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The Kansas City Royals are scrapping and clawing for playoff position in the American League, but as a below .500 team they could very well end up being sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. There are a handful of Royals players, specifically pitchers, that other contenders around Major League Baseball will find valuable on the trade market, but one of them took a big hit on Sunday.
Starting pitcher Kris Bubic, one of the top arms on the team, has been in the middle of trade rumors all summer long as the Royals contemplate whether to offload him to a contender. However, he is now dealing with a shoulder injury that will complicate those talks.
The Royals announced on Sunday morning that Bubic is hitting the 15-day injured list due to a left rotator cuff strain. The IL stint makes it much less likely that he will be traded before the trade deadline on Thursday.
Bubic got the start in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians, but he didn't have the day he envisioned. The left-hander made it just 2 2/3 innings, giving up four runs with three hits and four walks allowed as the Guardians got out to an early lead that they would never relinquish in a 6-4 win.
Despite the injury and the tough outing on Saturday, Bubic has still posted some solid numbers this season that have rightfully garnered plenty of interest from contenders around the league. He now has a 8-7 record across 20 starts while posting a stellar 2.55 ERA. He has excelled at limiting traffic on the bases all season despite not being a high-strikeout guy, making him an attractive option as a trade target.
If Bubic does stick around in Kansas City, he and the rest of the Royals will have a lot of work to do to get back in the playoff picture in the American League. At 51-54 on the season, the Royals are 8.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers at the top of the AL Central and are 4.5 games out of a wild card spot.
