The Royals have placed right-hander Michael Lorenzen on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain, per a team announcement. The move is retroactive to July 11, so he’ll be eligible to return no sooner than July 26. He joins fellow starters Cole Ragans (rotator cuff strain) and Alec Marsh (shoulder impingement) on the injured list.
Lorenzen, 33, re-signed with the Royals on a one-year deal worth $7MM this past offseason. He’s been a serviceable back-end option for Kansas City, taking the ball 18 times and pitching to a 4.61 ERA with a 20% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate in 99 1/3 innings. Lorenzen had his two worst starts of the season back-to-back on May 26 (six runs in five innings) and on June 3 (seven runs in 2 2/3 innings), but he’s rebounded with a tidy 3.63 earned run average and a 31-to-9 K/BB ratio over his past six starts (34 2/3 innings).
Kansas City didn’t specify a projected timetable for Lorenzen’s return, though even Grade 1 oblique strains (the least-severe) can sideline players for upwards of a month. The Royals also did not announce a corresponding move at this time. They’ll open the second half with three games in Miami and would need a fifth starter for the second game of their following series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 22.
With Lorenzen headed to the shelf, the Royals only have four healthy starters on the major league roster: Kris Bubic, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Noah Cameron. It’s a talented quartet, but the depth beyond the group is shaky.
Right-handers Kyle Wright and Luinder Avila are both on the 40-man roster in Triple-A but are both injured; Wright is dealing with a Grade 2 oblique strain, while Avila has been out since late May due to a shoulder impingement. Rich Hill, Thomas Hatch and Dallas Keuchel are among the veteran options who are in the Royals’ system but not on the 40-man roster (although Keuchel just signed last week). Down in Double-A, prospects Ben Kudrna, Steven Zobac and Frank Mozzicato are having tough seasons. The Royals could opt for bullpen games in the fifth spot if Lorenzen isn’t expected to be shelved much beyond the minimum 15 days. Righty Jonathan Bowlan tossed three innings in his most recent appearance and could handle the bulk of bullpen game if the need arises.