Former Kansas City Royals Trade Acquisition Approaching New Milestone in Injury Recovery

Kyle Wright, who previously won 21 games in a season for the Atlanta Braves, hasn't pitched in a big-league game since the 2023 season. He's recovering from right shoulder surgery and is hoping to take another step in his comeback next week.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Kyle Wright (30) during a team workout for the NLDS at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kyle Wright, recovering from shoulder surgery at the end of 2023, is hoping to take another big step in his recovery next week.

Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com:

He’s scheduled to throw a bullpen on Friday, (Feb. 14) so he could begin throwing live BP by next week. If all goes well with that, Wright will continue to build up his innings.

Because it’s been so long since he last was 100% healthy, there’s still some hurdles Wright needs to clear, including seeing how he physically recovers after throwing intense bullpens.

Wright hasn't pitched since September of 2023 because of surgery on his right capsule. It's the same injury that has kept Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff out as well.

He was acquired in a trade by the Royals last offseason even despite the injury.

Wright led all of baseball in wins (21) back in 2022 when he was 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA. He finished 10th in the National League Cy Young voting that year. He also helped the Braves win the 2021 World Series.

Given where he's at, it sounds unlikely that Wright will be ready for Opening Day, but if he continues to progress, he might not be far behind, and he could have a real impact on the Royals season.

Right now, the Royals figure to have Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans and Michael Wacha locked into the rotation, with others fighting for the remaining two spots. Should Wright surprise us and be ready for Opening Day, he'd be in the mix.

The Royals advanced to the ALDS last season, losing to the New York Yankees.

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