The Kansas City Royals made a roster move on Friday.
The Kansas City Royals' pitching plans for Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox have officially been decided.
Originally scheduled starter Stephen Kolek left the team on Thursday to be with his wife as they expect the birth of their first child. That left a clear hole in the rotation with no obvious answer to fill it given how many injuries have hit Kansas City's staff this season.
The Royals have decided to go with a bullpen game in Kolek's absence, with relief pitcher Steven Cruz expected to open. To handle the bulk of the innings, Kansas City made a roster move.
The Royals announced they have recalled right-hander Mitch Spence from Triple-A Omaha. Kolek was placed on the paternity list in a corresponding move.
Spence has done this before for the Royals this year, making one spot start and one long-relief appearance. Unfortunately, he has really struggled at the big-league level, owning a 13.50 ERA in eight innings with just four strikeouts and a 2.125 WHIP.
He will likely head right back down to the minors after Friday's game. He has not been much better at Triple-A this year either, posting a 6.66 ERA in 48 2/3 innings, but the Royals do not have many options. Spence is one of the few players in the system with big-league experience, having pitched for the Athletics from 2024 to 2025.
As for Kolek, he will likely just have his start skipped in the rotation and make his next appearance once he is reinstated, presumably taking Spence's roster spot on the active roster when he returns.
Kolek had his worst start of the season last Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing nine runs in just 1 2/3 innings, which caused his ERA to skyrocket to 4.15 across 52 innings this season.
However, remove that disastrous outing and he has actually been a solid arm for Kansas City this year, providing the kind of length and reliability the rotation has desperately needed given all the injuries surrounding him.
The Royals will look to get it done Friday against Chicago without him. Kansas City currently sits 14 games under .500, and their playoff hopes are fading quickly. Stacking wins is the only path forward, and doing it with a bullpen game against the White Sox is not the ideal way to start a series. But with the hand they have been dealt, the Royals do not have much of a choice.
