Royals' Daniel Lynch: Fine after being hit by liner

Royals manager Mike Matheny said after Wednesday's 10-5 win over Cleveland that Lynch is OK after exiting in the fourth inning when he was struck by a comebacker, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Lynch's pitch count was at 81 at the time he was removed, and he had already surrendered four runs on seven hits and two walks over three innings, so the Royals opted to pull him as more of a precaution since he wasn't expected to work much longer into the start. He'll head into the offseason healthy and conclude his rookie campaign with a 4-6 record, 5.59 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 68 innings. The 24-year-old southpaw will likely have to compete for a rotation spot next spring.