LATEST NEWS

May 31: RHP Will Klein recalled from Triple-A Omaha; LHP Daniel Lynch IV optioned to Triple-A Omaha
After Lynch made a spot start against the Twins on Thursday in place of Brady Singer, who fell ill, the lefty is headed back to Omaha's rotation until the next time he's needed. In a corresponding move, the Royals fortified their bullpen with Klein ahead of Friday's series opener against the Padres. Klein made his Major League debut on April 28, striking out two in a scoreless inning against the Tigers.

When Klein was called up on April 25, the plan was that he would only be up four or five days -- and he was optioned on April 29 -- but this time, he could pitch his way into earning a long-term spot on the roster. The Royals' bullpen has been shaky recently, and they're looking for someone to step up for the middle-to-late innings role, when their high-leverage relievers are unavailable.

Klein, the Royals' No. 18 prospect, has a 1.93 ERA across 21 Triple-A appearances this year, with 23 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings. He hasn't allowed a hit since May 10 (eight appearances, nine innings) and has retired the last 17 batters he's faced.

"The first week back [after being demoted], I feel like I tried to force myself to get back up [to Kansas City] instead of just pitching the way I did before," Klein said. "It took like a week to get back right. But I worked on some stuff, and now I was just attacking guys. Getting it in there and believing my stuff's better than they are."

As for Singer, whom Lynch filled in for Thursday, the righty is feeling better from the illness that prevented him from pitching, manager Matt Quatraro said. Singer stayed in Minneapolis on Thursday night but made it back to Kansas City on Friday, and was back in the clubhouse pregame. He played catch, too, and if he continues to progress, he could slot back into the rotation Sunday.

• All Royals transactions

INACTIVE LIST

RHP Jordan Lyles (personal matter)
Expected return: TBD
The Royals placed Lyles on the inactive list on April 20. The team is not disclosing the reason for Lyles’ absence other than describing it as a “personal matter.” There’s no timeline for his return.

Because of the type of inactive list Lyles was placed on, it opened a 40-man roster spot for the Royals, which they utilized on April 22 by promoting righty reliever Tyler Duffey. (Last updated: April 22)

10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

2B Michael Massey (low back ligament sprain)
Expected return: June
Massey, who was removed from the game on May 24 after hitting a three-run homer, was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 26 with a low back ligament sprain. The 26-year-old second baseman dealt with a similar issue at the end of Spring Training, which delayed his season debut until April 19.

Massey isn't back to full baseball activity yet, and he saw a back specialist on May 31. He has also received a "couple of injections," according to manager Matt Quatraro, to help the recovery process. Massey's timeline depends on how he feels; he could head on a rehab assignment as soon as his back loosens up and he feels good enough to swing. (Last updated: May 31)

3B Cayden Wallace (right side tightness, No. 2 on Royals Top Prospects list)
Expected return: TBD
Wallace was placed on the 7-day Minor League injured list on May 22 after exiting his Double-A game in the first inning. He was replaced by a pinch-runner after hitting a single in his first plate appearance on May 21 as he dealt with what the Royals described as right side tightness.

“We will know more after some further evaluations, but he is going to be out for at least the seven-day minimum on the Minor League side,” said director of player development/field coordinator Mitch Maier. “... We will know more once we get some imaging and further develop a plan, but it looks like it’s an oblique [injury], and we will go from there.”

The former second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft was slashing .282/.350/.427 with three homers and 16 RBIs through 34 games with Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season. (Last updated: May 22)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

LHP Kris Bubic (left elbow surgery)
Expected return: July
Bubic opted for full ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery in April 2023 and has had a smooth recovery so far, targeting the middle of 2024 as a potential return date. He was back to throwing bullpens in Spring Training and began his rehab assignment on May 7, first pitching in the Arizona Complex League, then Double-A Northwest Arkansas before being transferred to Triple-A Omaha on May 27.

On May 29, Bubic threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball with one walk and seven strikeouts. He'll continue his recovery and ramping up his pitch count and innings in Omaha until he's ready to return to Kansas City. (Last updated: May 31)

LHP Josh Taylor (left arm/biceps nerve injury)
Expected return: Second half of the season
Taylor felt soreness when he was warming up for his March 17 Cactus League outing and was shut down afterward with left biceps soreness. The lefty reliever was diagnosed with a musculocutaneous nerve injury, and his timeline to return is unknown, as he'll be shut down from throwing until his biceps and upper arm regain strength.

Taylor was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 7 to make room for Colin Selby on the 40-man roster. (Last updated: April 7)

RHP Kyle Wright (right shoulder surgery)
Expected return: 2025
The Royals traded for Wright in November in exchange for Jackson Kowar knowing Wright was coming off shoulder surgery after the 2023 season. They made the move thinking ahead a year, foreseeing how Wright, who will be 29 in '25, could help after he led the Majors with 21 wins and posted a 3.19 ERA in '22.

Pitchers who have this procedure typically take a year to return, and Wright is rehabbing in Kansas City with the goal of having a normal, non-rehabbing offseason later this year. Wright was placed on the 60-day IL on Feb. 17 to make room for reliever John Schreiber on the 40-man roster. (Last updated: March 28)

• More injury news