Bubic picked up the save Sunday against Atlanta, allowing one hit and no walks with one strikeout across a scoreless ninth inning.
The Royals opted for Bubic in the ninth inning, giving regular closer Lucas Erceg extra rest ahead of the playoffs. Bubic capitalized with his first save of 2024. Erceg hasn't pitched since Thursday, though that outing was his third in as many days. Bubic should see high-leverage work in the postseason, but save opportunities are still expected to go to Erceg.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Secures first win
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Bubic (1-1) allowed a hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning to earn the win Thursday over the Nationals.
Bubic has limited opponents to two unearned runs over his last 10 innings while posting a 15:2 K:BB in that span. He kept Thursday's game tied at 4-4 in the eighth inning before the Royals surged ahead in the ninth. Bubic has a 2.76 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 38:5 K:BB over 29.1 innings while adding seven holds this season. He's handled the transition from starter to reliever well and should be part of the Royals' high-leverage mix if they make the postseason.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Falters in extra innings
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Bubic (0-1) took the extra-innings loss and a blown save versus the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and one walk over 1.1 innings.
Bubic gave up a game-tying sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and then surrendered a walk-off single to Jazz Chisholm in the 11th. The initial runner scored both times, so this outing won't hurt Bubic's ERA, which stands at 3.42 on the year. He's added a 1.14 WHIP and 29:4 K:BB through 23.2 innings, and his impressive control has earned him the opportunity to pitch in high-leverage situations recently. He's added six holds this year, though he also has three blown saves.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Collects hold Sunday
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Bubic struck out one over a perfect inning to earn his sixth hold of the year in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Twins.
While he's allowed six runs on 13 hits over his last nine innings, Bubic has more frequently received high-leverage assignments. In that same span, he has five holds and a blown save while adding 11 strikeouts. The southpaw is now at a 3.80 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 27:3 K:BB through 21.1 innings this year, working exclusively out of the bullpen following his return from Tommy John surgery in April of 2023. While he's seen more setup work, Bubic shouldn't be considered a threat to Lucas Erceg as the Royals' closer.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Perfect in debut
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Bubic struck out two during a perfect inning in a 10-1 win over the Rockies on Sunday.
Bubic made his first MLB appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2023 and didn't show any rust. He retired the side in the ninth inning and punched out both Jacob Stallings and Michael Toglia. Though Bubic has almost exclusively worked as a starter throughout his career, he's expected to serve in a multi-inning relief role for the back half of the 2024 campaign.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Back from injured list
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The Royals reinstated Bubic (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Saturday.
Bubic has been on the injured list all season while working his way back from the Tommy John procedure he underwent last April. In nine rehab appearances with Triple-A Omaha, the 26-year-old lefty posted a 2.63 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 27.1 innings. He'll transition to the bullpen as he returns to Kansas City and will likely serve in a multi-inning relief role. Walter Pennington was optioned to Omaha in order to make room on the active roster, and Colin Selby was DFA'd to clear a 40-man spot.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Moving to relief on rehab
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Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said Monday that Bubic (elbow) is being transitioned to the bullpen on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Bubic has been granted an extra 10 days to continue his rehab assignment and now is tracking toward activation from the 60-day injured list in early July. The lefty's results on his rehab assignment have been promising, as he holds a 3.38 ERA and 36:11 K:BB over 29.1 innings. However, the Royals have determined Bubic's best shot at helping the big club is in relief. He's coming back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last April.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Completes 10th rehab start
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Bubic (elbow) made his most recent rehab start Friday with Triple-A Omaha, working four innings while striking out three and allowing two runs on four hits and three walks.
The outing was Bubic's fourth with Omaha and the 10th overall of his rehab assignment, which has now been extended another 10 days on two occasions after he exhausted his initial 30-day rehab window. His second 10-day extension period will come to an end June 26, at which point the Royals are likely to activate Bubic from the 60-day injured list. Kansas City doesn't seem to have a spot available in its rotation for Bubic at the moment, so he'll presumably be optioned to Omaha once activated. Bubic has posted a 2.16 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB in 16.2 innings through his first four starts with Omaha.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Strikes out seven in rehab start
Rotowire
Bubic (elbow) struck out seven over 3.2 scoreless innings in his rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Omaha. He gave up one hit and one walk in the 63-pitch outing.
Wednesday's outing marked the seventh start of Bubic's rehab assignment and his first with Omaha after stops in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Bubic's 30-day rehab window is slated to come to a close during the upcoming week, and even though he's coming off his longest and best rehab outing yet, the Royals may not have a spot available for him in the big-league rotation. Bubic still has a minor-league option remaining, so the Royals could choose to keep him around with Omaha once he's reinstated fro the 60-day injured list.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Set to be transferred to Double-A
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Bubic (elbow) will have his rehab assignment transferred to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Bubic began his rehab assignment at the Royals' rookie level Arizona Complex affiliate May 7, and he'll now advance to Double-A. He made three appearances at the rookie level, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over 3.1 innings. The left-hander has been on the 60-day injured list since February as he has continued to recover from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last April.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Ready for rehab assignment
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Bubic (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with the Royals' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Bubic is working his way back from last April's Tommy John surgery and is finally ready to pitch in games again. It's possible he could be ready to rejoin the Kansas City rotation in early June after his 30-day rehab window expires, but Bubic has minor-league options left and could be sent to Triple-A Omaha if the Royals don't feel he's ready for big-league action once he's activated from the 60-day injured list.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Throwing off mound
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Bubic (elbow) will throw a bullpen session this week, Jaylon T. Thompson of the Kansas City Star reports.
It will be Bubic's first time throwing off a mound since he underwent Tommy John surgery last April. The hope is that the left-hander will be ready to join the Royals' rotation sometime around the All-Star break.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Transferred to 60-day IL
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The Royals transferred Bubic (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Austin Cox, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Omaha. Bubic underwent Tommy John surgery in late April and isn't expected to be ready to return to game action for the Royals until at least the middle of the 2024 campaign.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Undergoes surgery
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Bubic (elbow) announced Wednesday via his personal Instagram account that he had successful Tommy John surgery.
With his surgery having now been completed, the 25-year-old lefty is in line to miss the remainder of the 2023 season and a large portion of the 2024 campaign as well. Ryan Yarbrough served as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen the first time Bubic's turn in the rotation came up last week, but Yarbrough will work in a traditional starting role Wednesday in Arizona.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Requires Tommy John surgery
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Bubic will undergo Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
After a relatively solid start to the year, the news puts an early end to Bubic's season, and he could be held out for a good portion of the 2024 campaign as well. The Royals have not yet named a replacement for Bubic in the rotation, but Ryan Yarbrough figures to be a prime candidate for the job.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Needs second opinion
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Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Bubic will require a second opinion on his elbow after he was diagnosed Sunday with a left flexor strain, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Bubic was placed on the 15-day injured list after initial tests revealed the flexor strain, but Quatraro notes that the Royals still have some "underlying concerns' about the health of the lefty's elbow and will have him get another checkup. The Royals are expected to have an updated timeline on Bubic's return later Monday once the second medical opinion is completed, but the southpaw looks like he could be at risk of missing more than the minimum 15 days.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Goes on injured list
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The Royals placed Bubic on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a left flexor strain.
Bubic went five innings against Atlanta on Saturday, allowing five runs on 10 hits. The left-hander will miss at least two weeks while he recovers from the strain, and Josh Taylor has been recalled from Omaha in a corresponding move.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Possible waiver wire pickups
Rotowire
So nine strikeouts in six shutout innings is ... different. Dig a little deeper, and you'll see that Kris Bubic had 19 whiffs, setting a career high on just 76 pitches. Analyst Lance Brozdowski, who formerly did some work with Driveline Baseball, pointed out on Twitter days ahead of this start that Bubic was working with a lower release height and improved velocity, and all his stuff was playing up as a result. "Vertical approach angle" I believe is the industry term for the path a fastball takes to the plate, and the left-hander seems to have optimized his. This is as loud a confirmation as you could ask for. He was missing more bats this spring, too, but it went by the wayside given his uninspiring track record. Now, I want as many shares as I can get.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Tosses six shutout frames
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Bubic allowed two hits over six shutout frames during Sunday's loss to the Giants. He struck out nine and did not factor in the decision.
Bubic was in line for the win before San Francisco's offense came alive in the eighth inning. The 25-year-old was dominant, tossing 56 of 76 pitches for strikes. He forced 19 whiffs on 42 pitches and never let a runner get past second base. Bubic is sporting a 1.64 ERA alongside a 13:4 K:BB through 11 innings. He's expected to face Atlanta at home next weekend.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Allows two runs in loss
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Bubic (0-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Blue Jays after he gave up two runs on seven hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out four.
The left-hander consistently worked from ahead and threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 22 batters he faced, and he also generated 14 swinging strikes. Bubic was saddled with the loss as Kansas City's offense mustered just four hits, but it was still an encouraging first outing of the season. He next lines up to pitch Sunday in San Francisco.
