Royals Place Kris Bubic On IL With Rotator Cuff Strain

11:46am: The Royals have announced that Bubic is being placed on the 15-day injured list with a left rotator cuff strain. Rogers reports that the lefty will undergo further testing to determine next steps. In the meantime, the Royals have recalled right-hander Jonathan Bowlan to replace Bubic on the active roster.

10:12am: The Royals appear to be inching more closely to buying than selling given their recent acquisition of Diamondbacks outfielder Randal Grichuk, but talented southpaw Kris Bubic has been a much speculated-upon trade candidate this summer nonetheless. Recent indications have been that the Royals aren’t inclined to part ways with the lefty, and that may be even more true now. Bubic exited his start yesterday after just 2 2/3 innings of work, and MLB.com’s Anne Rogers relays that Bubic told reporters last night that “physically, something’s not right” after his most recent outing. Bubic added that he’s been battling shoulder stiffness throughout “a good portion of the season.” It’s unclear if a trip to the injured list is in the cards for the lefty, who told reporters (including Rogers) that he would see how he feels this morning.

If Bubic is indeed dealing with an injury that requires a trip to the shelf, it would be be a huge blow to the club’s already somewhat remote chances of making it to the postseason this year. The left-hander has been a revelation this season as a member of the rotation, with a 2.55 ERA and 2.85 FIP across 20 starts. Those sterling numbers even after this latest difficult outing, where his velocity was down and he walked four batters against just one strikeout while surrendering four runs (three earned).

If the Royals were to sneak into the postseason, a rotation fronted by Bubic, Seth Lugo, and (should he return from the injured list this year) Cole Ragans would be formidable enough to keep them in any series. With Ragans already dealing with a rotator cuff strain and Bubic now seemingly facing some sort of injury as well, however, it could be hard for the club to justify surrendering long-term assets in order to augment the club further.

On the other hand, Bubic stood as perhaps the club’s single most valuable trade asset if they were to move into the sell lane. These injury questions would only serve to worry potential suitors for Bubic’s services, and it’s hard to imagine the club selling low on such a talented player given that he’s controlled through the end of the 2026 campaign. Perhaps the news regarding Bubic would make the club more open to parting ways with Lugo, who has a player option for 2026 that he’s very likely to decline. That could be especially true if Bubic undergoes testing that reveals a serious injury that will sideline him for quite some time, but until more information about Bubic’s status is available it’s difficult to do anything beyond speculate.

Even if Bubic is out for an extended period, it appears that a Lugo trade would hardly be guaranteed. Lugo is eligible to receive a Qualifying Offer following the 2025 campaign, meaning the club could recoup value from him even if he walks in free agency this winter. The Royals have also expressed at least some level of interest in keeping last year’s AL Cy Young award runner-up in the fold beyond the life of his current contract, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see them try and work out a new contract with him as they did with right-hander Michael Wacha last winter.

Indeed, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported this morning that the club is currently showing “little interest” in dealing Lugo and “would love” to ink an extension with the veteran righty. That stance surely comes from prior to Bubic’s difficult start last night, however, and there’s no telling how the club’s thinking could be changed by the left-hander’s status until more is known about the severity of the issue bothering him.