Bubic had made his first rehab appearance on Tuesday and allowed six runs.
The Kansas City Royals could really use more starting pitching help. They were hoping to get that from the return of starting pitcher Kris Bubic, who was working his way back from an injury, but will have to wait longer than anticipated.
After making just one rehab appearance, the Royals announced that Bubic will not be making his second rehab start. His shoulder has begun to bother him and he is slated to see doctors soon.
Bubic was placed on the injured list on May 18 with left elbow soreness. But since his rehab began, his forearm and elbow have been good — so the shoulder issue comes as a surprise.
In his first rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Bubic did not fare well in the outing. The left-hander allowed six runs, five of which were earned, while only going 1 ⅓ innings. He was hit pretty badly in the brief outing, allowing eight hits and issuing a walk in a 49-pitch outing. The command was also an issue, as Bubic threw 29 of those 49 pitches for strikes.
The 28-year-old has established himself in the Royals rotation over multiple seasons, but his breakout 2025 campaign earned him his first career All-Star nod. Bubic posted a 2.55 ERA while commanding a strong strikeout to walk rate.
Through nine starts in 2026, Bubic has yet to replicate that same success but has still been efficient in his role. Bubic has recorded a 4.11 ERA and a 3.72 FIP across 50 ⅓ innings of work. While he is still yielding ground balls at a high rate, his command has taken a noticeable dip, as his walk rate has increased by 4.2% from his totals last season.
Bubic’s return would provide the Royals with a much-needed arm in the rotation. Kansas City has already seen injuries hurt Cole Ragans and most recently Seth Lugo, who was placed on the injured list on Friday after getting hit by a comebacker to his head.
As Kansas City trends towards the bottom of the ranks, not much has gone their way. They currently sit 14 games under .500 and could be on their way to become sellers at this season’s trade deadline. Bubic is a player the Royals could shop ahead of that deadline.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently reported the Royals are not ready to declare they will sell just yet, but mentioned the Athletics have shown interest in Bubic to bolster their struggling rotation.
It is unclear when Bubic will be cleared to throw again, but he is expected to be evaluated soon by doctors to determine the next steps in his recovery.
