Clarke signed a one-year contract with the Royals on Saturday, avoiding arbitration.
The Royals will keep Clarke in their bullpen for the 2024 campaign despite the 30-year-old reliever posting a 5.95 ERA and 1.61 WHIP last season -- both the worst marks of his career. Clarke struck out 65 batters in 59 innings, but his fantasy value will continue to be limited until he finds a way to prevent runs from scoring.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Takes loss Tuesday
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Clarke (3-6) allowed three runs on three hits and struck out one over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Tuesday versus the Tigers.
Clarke gave up back-to-back solo home runs to Akil Baddoo and Parker Meadows in the eighth inning, and he couldn't settle down after that. Jackson Kowar later allowed an inherited runner to score. Clarke has taken on a share of the closing committee in Kansas City, but the numbers haven't been pretty -- he has an 8.64 ERA over 8.1 innings in September and a 5.90 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP and 65:24 K:BB through 58 innings overall. The reliever has added three saves, 12 holds and three blown saves.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Gets five-out save
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Clarke hit a batter but didn't allow a hit or a walk while striking out one over 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the save in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Astros.
Clarke has picked up all three of his saves this year over his last four outings. He's still allowed six runs (five earned) over 7.2 innings in September, but he's nonetheless worked his way into the Royals' closing committee with Carlos Hernandez. For the year, Clarke has a 5.49 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 64:24 K:BB through 57.1 innings while adding 12 holds and three blown saves.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Collects another save
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Clarke recorded the final out of Saturday's 10-8 win over the Astros to pick up his second save of the season.
Carlos Hernandez got the call to begin the ninth inning with the Royals ahead 10-6, but after giving up three straight hits to begin the frame and then issuing a two-out walk to load the bases, Clarke was brought in and coaxed a groundout from Yainer Diaz to end the game. Hernandez has a 16.62 ERA and 3.46 WHIP over his last six appearances, so Clarke appears to be the top closing candidate for the Royals as they wrap up the campaign.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Notches first save
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Clarke gave up a solo home run and struck out three in the ninth inning Friday to record his first save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Astros.
Carlos Hernandez worked the eighth inning for the Royals, so Clarke got the call to finish things up and was dominant aside from a one-out blast by Jose Abreu. Clarke has been tagged for a run in four straight appearances but has also struck out at least one batter in nine straight since being activated from the IL in mid-August, posting a 4.15 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB through 8.2 innings over that stretch. Hernandez had the last three saves for Kansas City prior to Friday, but Clarke's high strikeout rate should keep him in the high-leverage mix as the team evaluates bullpen options for 2024.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Collects third win
Rotowire
Clarke (3-5) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit and one walk while striking out two over one inning to earn the win in Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the White Sox.
After the Royals established a 9-0 lead early on, it seemed like starter Jordan Lyles would cruise to the victory. That cruise hit a bumpy road in the sixth inning, and while Clarke couldn't prevent the game from getting tied, he ended up with the win when the Royals pulled ahead again in the seventh. Clarke has allowed four runs (three earned) over his last three innings. He's now at a 5.53 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 59:23 K:BB with 11 holds and three blown saves over 53.2 innings this year.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Takes fifth loss
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Clarke (2-5) allowed a run on one hit and struck out one over one inning to take the loss Sunday versus the Blue Jays.
Clarke surrendered the tiebreaking solo home run to Kevin Kiermaier in the seventh inning. Over 6.2 innings since he returned from an elbow injury, he's allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight. It's one of his better stretches of a rough campaign in which he's posted a 5.47 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 57:22 K:BB while adding 11 holds and two blown saves.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Serving as opener
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Clarke will serve as the Royals' opening pitcher for Sunday's game against the Red Sox, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Clarke is unlikely to work more than an inning or two before giving way to Zack Greinke, who will serve as a bulk reliever. Since returning from an elbow injury Aug. 18, Clarke has made four straight scoreless appearances out of the bullpen.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Back from family medical list
Rotowire
Kansas City activated Clarke from the family medical emergency list ahead of Wednesday's game against the Pirates.
Clarke had been away from the Royals since Friday. The 30-year-old right-hander returns to a 5.55 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 52:21 K:BB in 48.2 innings for the season.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Goes on family medical leave
Rotowire
Kansas City placed Clarke on the family medical emergency list Friday.
Clarke will be away from the Royals for at least part of their three-game weekend series in Seattle. Collin Snider has been recalled in a corresponding move.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Activated from injured list
Rotowire
Clarke (elbow) was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday.
Clarke wound up requiring just a minimum stay on the IL and rejoins the Royals' bullpen after skipping a rehab assignment. The right-hander has been used in high-leverage spot by Kansas City this season and could even be in the mix for some saves down the stretch.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Placed on 15-day IL
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Clarke was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with right elbow inflammation.
Clarke escaped trouble to pitch a scoreless inning Wednesday against the Mets, although he did allow a hit while walking two batters. He has a 5.23 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 10 strikeouts over his last 10 appearances. James McArthur was recalled from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Grabs win Friday
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Clarke (2-4) allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out one in one inning to earn the win in Friday's extra-inning victory over the Twins.
Clarke didn't do all that well in the 10th inning, allowing the go-ahead run to score on a Kyle Farmer single. The Royals were able to bounce back, rallying against Minnesota closer Jhoan Duran before winning on Bobby Witt's walk-off grand slam. Clarke has steadied himself lately, giving up just the unearned run from Friday over his last 4.2 innings. He's at a poor 5.73 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 48:19 K:BB with 10 holds and two blown saves over 44 innings this season.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Gives up three runs
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Clarke (1-4) allowed three runs on a hit, a walk and hit batsman while adding a strikeout over two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss Monday versus the Tigers.
Clarke's shaky July continued with the meltdown Monday. He's given up 10 runs over 4.2 innings across six appearances this month. The right-hander is now at a 6.41 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 44:18 K:BB over 39.1 innings while adding 10 holds. The Royals rank 29th in the majors with a 5.19 bullpen ERA, so Clarke is far from the only reliever struggling to be effective for Kansas City.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Struggles again Monday
Rotowire
Clarke (1-3) allowed five runs on five hits and a walk in one-third of an inning, taking the loss Monday versus the Twins.
The Royals entered the bottom of the eighth inning tied at 3-3, but Clarke was on the hook for all of the Twins' five-run rally. Over his last seven appearances, Clarke has just one scoreless outing while giving up 15 runs in 5.2 innings and taking all three of his losses on the year. The rough stretch comes after a scoreless streak that lasted over a month and earned him setup duties. For the season, he's at a 6.06 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 39:15 K:BB with nine holds and two blown saves through 35.2 innings. With Aroldis Chapman traded to Texas, there will be late-inning chances available, but it's unclear if Clarke will be the one to pick them up if he can't turn things around.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Hit with another loss
Rotowire
Clarke (1-2) took the loss Sunday against the Rays after allowing two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out a batter over an inning.
Clarke entered in the seventh with the game tied at one and got off to a good start by striking out Luke Raley, but things quickly took a turn. The next three batters reached to load the bases and two runs would score, one on a wild pitch and another on a sacrifice fly. Clarke now has been charged with two blown saves and two losses over his last four outings and has given up nine runs over that span. He now sits at a 4.81 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 38:14 K:BB in 33.2 innings.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Takes loss Monday
Rotowire
Clarke (1-1) allowed three runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one inning to take the loss and a blown save Monday versus the Tigers.
Clarke pitched 16 consecutive scoreless innings from May 3 to June 12, but he appears to have hit a rough patch. He's given up four runs, including two home runs, over his last two outings to put an abrupt end to the strong stretch. The right-hander has seen some high-leverage work for the Royals with eight holds through 29 appearances, and he's added a respectable 3.66 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 36:12 K:BB over 32 innings.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Serving as opener Friday
Rotowire
Clarke will serve as the Royals' opening pitcher for Friday's road game against the Angels, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Clarke will likely work an inning or two before giving way to Ryan Yarbrough, who is expected to work the bulk of the innings in relief while the Royals look to replace the injured Kris Bubic (elbow) in the rotation. It's the first opener assignment for Clarke, who holds a 6.75 ERA but a 12:3 K:BB over eight innings out of the bullpen this season.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Collects first win
Rotowire
Clarke (1-0) earned the win Saturday versus the Giants. He allowed three hits and struck out three without walking a batter in a scoreless eighth inning.
Clarke kept the game tied at 5-5 before the Royals pulled ahead in the top of the ninth. The right-hander loaded the bases with three singles, but he struck out Thairo Estrada, Brandon Crawford and Blake Sabol in order to end the threat. Clarke has had a shaky start to the season, allowing three runs, including a pair of home runs, on eight hits and a walk while striking out eight over five innings. He hasn't historically displayed swing-and-miss stuff, and that's often kept him limited to middle-relief assignments, a role that's unlikely to change much in 2023.
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Royals' Taylor Clarke: Moves past injury
Rotowire
Clarke (lower body) made his Cactus League debut in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Guardians, giving up one run on two hits over an inning of relief.
The appearance was Clarke's first of the spring, after he had previously suffered a lower-body injury early in camp that caused the Royals to slow down his throwing progression. Since Clarke was deployed mostly as a one-inning reliever in 2022, he'll likely require just a few more spring appearances to get fully ramped up for Opening Day. Expect the 29-year-old to handle a middle-innings role for Kansas City.
