KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the midst of the worst season in franchise history, the Royals are fielding a rotation with as many Rule 5 draft picks (two) as pitchers who began the year on the starting staff.
Now the club could be in danger of losing its Opening Day starter — at least for a start.
The Royals revealed Sunday that left-hander Danny Duffy has pitched through shoulder tendinitis during his past four starts. The soreness surfaced Saturday night as Duffy’s fastball velocity dipped to 87-92 mph in an 8-3 loss to the Cardinals.
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Duffy received an injection in the shoulder after being ejected from his start in the sixth inning. Royals manager Ned Yost said the club would decide early this week whether Duffy would make his next start Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“It’s been like that for four starts, been battling through it,” Yost said. “We’ll see how he feels. I’m going to wait and make a decision, probably Tuesday.”
Duffy said he did not expect to miss a start, though it’s possible his turn in the rotation could be pushed back if his shoulder doesn’t respond well to the injection.
“I think we’re just going to play it by ear,” Duffy said. “I’m trying to stay on the field. I’ve taken a lot of pride in staying on the field this season, and I don’t want to be on the (disabled list). They’re giving me the opportunity to try to tough it out.”
Royals starter Ian Kennedy (oblique strain) has been on the disabled list since early July, while left-hander Eric Skoglund has been out since late May because of a mild sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament. (He also suffered a setback at Triple-A Omaha on a rehab assignment in early August, injuring his foot.) Jason Hammel, who started the season in the rotation, has been relegated to relief duty.
Duffy, 29, is on pace to set a career high in starts despite opening the season with sluggish performances in April and early May. He entered Sunday with a 7-11 record and a 4.90 ERA in 25 starts, one shy of his career high set in 2016. He has avoided the disabled list after missing time in 2017 for a strained oblique and a sore elbow, which led to offseason surgery to remove bone chips. Still, his improved health has not always translated to success on the mound.
He posted a 6.88 ERA in his first 10 starts, issuing 25 walks in 51 innings. He responded by returning to his curveball and emphasizing his fastball, posting a 2.58 ERA across his next 11 starts, including a dominant stretch on the road. Then Duffy’s shoulder began to bark starting in an 8-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers on July 25. He permitted seven runs in 5 2/3 innings. His ERA has jumped from 4.40 to 4.90 after he yielded 19 runs in his past four starts.
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The frustration boiled over Saturday evening. In the top of the sixth inning, first-base umpire Adam Hamari missed a check swing call against Cardinals center fielder Harrison Bader. Moments later, Bader hit a two-run homer to left field.
Duffy yelled in frustration at the sequence of events, then gestured toward Hamari, who ejected him. Duffy was set to depart for a reliever anyway. Before leaving the field, he had to be restrained by pitching coach Cal Eldred as Yost argued with Hamari.
“I’ve been respectful, respectful, respectful my entire career,” Duffy said after the loss. “And these (umpires), I’ve built a pretty good rapport with. And when I didn’t say another word, it’s just one of those things where it’s like: ‘Dude, what am I allowed to do? As a human being, what am I allowed to do?’
“I was upset with the situation; I was upset with the missed call. And I let it out. And I didn’t think it was enough for him to walk toward me and instigate it, which he did. (There was) definitely some instigation there — baited me, for sure. But it’s just one of those things that happen in this game. I’m not going to sit here and snap. It’s what it is. These things happen. Even to people that tend to be positive and optimistic.”
By early Sunday morning, Duffy was back inside the Royals’ clubhouse, his left arm wrapped in ice. His team had fallen to 35-81 on Saturday and prepared for a series finale against the Cardinals. He will spend the next few days hoping he can avoid the disabled list. For now, he’s confident he will.
“We’ll see how it adjusts to (the injection),” Duffy said of his shoulders. “(We’ll see how it) reacts to it.”
(Top photo of Duffy: Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports)