Royals place former Cy Young winner on injured list

The Kansas City Royals placed Zack Greinke on the 15-day injured list Wednesday afternoon, recalling reliever Dylan Coleman to take the vacated roster spot. Greinke is dealing with shoulder tendinitis.

It doesn’t seem to be a particularly serious issue. Anne Rogers of MLB.com relays (on Twitter) that the Royals are hopeful Greinke may only have to skip one turn through the rotation thanks to the upcoming All-Star break. That note suggests that a minimal IL stint is a possibility, though Greinke will meet with a doctor Thursday to determine the next steps in his recovery.

Greinke’s absence is unlikely to change the Royals’ fortunes much. At 25-61, Kansas City looks ticketed for a last-place finish in the AL Central and a bottom-three showing in MLB this season. His injury could have some implications for the trade market if he was unable to return around the time he would first be eligible. Greinke is respected enough around the league to draw some attention from other clubs this summer, even as he carries a 5.44 ERA thanks to a pair of clunkers in his last three starts.

Players on the injured list can still be traded, so Greinke would be able to move even if he is not back on the mound by August 1. That seems unlikely, though, especially since K.C. would probably only move him if the six-time All-Star sought a trade. Greinke has signed with the Royals on successive one-year contracts the past two seasons, opting to return to the place where he began his career over two decades ago. He is playing this season on an $8.5M salary and could almost double that mark via an innings-based incentive package.