(610 Sports) -- The Royals lost a big piece of their rotation on Monday, placing left-hander Danny Duffy on the 10-day injured list with a left forearm flexor strain.
Duffy had been the team's most reliable starter so far this season, sporting a 1.94 ERA in seven starts, ranking seventh in MLB among qualified starters. Duffy had struck out 48 in 41 2/3 innings and was one of the few arms that the team could rely on in the starting rotation.
The club announced that Duffy's 10-day DL stint will be retroactive to this past Friday and a corresponding move will be made following Monday's off-day.
The Royals also announced that left-hander Kris Bubic will start on Tuesday in place of Duffy against the Milwaukee Brewers. Bubic has appeared in long relief for the Royals this month, allowing just two runs in 12 2/3 innings.
With Bubic taking over Duffy's spot in the rotation, the plan to fill the fifth-starter spot is now up in the air. Could this mean an early call-up for Jackson Kowar, who has been dominant in his three starts in Triple-A Omaha, or are we more likely to see a veteran like Jakob Junis back in the rotation?
I guess we'll wait and see what GM Dayton Moore and manager Mike Matheny decide to do as they've already shown a willingness to call up top pitching talent in Daniel Lynch.