The Royals transferred Bubic (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Austin Cox, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Omaha. Bubic underwent Tommy John surgery in late April and isn't expected to be ready to return to game action for the Royals until at least the middle of the 2024 campaign.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Undergoes surgery
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Bubic (elbow) announced Wednesday via his personal Instagram account that he had successful Tommy John surgery.
With his surgery having now been completed, the 25-year-old lefty is in line to miss the remainder of the 2023 season and a large portion of the 2024 campaign as well. Ryan Yarbrough served as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen the first time Bubic's turn in the rotation came up last week, but Yarbrough will work in a traditional starting role Wednesday in Arizona.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Requires Tommy John surgery
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Bubic will undergo Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
After a relatively solid start to the year, the news puts an early end to Bubic's season, and he could be held out for a good portion of the 2024 campaign as well. The Royals have not yet named a replacement for Bubic in the rotation, but Ryan Yarbrough figures to be a prime candidate for the job.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Needs second opinion
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Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Bubic will require a second opinion on his elbow after he was diagnosed Sunday with a left flexor strain, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Bubic was placed on the 15-day injured list after initial tests revealed the flexor strain, but Quatraro notes that the Royals still have some "underlying concerns' about the health of the lefty's elbow and will have him get another checkup. The Royals are expected to have an updated timeline on Bubic's return later Monday once the second medical opinion is completed, but the southpaw looks like he could be at risk of missing more than the minimum 15 days.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Goes on injured list
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The Royals placed Bubic on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a left flexor strain.
Bubic went five innings against Atlanta on Saturday, allowing five runs on 10 hits. The left-hander will miss at least two weeks while he recovers from the strain, and Josh Taylor has been recalled from Omaha in a corresponding move.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Tagged with loss Saturday
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Bubic (0-2) took the loss against Atlanta on Saturday, pitching five innings during which he allowed five runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out three batters.
Bubic was outstanding in his first two starts this season, allowing just two runs and posting a 13:1 K:BB over 11 innings. The southpaw took a step back Saturday, yielding a season-high 10 hits -- including three extra-base hits off the bat of Sean Murphy -- and five runs. Bubic didn't fool many batters in inducing just eight swinging strikes and recording a season-low three punchouts. He'll look to get back on track in his next outing, which is tentatively slated to come on the road against the Angels.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Possible waiver wire pickups
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So nine strikeouts in six shutout innings is ... different. Dig a little deeper, and you'll see that Kris Bubic had 19 whiffs, setting a career high on just 76 pitches. Analyst Lance Brozdowski, who formerly did some work with Driveline Baseball, pointed out on Twitter days ahead of this start that Bubic was working with a lower release height and improved velocity, and all his stuff was playing up as a result. "Vertical approach angle" I believe is the industry term for the path a fastball takes to the plate, and the left-hander seems to have optimized his. This is as loud a confirmation as you could ask for. He was missing more bats this spring, too, but it went by the wayside given his uninspiring track record. Now, I want as many shares as I can get.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Tosses six shutout frames
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Bubic allowed two hits over six shutout frames during Sunday's loss to the Giants. He struck out nine and did not factor in the decision.
Bubic was in line for the win before San Francisco's offense came alive in the eighth inning. The 25-year-old was dominant, tossing 56 of 76 pitches for strikes. He forced 19 whiffs on 42 pitches and never let a runner get past second base. Bubic is sporting a 1.64 ERA alongside a 13:4 K:BB through 11 innings. He's expected to face Atlanta at home next weekend.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Allows two runs in loss
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Bubic (0-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Blue Jays after he gave up two runs on seven hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out four.
The left-hander consistently worked from ahead and threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 22 batters he faced, and he also generated 14 swinging strikes. Bubic was saddled with the loss as Kansas City's offense mustered just four hits, but it was still an encouraging first outing of the season. He next lines up to pitch Sunday in San Francisco.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Named fifth starter
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Bubic will open the season as the Royals' No. 5 starter, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
A spot opened up with Daniel Lynch (shoulder) going down and Bubic was the obvious replacement to step in. The left-hander has been a disappointment at the major-league level, most recently posting a 5.58 ERA over 129 innings in 2022. He's not a desired fantasy target.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Could move into rotation
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Bubic could join the Royals' rotation following an injury to Daniel Lynch (shoulder), Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Lynch could potentially be sidelined for multiple weeks with a strained pitching shoulder. Bubic was dreadful for the Royals last season, holding a 5.58 ERA over 129 innings. The left-hander isn't someone fantasy managers want to be invested in.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Solid in spring
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Bubic has not allowed an earned run over three innings across two Cactus League appearances.
Bubic made his first start of the spring Saturday versus the Brewers and threw two scoreless innings. Despite the solid start, the southpaw is likely facing an uphill battle to get into the rotation after the offseason additions of Jordan Lyles and Ryan Yarbrough (groin). Bubic will likely need to finish the exhibition slate well and hope for one or both of Daniel Lynch and Brad Keller to falter to have a chance of opening the season in the rotation.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Inks one-year deal
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Bubic and the Royals agreed on a one-year, $2.2 million contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The 25-year-old struggled in 2022, producing an inflated 5.58 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with 110 punchouts over 129 innings while starting 27 out of the 28 games he appeared in. The Royals added some rotation depth this offseason, so Bubic could be headed for a long relief or swingman role in 2023.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Throws five scoreless in win
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Bubic (3-13) gave up five hits and a walk while striking out eight over five scoreless innings to earn the win in a 7-1 victory over the Guardians on Saturday.
It took Bubic 27 starts, but he finally picked up his third win of the season thanks to an impressive performance against the postseason-bound Guardians. It was his third scoreless appearance of the season and his eight strikeouts were the most that he accumulated in a single game all year. Overall, it was a tough season for the 25-year-old left-hander. He finishes the campaign with a bloated WHIP of 1.70 and 110 strikeouts over 129 innings pitched.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Snaps losing streak in no-decision
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Bubic pitched 4.2 innings Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six batters in a no-decision versus Seattle.
Bubic was far from sharp in the outing, as he threw only 57 of 103 pitches for strikes and walked four batters. He did, however, rack up six punchouts and put a halt to a streak of seven straight losing starts that extended back to mid-August. The left-hander had posted an ugly 7.83 ERA and 2.10 WHIP during the poor stretch, and though Saturday's outing wasn't much better, Bubic at least managed to walk away with his team in the lead. He'll look for his first win since July 24 the next time he takes the mound.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Handed seventh straight loss
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Bubic (2-13) allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks over 2.2 innings Sunday, striking out two and taking a loss against Boston.
Bubic gave up one run in each of the first two frames before he was tagged with three runs in the third inning. He's gone 0-7 with a brutal 7.83 ERA over his last seven starts. That poor stretch has driven his season ERA up to 5.81 alongside a 96:58 K:BB through 119.1 innings. Bubic is expected to face the Mariners at home next week.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Struggles versus Twins
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Bubic (2-12) took the loss Tuesday versus the Twins. He allowed five runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out six over five innings.
Bubic wasn't very good, but the Royals didn't record a hit until the ninth inning, so he was never going to get enough support. Carlos Correa and Jose Miranda combined to produce all five runs against Bubic in the contest, which was the southpaw's sixth consecutive loss. He's given up at least four runs in four of those outings and now has a 5.55 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 94:55 K:BB through 116.2 innings across 25 outings (24 starts). Bubic tentatively lines up for a road start in Boston this weekend.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Quality start in loss
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Bubic (2-11) allowed three runs on six hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out four over 6.1 innings to take the loss versus the Guardians on Tuesday.
Bubic turned in his second straight quality start, but it wasn't enough to outduel Shane Bieber. The defeated extended Bubic's losing streak to five starts, and he's gone eight outings since his last win, posting a 5.19 ERA and 1.62 WHIP over 43.1 innings in the longer span. For the season, the southpaw has similar numbers with a 5.40 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 88:54 K:BB through 111.2 innings through 24 outings (23 starts). Bubic is lined up for a road start versus the Twins next week, assuming he remains in the rotation over Max Castillo once Zack Greinke (forearm) returns from the injured list.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Takes 10th loss
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Bubic (2-10) allowed two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out one over six innings, taking the loss Wednesday versus the White Sox.
By his recent performances, this was actually a good start, though the four walks were the second-highest amount he's allowed in one game this year. Bubic limited the damage to solo home runs by AJ Pollock and Elvis Andrus, but the Royals' lack of run support did him in. Through 23 outings (22 starts), Bubic has a 5.47 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 84:53 K:BB through 105.1 innings. The southpaw is lined up for a home start versus the Guardians next week.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Tagged for six runs
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Bubic (2-9) took the loss to the Padres on Friday, allowing six runs on nine hits while striking out three and walking one over four innings.
Bubic picked up his ninth loss of the year after a six-run clunker Friday. He threw 42 of 64 pitches for strikes and was burned mostly by singles and doubles. Two of Bubic's six earned runs came on solo shots in the third inning. He also allowed an RBI single, a two-run double and another double that sent a runner home. Over his last three games, the lefty has allowed 27 hits, 14 earned runs and six walks over 13.1 innings, while striking out 10 batters. Bubic's struggles have resulted in a 5.62 ERA on the season.
