Royals' Austin Cox: Makes season debut at Double-A
Rotowire
Cox (knee) was activated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday and reassigned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Cox pitched at Triple-A and in the majors in 2023, but he sustained a season-ending ACL tear in September. He's recovered fairly quickly and will now work on advancing through the minors again. He allowed a hit and a walk over 1.2 innings of relief Tuesday versus Double-A Midland.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Re-signs with Royals
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Cox (knee) signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Saturday.
After being designated for assignment and later non-tendered by the Royals on Friday, the team will now bring Cox back to round out their farm system for next season. The 26-year-old southpaw put up a 4.54 ERA over 35.2 frames during his first season in the majors before tearing the ACL and damaging the MCL in his left knee in September. The injury will likely cause him to miss the beginning of next season.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Designated for assignment
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The Royals designated Cox (knee) for assignment Friday.
In order to make room for the acquisition of Nick Anderson from Atlanta, Cox will be booted from the 40-man roster and placed on the waiver wire. Cox put up a 4.54 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through 35.2 innings with the Royals in 2023, but he could be at risk of missing the start of the 2024 campaign after tearing his left ACL and damaging his MCL in September.
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Austin Cox: Cut loose by Kansas City
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Cox (knee) was non-tendered by the Royals on Friday.
Cox was designated for assignment earlier in the day and is now officially a free agent. The 26-year-old left-hander posted a 4.54 ERA over his first 35.2 major-league innings in 2023 before suffering a full tear of the ACL in his left knee in early September. He also did damage to his left MCL and might have to miss the start of the 2024 campaign.
Cox was diagnosed Tuesday with a full ACL tear as well as damage to the MCL in his left knee, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Cox suffered the knee injury Friday, when he was hit by a comebacker and stumbled awkwardly to the ground. He will receive a second opinion, but the Royals fully expect that he'll require surgery. It's not known at this point how long his rehab process will take, but Cox could be sidelined for the start of the 2024 campaign.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Season over due to sprained knee
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Cox was placed on the 60-day injured list with a sprained left knee Saturday.
Cox suffered the injury while running to cover first base after getting hit by a comebacker Friday against Toronto. The team believes he suffered some sort of ACL injury, per Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City, and he'll receive an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of the damage. He'll finish his rookie season having recorded a 4.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and one save in 35.2 innings.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Undergoing tests on knee
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Cox will undergo tests on his left knee following his departure from Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.
Cox tumbled over in serious pain in the seventh inning after he got hit by an Alejandro Kirk comebacker and took several awkward-looking steps while rushing to cover first base. The 26-year-old reliever damaged his left knee somewhere along the way and could be in danger of missing the remainder of the 2023 campaign.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Leaves game with leg injury
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Cox left Friday's game against the Blue Jays with an apparent leg injury, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.
Making a relief appearance in the bottom of the seventh inning, Cox was struck by an Alejandro Kirk comebacker and went down in pain as he tried to cover first base. He was unable to walk off the field without assistance, suggesting the injury could be season-ending, but Cox's status should become clearer after he's sent for testing.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Gets hold, but cedes two runs
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Cox retired one batter and picked up his third hold of the season but was charged with two earned runs on two walks in Monday's 7-6 win over the Royals.
Cox appeared poised to pick up a save chance Monday, as he entered the game in the top of the ninth with the Royals holding a 5-4 lead. After issuing a leadoff walk, Cox was able to induce a groundout but was then pulled from the game after walking the next batter he faced. Nick Wittgren came on with one out and two on and wasn't able to protect the Royals' 5-4 lead, but he ended up scooping up the backdoor win after Kansas City broke through for two runs in the bottom of the ninth. With all three of the Royals' high-leverage relievers in Cox, Wittgren and Carlos Hernandez (two outs recorded, two earned runs allowed) struggling Tuesday, the team's closing situation would still appear to be highly unsettled in the wake of Scott Barlow being dealt to the Padres on Aug. 1.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Serving as opener Thursday
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Cox will serve as the Royals' opening pitcher for Thursday's game against the Red Sox, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Nearly a week after earning his first career save, Cox will make his third start of the season Thursday and his first since early July. The 26-year-old lefty had a brief trial in the rotation shortly before the All-Star break, but he was demoted to Triple-A Omaha after he was blasted for three runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.2 innings in a July 3 start versus the Twins. He's been a full-time reliever for Kansas City since being called back up, accruing a 5.14 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over seven appearances while working no more than 1.1 innings on any occasion. With that in mind, Cox is unlikely to work more than once through the Red Sox batting order Thursday, leaving Alec Marsh as the most likely candidate to cover the bulk of the innings out of the bullpen.
Cox allowed no hits or walks while striking out one in a scoreless ninth to pick up the save Friday against Philadelphia.
After hitting Kyle Schwarber to start the frame, Cox struck out Alec Bohm, then induced a double play off the bat of Bryce Harper to secure his first career save. With Scott Barlow no longer around and presumed frontrunner Carlos Hernandez pitching in the seventh, the closer position in Kansas City is up for grabs. Cox made a great first impression with his performance and it would not be surprising if he gets the next save opportunity for the Royals.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Recalled from Triple-A
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Cox was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.
Cox has pitched well across eight appearances -- two starts -- in the majors this season, posting a 3.05 ERA and 19:10 K:BB over 20.2 innings. He will likely be available in relief for now, although he could be an option to take Daniel Lynch's (shoulder) rotation spot.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Optioned to Triple-A
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Cox was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.
The move comes a day after Cox allowed three runs over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Twins. Cox had pitched well in relief for the Royals but was ineffective in both starts with the big club. It's not clear whether he'll be used in the rotation or bullpen at Omaha.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Falters again in starting role
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Cox allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four batters over 4.2 innings in a no-decision against Minnesota on Monday.
Cox fared a little better than in his first MLB start last Wednesday, when he yielded four runs over 3.2 frames against Cleveland. However, the southpaw allowed a lot of traffic on the basepaths and wasn't able to record a single 1-2-3 inning. Cox was yanked after 4.2 frames having thrown 81 pitches (53 for a strike), and he's going to need to be able to go deeper into contests in order to be a viable starter. It remains to be seen if the Royals will keep in the rotation or move him back to the bullpen, where he thrived with 12.1 scoreless innings to begin his big-league career.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Drawing another start
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Cox is scheduled to start Monday's game in Minnesota, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
After opening his big-league career with 12.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, Cox was moved into the rotation last week. He couldn't keep the momentum going in a starting role, as he lasted just 3.2 innings in his first career start while giving up four earned runs on four hits and four walks en route to taking a loss to the Guardians. Despite the poor showing, Cox will get another chance to start against a divisional opponent, though he may need to show improvement Monday to stick as the team's fifth starter over Alec Marsh coming out of the All-Star break.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Takes loss in first start
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Cox (0-1) took the loss against Cleveland on Wednesday, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks while striking out two batters over 3.2 innings.
Cox was magnificent in his first six major-league appearances (all out of the bullpen), posting 12.1 scoreless innings with a 13:4 K:BB. The scoreless streak continued for two frames in his first start Wednesday, but Jose Ramirez put an end to it with a grand slam in the third. Cox retired five of the next seven batters before being pulled with two outs in the fourth. Control was a problem for him in the outing, as he threw just 39 of 68 pitches for a strike and walked four. The last-place Royals could keep in the rotation to see if he's able to improve upon his poor first start, though his minor-league numbers don't inspire confidence that he's ready to be a reliable big-league arm.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Draws first career start
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Cox is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Guardians, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
The rookie left-hander looks like he'll get a chance to nail down a rotation spot after a brilliant start to his big-league career while working out of the bullpen. In his first 12.1 innings with the Royals, Cox has yet to allow a run while striking out 13, and he even retired 39 batters before ceding his first two hits in his most recent outing last Thursday in Tampa Bay. The Royals are unlikely to turn Cox loose for more than five innings Wednesday unless he's economical with his pitch count, so he'll still carry an element of risk as a streaming option even while facing off against a weak Cleveland lineup.
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Royals' Austin Cox: Works 3.2 frames in bulk relief
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Cox didn't factor in the decision against Tampa Bay on Thursday, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out four batters over 3.2 innings.
Kansas City opted for a bullpen game against the Rays, but Cox took on a healthy workload after entering in the second inning, tossing 53 pitches (33 strikes). His 3.2 frames were a career high, and the southpaw handled them effectively, allowing just a pair of singles and a walk while racking up 12 swinging strikes. Cox has yet to allow a run over 12.1 big-league innings and has compiled a 13:4 K:BB.
