Royals' James McArthur: Expected to be ready for spring
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McArthur (elbow) is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
McArthur was diagnosed with a Grade 1 UCL sprain in his right elbow in mid-September, resulting in a premature end to his season. While a Grade 1 sprain is the least severe, there is always going to be some long-term concern when UCL damage is involved. For now, though, the expectation is McArthur will be ready for spring training after some rest and rehab.
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Royals' James McArthur: Won't return in October
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McArthur (elbow) will not return in 2024, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
McArthur is being shut down after his attempts to rehab a Grade 1 UCL sprain have not gone well. The right-hander functioned as the Royals' closer for a large part of the year, racking up 18 saves in 25 chances with a 4.92 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 49:14 K:BB over 56.2 innings. Given the nature of his injury, it's unclear if he'll be ready to go from the start next spring.
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Royals' James McArthur: Dealing with Grade 1 UCL sprain
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McArthur, who was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, was diagnosed with a Grade 1 UCL sprain in his right elbow and will be shut down from throwing for 5-to-7 days, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
The 27-year-old won't be able to return before the end of the regular season, but manager Matt Quatraro is hopeful a playoff return is possible. That's likely an optimistic outlook for a UCL injury, but for now, McArthur has yet to be fully ruled out for 2024.
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Royals' James McArthur: Goes on IL with sprained elbow
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The Royals placed McArthur on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow sprain.
A sprain indicates that he is dealing with ligament damage, although there's no word yet regarding the possibility of surgery. McArthur won't be eligible to return before the end of the season and also seems unlikely to be back for the postseason even if surgery isn't required. The former closer posted just a 6.87 ERA in the second half.
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Royals' James McArthur: Diagnosed with elbow tightness
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McArthur exited Monday's game against Detroit due to right elbow tightness.
McArthur initially appeared to suffer an injury to his right hand on a play at first base, but the team has since revealed that he was forced from the game due to an elbow issue. He'll be considered day-to-day until more information on the issue comes to light.
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Royals' James McArthur: Falters in seventh inning
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McArthur (5-7) allowed four runs on three hits and a walk while failing to record an out versus the Yankees on Monday, taking the loss and a blown save.
Entering Monday, McArthur had allowed just one run over his previous 11.2 innings after losing the closer job in early August. He couldn't find any traction in the seventh inning Monday, with Austin Wells' three-run home run being the big hit against McArthur. The right-hander is now at a 5.01 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 48:12 K:BB over 55.2 innings, though his ERA is 7.27 over 17.1 innings since the All-Star break.
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Royals' James McArthur: High-leverage struggles return
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McArthur (5-6) took the loss Friday, giving up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning as the Royals fell 3-2 to the Astros.
With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, McArthur got the call and gave up a one-out single to Jake Meyers, setting the stage for Jose Altuve to walk it off with a double. With Lucas Erceg (hand) not 100 percent, the closer role is up for grabs again in Kansas City, at least in the short term, but McArthur may not be in the mix for save chances despite his 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB through 12 innings in August.
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Royals' James McArthur: Finding success outside of closing
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McArthur has not allowed a run over his last seven appearances, allowing just five hits while striking out eight and walking none across 6.2 innings in that span.
McArthur surrendered 11 runs (nine earned) over 5.2 innings through his first six outings following the All-Star break, converting just one of three save chances in that span. He hasn't had the opportunity to close since, with Lucas Erceg moving into the closer role since he was acquired from the Athletics via trade. McArthur has just one hold since he lost the closer job, and he's more frequently been deployed in the seventh and eighth innings in recent weeks. McArthur has a 4.62 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 40:9 K:BB over 50.2 innings while going 18-for-24 in save chances this year, and he'll likely be a second or third option for closing duties when Erceg is unavailable.
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Royals' James McArthur: Blows another save Saturday
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McArthur (4-5) blew the save and took the loss Saturday, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning in a 6-5 extra-innings loss to the Tigers.
The Kansas City bullpen had a disastrous day, as Hunter Harvey and Kris Bubic blew leads in the ninth and 10th innings, respectively, before McArthur finished the job by surrendering a walk-off single to Wenceel Perez in the bottom of the 11th. The big takeaway was manager Matt Quatraro's reluctance to use McArthur in a save situation, and with good reason -- since the beginning of July, the right-hander has an 8.71 ERA, 1.84 WHIP and 5:2 K:BB in 10.1 innings, and he's blown two of his last three save opportunities including Saturday. Harvey's usage in the ninth could mark him as the next man up to get a chance to close for the Royals, but Lucas Erceg might also be in the mix after he picked up a hold with a perfect eighth inning. McArthur hasn't officially been removed from the role, but his job security seems to be hanging by a thread.
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Royals' James McArthur: Secures 18th save
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McArthur picked up the save in Monday's 8-5 win versus the White Sox, pitching a clean inning with no strikeouts.
The Royals right-hander entered this contest on a cold spell, having allowed nine runs (eight earned) over his previous three outings, but he swiftly retired the Chicago side on 10 pitches. McArthur now sports a 5.31 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 32:8 K:BB across 42.1 innings while going 18-for-23 in save chances this season. Given the unsteady performance, his role as the Kansas City closer may be relinquished if a more trustworthy reliever is acquired before Tuesday's trade deadline.
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Royals' James McArthur: Notches pair of saves Wednesday
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McArthur earned a save in both games of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, pitching two total innings during which he gave up one run on three hits while striking out two batters.
McArthur gave up a Paul Goldschmidt solo homer and a Nolan Arenado single in the first game of the twin bill but managed to get through the ninth frame in 15 pitches. That left him fresh enough to be called upon again in the ninth inning of Game 2, and he finished off that contest in 19 pitches without yielding a run. McArthur thus became the first Kansas City pitcher with two saves in one day since Greg Holland in 2013. McArthur went through a stretch between June 7 to 23 during which he didn't record a single save (or get a single save opportunity), but since then he's registered five saves while giving up just one run over 7.2 frames.
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Royals' James McArthur: Executes five-out save
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McArthur picked up his 15th save of the season in Wednesday's win over the Rays, allowing a hit and no walks while striking out one in 1.2 innings.
McArthur entered in the eighth with two runners on and one out with the Rays already having scored a run in the inning. He was able to navigate through the traffic and then pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth to lock down the save. McArthur has been lights-out of late, throwing eight scoreless innings over his last eight appearances since June 13, and he's converted each of his last four save chances.
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Royals' James McArthur: Rebounds for 12th save
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McArthur delivered a perfect ninth inning Thursday to earn the save in a 4-3 win over the Guardians.
It was an encouraging outing from McArthur, who allowed four runs without recording an out in his last save opportunity. However, he's now recorded back-to-back hitless innings in his subsequent two appearances. Overall, McArthur is 12-for-16 in save chances with a 4.91 ERA and 1.36 WHIP despite an impressive 23:3 K:BB.
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Royals' James McArthur: Snags win Saturday
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McArthur (2-2) allowed an unearned run on one hit over two innings, earning the extra-innings win over the Rays on Saturday.
McArthur gave up a two-out RBI double in the 10th inning that tied the game at 4-4, but the Royals took the lead for good in the 11th. May hasn't been an easy month for McArthur, who has given up eight runs (six earned) over 10 innings while converting four of his six save chances. He's at a 3.80 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB over 23.2 innings while adding 11 saves in 14 chances and one hold. McArthur's role as the Royals' primary closer isn't in doubt yet, but it's possible Carlos Hernandez will be a factor in the late innings eventually after recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him out for the first two months of the campaign.
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Royals' James McArthur: Converts 10th save
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McArthur allowed a run on two hits and struck out three without walking a batter over 1.1 innings to earn the save in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Mariners.
McArthur gave up a solo home run to Mitch Haniger in the ninth inning, but he was able to avoid any further damage. The right-hander has surrendered seven runs (six earned) over his last five appearances, and he's been tagged for four homers in that span. He's managed to convert saves in each of his last two outings despite the long balls. McArthur is 10-for-13 in save chances this year while adding a 4.58 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 21:3 K:BB through 19.2 innings. He does not appear to be in danger of losing the closer job yet, but it is concerning to see him give up so much hard contact.
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Royals' James McArthur: Blown save, loss versus Texas
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McArthur (1-1) blew a save and picked up the loss after he pitched two innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out three batters in Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning defeat to the Rangers.
McArthur entered the game with the Royals up 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning and gave up a game-tying solo home run to Jonah Heim with one out in the inning. He later returned for the top of the 10th frame, allowing the inherited runner to score on an RBI single by Nathaniel Lowe. The blown save was McArthur's second in nine total save opportunities this season, and he currently possesses a 2.87 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 18 strikeouts over 15.2 innings in 13 appearances this season.
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Royals' James McArthur: Secures fifth save
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McArthur allowed one hit and one walk over two scoreless innings to earn a save in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Only two men were able to reach base against McArthur despite the 27-year-old pitching an additional inning Tuesday, though he failed to register a strikeout. The right-hander now has five saves on the young season and seems to have cemented himself as the Royals' primary closer.
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Royals' James McArthur: Snags win Tuesday
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McArthur (1-0) earned the victory in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Astros, firing two scoreless innings during which he gave up a hit and recorded two strikeouts.
McArthur entered the contest in the top of the ninth inning with the score tied at 3-3, setting the Astros down in order. He returned for the top of the 10th frame, working around a two-out single by Jeremy Pena to keep the game tied while also picking up a pair of strikeouts. The Royals then walked it off with an RBI single by Salvador Perez in the bottom of the frame, giving McArthur his first win of the 2024 campaign. The right-hander now owns a 5.40 ERA with seven strikeouts over 6.2 innings in six appearances with Kansas City this season, going 2-for-3 in save opportunities in the process.
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Royals' James McArthur: Closes out fourth save of season
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McArthur picked up the save in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Yankees. He allowed one hit while striking out four over two scoreless innings.
McArthur has emerged as a closing option for the Royals in the last month as he now leads the team in saves since Sept. 1. Sunday's game marked the longest save of his career so far, with McArthur working two innings without trouble to shut the door. The rookie right-hander has improved his ERA in each month and has not allowed a run in his last 16.1 innings. He concludes his debut season with a 4.63 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 23.1 innings with 23 strikeouts. His impressive performance to end the season will surely improve his chances of starting the year with the big club in 2024.
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Royals' James McArthur: Secures third save
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McArthur picked up the save in Sunday's 6-5 victory over the Astros. He allowed one hit and no walks while striking out one over a scoreless inning.
McArthur appears to be part of a committee for the Royals' closer job, as he and Taylor Clarke split three saves this weekend in a sweep of the Astros (two for McArthur and one for Clarke). They have both earned preference over Carlos Hernandez, who has notched a hold in consecutive games. The 27-year-old McArthur has not allowed a run in 13.1 innings since being recalled Sept. 1. He's an intriguing fantasy pick-up for saves as the Royals finish the season against the Tigers and Yankees.
