Royals Place Young Left-Hander On Injured List Following Rocky Start To 2025
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The Kansas City Royals managed to salvage a game against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, winning the series finale by a final score of 4-2 and improving their record to 8-8 thus far in 2025.
Kansas City sits in third place in the American League Central with a record of 8-8. They are 1 1/2 games back of the first-place Detroit Tigers.
However, before the game, Kansas City was forced to make a roster move. Left-hander Sam Long has been struggling thus far in 2025, and after a few rough outings, the Royals announced that they had placed him on the 15-Day Injured List with left elbow inflammation.
Long had a very productive 2024 season, going 3-3 in 43 appearances with a 3.16 ERA. However, 2025 hasn't been as productive for the left-hander.
The 29-year-old has appeared in seven games, going 0-2 with a 12.86 ERA. In a corresponding move, Kansas City recalled left-hander Evan Sisk to take his spot.
Long made his Major League debut with the San Francisco Giants back in 2021 and was with the team through the 2022 season. After a brief stop with the then-Oakland Athletics in 2023, Long joined the Royals.
"In just seven outings, he has given up 10 earned runs, a problem that stems from his erratic control and tendency to hand over free passes to baserunners. Some speculate that pitching through elbow discomfort could have contributed to his struggles, and while the inflammation diagnosis suggests early tests ruled out anything severe, the Royals are proceeding cautiously," Jacob Milham of FanSided wrote.
The Royals will certainly hope that this doesn't take too long, but any elbow injury is concerning for a pitcher. We'll see if Long can work his way 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.
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