Royals' Carlos Hernandez: Clean inning in season debut

Hernandez pitched a perfect inning in Friday's 8-1 win over the Rays.

Hernandez got three straight flyouts from Jonathan Aranda, Randy Arozarena and Jose Caballero to finish off the lopsided game. Hernandez missed nearly two months to begin 2024 as well as all of spring training due to a pinched nerve in his right shoulder. He pitched to an 8.22 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB over 7.2 innings during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha, though he kept runs off the board in five of his last six outings before he was activated. The Royals' bullpen has been OK this year, with James McArthur and John Schreiber leading the way for high-leverage opportunities, so Hernandez is likely to be eased in for his first few appearances.