Royals place pitcher on IL with flexor strain

The Kansas City Royals added another pitcher to their growing injured list before Sunday’s game against the San Diego Padres, placing right-hander Stephen Kolek on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain after activating him from the restricted list. The injury occurred during a rehab start for Triple-A Omaha on Saturday, where Kolek had been working toward a return to Kansas City’s rotation.

Manager Matt Quatraro said Kolek will undergo imaging and additional testing on Monday to determine the severity of the injury. The 29-year-old was expected to throw four innings or approximately 65 pitches in his rehab outing but exited after 2 2/3 innings and 51 pitches, including 30 strikes. Against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, he surrendered two runs on six hits, hit one batter, did not issue a walk, and struck out three before leaving with the trainer.

The setback follows a difficult month for Kolek and his family. His daughter, Faye, was born seven weeks premature on June 25, leading the Royals to place him on the family emergency medical list three times, the paternity list twice, and later the restricted list on July 11. Major League Baseball granted Kansas City special permission to send Kolek on a rehab assignment while he remained on the restricted list, an uncommon exception made because of his family circumstances. With Faye’s condition improving, Kolek had been preparing to rejoin the major league club before the latest injury interrupted those plans.

Kolek has made 10 starts this season, compiling a 4-3 record with a 4.50 ERA across 54 innings. He has recorded 34 strikeouts while issuing only 12 walks, producing a 5.4% walk rate that ranks in the 93rd percentile according to Statcast. He has also generated a 46% ground-ball rate this season.

One of the highlights of Kolek’s campaign came in late May when he threw the second complete-game shutout of his career during a 5-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. In that outing, he needed 108 pitches to allow four hits and one walk while striking out two, ending the Royals’ four-game losing streak.

Kolek’s most recent major league appearance came on July 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays, when he allowed three runs on four hits over two innings in a 5-2 loss.

The latest injury adds to Kansas City’s pitching problems during a disappointing season. After getting routed 19-2 by the Padres, the Royals fell to 40-60. They’ve also now got eight pitchers on the injured list. Kris Bubic remains on the 60-day injured list, Cole Ragans is out for the season following left elbow surgery, and the team has allowed 525 runs, with only three MLB teams surrendering more.