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Royals Put Kris Bubic on the IL

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Pat Ragazzo | Last updated May 18, 2026 4:06 PM ET

The Kansas City Royals have lost another important member of their starting rotation to injury.

Left-handed starting pitcher Kris Bubic was placed on the 15-day IL with left elbow soreness, as the Royals announced on Monday.

Right-hander Eli Morgan was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take Bubic's spot on the roster.

The Royals will be hoping that Bubic's elbow issue isn't something more serious than just soreness. However, Bubic will undergo testing on the elbow to determine the severity of the injury, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

Kris Bubic felt more sore than normal after his start last week, prompting the #Royals to be cautious and put him on the IL. He’s optimistic it will be a short stint, but he’ll get checked out and go through all the testing.
— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) May 18, 2026

Bubic, 28, is coming off his worst start of the season, where he gave up five-runs across four innings. He felt more sore than the typical norm following his start, which resulted in the Royals putting him on the IL.

The southpaw has posted a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 51 strikeouts across 50.1 innings (nine starts) this year. Last season, Bubic led all Royals' starters with a 2.55 ERA and placed second on the team with a 3.2 WAR.

Kansas City has already seen ace Cole Ragans land on the 15-day IL, so losing Bubic to the shelf is not ideal. Ragans was initially experiencing left elbow soreness before getting diagnosed with an elbow impingement.

The Royals are off to a brutal 20-27 start this season and are tied for last place in the American League Central. They will begin a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.

Bubic was scheduled to start against the Red Sox on Tuesday night. The Royals have not yet announced what their plans will be to replace his slot in the rotation.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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