Bubic didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Yankees after allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks in 5.1 innings. He struck out six.
The left-hander escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, but an Anthony Volpe double in the third inning brought in a pair of runs to get the Yankees on the board. Although he gave up another run in the fourth, Bubic limited the damage by getting Jazz Chisholm to fly out with the bases juiced once again. Bubic is on the rise to begin 2025, boasting a 1.88 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 27:9 K:BB through four starts (24 innings), and he'll have a prime opportunity to enhance his numbers in his next scheduled start next week at home against Colorado.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Hit with first loss
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Bubic (2-1) took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters in six innings Friday against the Guardians.
The 27-year-old cruised through the first three innings with relatively little trouble, but he finally conceded his first earned runs of the season on a three-run homer from Gabriel Arias in the fourth. Bubic was able to get through the sixth inning without allowing any more runs, giving him his third quality start in as many appearances. However, a poor showing from the Royals' offense resulted in the left-hander taking his first loss of the year. He'll hope for a bit more run support in his next start when he takes on the Yankees in the Bronx.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Brilliant again in second win
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Bubic (2-0) earned the win Sunday versus Baltimore, completing 6.2 innings while allowing one run on five hits and a walk. He struck out eight.
The Kansas City southpaw absolutely stymied the Orioles over his 99 pitches, generating an impressive 16 whiffs, with half of those coming on his changeup. The only blemish on his line came in the seventh inning when Bubic was tiring -- he allowed Ryan Mountcastle to cross the plate on a wild pitch. Bubic might be in line for a breakout season, as he's opened with 12.2 scoreless innings with a 16:3 K:BB. The 27-year-old lines up to make his next start against the Guardians on the road next weekend.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Fans eight in quality start
Rotowire
Bubic (1-0) earned the win Monday against the Brewers. He allowed three hits and two walks while striking out eight across six scoreless innings.
Bubic beat out Daniel Lynch for the fifth starter role during spring training, and the former's performance Monday made it look like the right decision. Bubic came out firing by striking out the side in the first inning, and after escaping a bases-loaded situation in the second, he allowed only three more base runners over the next four frames and generated 15 whiffs in 95 pitches. Bubic served out of the Royals' bullpen for the past two seasons after a difficult 2022 campaign when he registered a 5.54 ERA and 1.70 WHIP across 28 starts, but the southpaw was locked in Monday and will look to carry that momentum into his next start tentatively slated for this upcoming weekend against the Orioles at home.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Wins spot in rotation
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Bubic has won the fifth starter role for the Royals with Daniel Lynch moving to the bullpen, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Bubic looks set to make his first regular season start against the Brewers in the second series of the season. Bubic has yielded six runs with a 13:3 K:BB over 13 innings this spring and will look to carry over his success last season as a reliever (32.2 percent strikeout rate over 30.1 regular-season innings) into the rotation.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Appears locked into No. 5 spot
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Bubic is likely to open the season as the Royals' fifth starter, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Daniel Lynch gave himself a fighting chance to nab a rotation spot with a strong showing this spring, but he made a one-inning relief appearance Wednesday and is scheduled for another relief outing Friday, which points to Bubic opening in the rotation. Bubic has yielded six runs with a 13:3 K:BB over 13 innings this spring and will look to carry over his success last season as a reliever (32.2 percent strikeout rate over 30.1 regular-season innings) into the rotation.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Leading fifth starter candidate
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Bubic is seen as the frontrunner for Kansas City's fifth starter role, MLB.com reports. He gave up one run over two innings with two strikeouts in his spring debut Sunday.
Bubic also debuted a new sinker, which he hopes to use against lefties, the MLB.com report adds. It was Bubic's first spring training start in two years as he spent the first three months last season rehabbing from April 2023 Tommy John surgery. The lefty thrived out of the bullpen last season, working his way into high-leverage innings and collecting seven holds and a save. His 32.2 percent strikeout rate was by far his career best, but it's not clear he'll be able to handle a starter's workload or maintain that high a strikeout rate with more usage.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Settles at $3 million
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The Royals and Bubic avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Bubic thrived in relief in 2024 in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery, holding a 2.67 ERA and 39:5 K:BB over 30.1 regular-season frames. The lefty will be stretched out in spring training as the Royals consider him for their rotation.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Returning to rotation
Rotowire
The Royals intend to move Bubic back into their starting rotation in 2025, per Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
After recovering from a Tommy John procedure he underwent in April 2023, Bubic appeared exclusively out of the bullpen during the final three months of the 2024 campaign. In 27 regular-season appearances, the lefty posted a strong 2.67 ERA and 1.02 WHIP alongside a 39:5 K:BB over 30.1 frames. Assuming the 27-year-old is able to turn in similar numbers during spring training, he should have little trouble securing a spot in the Royals' rotation, which lost some depth after the trade that sent Brady Singer to Cincinnati.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Steps in for save
Rotowire
Bubic picked up the save Sunday against Atlanta, allowing one hit and no walks with one strikeout across a scoreless ninth inning.
The Royals opted for Bubic in the ninth inning, giving regular closer Lucas Erceg extra rest ahead of the playoffs. Bubic capitalized with his first save of 2024. Erceg hasn't pitched since Thursday, though that outing was his third in as many days. Bubic should see high-leverage work in the postseason, but save opportunities are still expected to go to Erceg.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Secures first win
Rotowire
Bubic (1-1) allowed a hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning to earn the win Thursday over the Nationals.
Bubic has limited opponents to two unearned runs over his last 10 innings while posting a 15:2 K:BB in that span. He kept Thursday's game tied at 4-4 in the eighth inning before the Royals surged ahead in the ninth. Bubic has a 2.76 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 38:5 K:BB over 29.1 innings while adding seven holds this season. He's handled the transition from starter to reliever well and should be part of the Royals' high-leverage mix if they make the postseason.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Collects hold Sunday
Rotowire
Bubic struck out one over a perfect inning to earn his sixth hold of the year in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Twins.
While he's allowed six runs on 13 hits over his last nine innings, Bubic has more frequently received high-leverage assignments. In that same span, he has five holds and a blown save while adding 11 strikeouts. The southpaw is now at a 3.80 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 27:3 K:BB through 21.1 innings this year, working exclusively out of the bullpen following his return from Tommy John surgery in April of 2023. While he's seen more setup work, Bubic shouldn't be considered a threat to Lucas Erceg as the Royals' closer.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Perfect in debut
Rotowire
Bubic struck out two during a perfect inning in a 10-1 win over the Rockies on Sunday.
Bubic made his first MLB appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2023 and didn't show any rust. He retired the side in the ninth inning and punched out both Jacob Stallings and Michael Toglia. Though Bubic has almost exclusively worked as a starter throughout his career, he's expected to serve in a multi-inning relief role for the back half of the 2024 campaign.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Back from injured list
Rotowire
The Royals reinstated Bubic (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Saturday.
Bubic has been on the injured list all season while working his way back from the Tommy John procedure he underwent last April. In nine rehab appearances with Triple-A Omaha, the 26-year-old lefty posted a 2.63 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 27.1 innings. He'll transition to the bullpen as he returns to Kansas City and will likely serve in a multi-inning relief role. Walter Pennington was optioned to Omaha in order to make room on the active roster, and Colin Selby was DFA'd to clear a 40-man spot.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Moving to relief on rehab
Rotowire
Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said Monday that Bubic (elbow) is being transitioned to the bullpen on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Bubic has been granted an extra 10 days to continue his rehab assignment and now is tracking toward activation from the 60-day injured list in early July. The lefty's results on his rehab assignment have been promising, as he holds a 3.38 ERA and 36:11 K:BB over 29.1 innings. However, the Royals have determined Bubic's best shot at helping the big club is in relief. He's coming back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last April.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Completes 10th rehab start
Rotowire
Bubic (elbow) made his most recent rehab start Friday with Triple-A Omaha, working four innings while striking out three and allowing two runs on four hits and three walks.
The outing was Bubic's fourth with Omaha and the 10th overall of his rehab assignment, which has now been extended another 10 days on two occasions after he exhausted his initial 30-day rehab window. His second 10-day extension period will come to an end June 26, at which point the Royals are likely to activate Bubic from the 60-day injured list. Kansas City doesn't seem to have a spot available in its rotation for Bubic at the moment, so he'll presumably be optioned to Omaha once activated. Bubic has posted a 2.16 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB in 16.2 innings through his first four starts with Omaha.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Strikes out seven in rehab start
Rotowire
Bubic (elbow) struck out seven over 3.2 scoreless innings in his rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Omaha. He gave up one hit and one walk in the 63-pitch outing.
Wednesday's outing marked the seventh start of Bubic's rehab assignment and his first with Omaha after stops in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Bubic's 30-day rehab window is slated to come to a close during the upcoming week, and even though he's coming off his longest and best rehab outing yet, the Royals may not have a spot available for him in the big-league rotation. Bubic still has a minor-league option remaining, so the Royals could choose to keep him around with Omaha once he's reinstated fro the 60-day injured list.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Set to be transferred to Double-A
Rotowire
Bubic (elbow) will have his rehab assignment transferred to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Bubic began his rehab assignment at the Royals' rookie level Arizona Complex affiliate May 7, and he'll now advance to Double-A. He made three appearances at the rookie level, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over 3.1 innings. The left-hander has been on the 60-day injured list since February as he has continued to recover from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last April.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Ready for rehab assignment
Rotowire
Bubic (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with the Royals' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Bubic is working his way back from last April's Tommy John surgery and is finally ready to pitch in games again. It's possible he could be ready to rejoin the Kansas City rotation in early June after his 30-day rehab window expires, but Bubic has minor-league options left and could be sent to Triple-A Omaha if the Royals don't feel he's ready for big-league action once he's activated from the 60-day injured list.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Throwing off mound
Rotowire
Bubic (elbow) will throw a bullpen session this week, Jaylon T. Thompson of the Kansas City Star reports.
It will be Bubic's first time throwing off a mound since he underwent Tommy John surgery last April. The hope is that the left-hander will be ready to join the Royals' rotation sometime around the All-Star break.
