Royals Pitchers Stephen Kolek, Luinder Avila to Undergo Tommy John Surgery

The injuries continue to mount for Kansas City

Jul 2, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Kansas City Royals open a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. Before the game, the club provided updates on two pitchers in its staff.

Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported that Royals pitchers Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila will undergo Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. The procedures will end both pitchers' 2026 seasons and add to the growing list of injuries Kansas City have endured this year.

Kolek was placed on the 15-day injured list July 19 with a right flexor strain. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list three days later, and the injury has now led to Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old logged 54 innings and posted a 4.50 ERA this season.

His highlight this season came in late May, when he tossed a complete-game shutout against the Seattle Mariners. Kolek allowed just four hits, walked one and struck out four in a game that lasted 2 hours, 6 minutes.

Avila, meanwhile, was just placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right forearm tightness after allowing six earned runs over 2 2/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.

The 24-year-old posted a 5.53 ERA across 70 innings with 61 strikeouts this season. Before Saturday's outing, Avila had strung together a handful of respectable performances, making it appear he was beginning to settle in and find a groove on the mound.

This is a significant blow to the Royals' pitching staff, not only for the remainder of this season but for the future as well. Both Kolek and Avila were tracking toward playing roles in 2027. Instead, they will miss the rest of the 2026 season and likely a significant portion, if not all, of the 2027 season.