas City Royals' rotation. The right-handed starter was activated from the 15-day injured list following an oblique injury and will start Tuesday's home game against the Cleveland Guardians. Right-handed reliever Mason Black was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. The Royals' rotation has had trouble with consistency this season, just one of the reasons the team sits at 16-19. Kolek, acquired from the San Diego Padres at last year's trade deadline in the Freddy Fermin deal, was impressive in five starts for the Royals in 2025. In 33 innings, he had a 4% walk and 16.8% strikeout rate with a .168 opponent batting average. Kolek had a 2.76 ERA in four rehab appearances with Omaha. Black didn't allow a run in his four relief appearances, walking two and striking out five in 4⅔ innings. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals made a minor move in the bullpen Tuesday, bringing back right-hander Luinder Avila and optioned right-hander Eli Morgan to Triple-A Omaha. Avila made two appearances, including his first MLB start, in his first stint with the Royals this season. There is not currently a rotation opening, so a bullpen slot is his likely role entering a three-game series on the road vs. the Athletics that begins Tuesday. Avila, who made 13 relief appearances for the Royals as a rookie last year, made four starts at Omaha, but went just 10⅔ innings. He allowed five runs on 11 hits and seven walks with nine strikeouts. Morgan was called up April 9 and appeared in seven games with a 2.61 ERA, walking six and striking out nine, allowing eight hits in 10⅓ innings. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals' struggling offense has lost a struggling bat. Second baseman Jonathan India was put on the 10-day injured list Monday due to a left shoulder subluxation. Infielder-outfielder Nick Loftin was called up from Triple-A Omaha. India has not been in the starting lineup since Thursday's 10-9 road loss to the Detroit Tigers. He did come off the bench and had two at-bats Friday vs. the New York Yankees and came in defensively in Saturday's blowout loss. India did not play Sunday. The Royals entered Monday with the third-worst OPS at .635 and are dead last in MLB at 3.23 runs per game. India has helped contribute to that with his .167/.310/.313 slash line with two homers and eight RBIs in 17 of the Royals' 22 games. Loftin made the Opening Day roster, but was optioned to Omaha on April 6. He appeared in four games, two at second base, one at third base and the other in left, going 2-for-9 (.222/.364/.333) with two walks and three runs scored. At Omaha, he had a .303/.385/.455 slash line in nine games. View full rumor

Needing a fresh arm in the bullpen, the Kansas City Royals made moves Sunday affecting their relievers and the bench. Right-handed reliever Mason Black and catcher Elias Diaz were called up from Triple-A Omaha, while right-handed reliever Mitch Spence and middle infielder Tyler Tolbert were sent down to Omaha. Diaz was not on the 40-man roster, so right-handed reliever James McArthur (right elbow inflammation) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Black will be making his Royals debut after being acquired in the offseason from the San Francisco Giants after the right-hander was designated for assignment. He appeared in 10 games, including eight starts in 2024, over the last two seasons with the Giants, with a 6.47 ERA over 40⅓ innings, with an 8% walk rate and 19.1% strikeout rate. At Omaha this year, he appeared in seven games with a 3.86 ERA with two saves in 11⅔ innings. He walked five and struck out six. Diaz signed a minor-league contract at the beginning of spring training to provide catching depth. Calling him up gives the Royals three catchers, joining starter Salvador Perez and backup Carter Jensen. Spence is coming off a four-inning, bullpen-saving outing Saturday in a 13-4 loss to the New York Yankees. He allowed six runs on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts. That was his only appearance since being called up April 9. Tolbert made the Opening Day roster, but had appeared in eight games and only had five at bats, including going 1-for-1 Saturday for his only hit this year. He played in 64 games last year, posting a .280/.321/.380 slash line with one homer, six RBIs and 21 steals. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals made a pair of moves to bolster their bullpen before opening a four-game series vs. the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium. Right-handers Eli Morgan and Mitch Spence were promoted from Triple-A Omaha, while right-handers Luinder Avila and Steven Cruz were optioned to Omaha. Thursday's game marks the ninth of 12 straight days the Royals are playing, including pitching 7⅓ innings Wednesday in a 10-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, thus the need for a bullpen refresh. Spence will be making his Royals debut. He was acquired in February shortly after being designated for assignment by the Athletics. Spence has made 67 MLB appearances over the last two seasons with the A's, including 32 starts, so he gives the Royals' bullpen a bit of length. Spence appeared in one game at Triple-A, starting Saturday and allowing four hits and one unearned run in five shutout innings. This is Morgan's second time coming up already this season. He was the extra pitcher called up for Saturday's doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers and picked up a three-inning save, giving up one hit and no runs, in the 8-2 triumph before being sent back to Omaha. Morgan signed a minor-league contract this offseason after appearing in seven games for the Chicago Cubs in 2025. Avila was called up last week and made his season debut Saturday in the first game of the doubleheader, surrendering five runs on eight hits and three walks in three innings. He then appeared Wednesday in relief, tossing another three innings, giving up six hits but allowing just one run. Cruz has posted a 14.40 ERA in five appearances, including allowing five runs in 1⅓ innings Wednesday. View full rumor