Royals Reliever Could Be 'On Thin Ice' With Hunter Harvey Returning Soon
The Kansas City Royals saw their six-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday with a 7-3 loss in their series finale against the Houston Astros.
The team fell back under the .500 mark with their loss, dropping to 14-15 on the year. Fortunately, they appear to be making strides and correcting some major issues.
They will also be getting right-hander Hunter Harvey back from the injured list soon, but that will mean they'll have to send a reliever down to Triple-A Omaha or clear a spot some other way.
Oliver Vandervoort of FanSided notes that reliever Steven Cruz could be on thin ice with Harvey
"In 6 2/3 innings so far this season, he hasn’t allowed a hit, but he has had some control issues as he’s walked three and holds a 4.05 BB/9. He's also not been the most commanding when it comes to inducing the swing-and-miss to minimize some of the control issues as he only holds a 21.7% K-rate and a 22.9% whiff rate. If the KC Royals think something is up with his delivery, there is a chance he could also be the guy to draw the short straw.," Vandervoort writes.
Cruz, 25, has not allowed an earned run in 5 2/3 innings of work over the course of five appearances. But it is a small sample size, and it may not be enough to keep him in the majors when Harvey returns.
We'll see what Kansas City decides to do with its bullpen when Harvey makes it back.
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Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.