Royals Player Involved In Key Roster Battle May Face Injury Delay To 2025 Season
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The Kansas City Royals have a tough time on their hands figuring out who their number-five starter will be. They don't need injuries getting in the way.
With Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Michael Lorenzen locked in as the top four, the Royals appear to have three main candidates for the fifth spot: Kris Bubic, Alec Marsh, and Kyle Wright.
Marsh may not be the leader in the clubhouse (it would appear Bubic bears that distinction), but he's the one with the most starting experience from last season. He turned in a 4.53 ERA in 26 appearances (25 starts) and assuredly has a chance to win the job over both of his competitors.
Unfortunately, the Royals also announced some unexpected injury news regarding Marsh on Wednesday that could negatively impact his chances.
Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported Wednesday that Marsh had dealt with tightness in his throwing shoulder during the winter, and though he is now back on a throwing program, it is uncertain whether he will face hitters in live batting practice on schedule with the other starters.
"#Royals starter Alec Marsh experienced right shoulder tightness this offseason," Rogers wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "He’s back on track throwing every day but might be delayed slightly facing hitters, manager Matt Quatraro said. Taking it day by day."
Hopefully, Marsh isn't impacted by this at all. But shoulder problems can linger, and the fact that Marsh is throwing now doesn't necessarily guarantee that he'll feel 100 percent after he starts pitching off a mound at maximum effort.
Plus, even a slight delay in availability can hurt a player's chances in a tight race for playing time. Marsh won't want to cede any ground to Bubic, Wright, or any of the other wild card pitchers who could force their way into the discussion.
It will be intriguing to track Marsh's progression as the Royals pitchers begin facing live hitters in camp.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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