Pitcher Luke Farrell to make major-league debut for Royals on Saturday

A couple of hours before Luke Farrell found out he would make his major-league debut this weekend, Royals manager Ned Yost texted the news to John Farrell, Luke’s father and Boston Red Sox manager.

“He (John) was thrilled,” Yost said. “It was neat to reach out to the dad and give him a heads-up. He was pretty excited.”

Farrell was called up from Class AAA Omaha and is expected to start for the Royals on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Twins. He arrived in Kansas City before Friday’s game against the Twins.

“It’s a dream come true,” Farrell said. “Growing up around the game, I’ve been close to it. But for this to come true, it’s really special … I’ve kind of settled in a good routine and understand what I need to do to get ready for a start.”

Farrell has pitched well for Omaha this season, compiling a 3.83 ERA over 82.1 innings with 77 strikeouts in 14 appearances and 13 starts.

“I’m just trying to pound the zone as much as I can,” he said. “Throw a bunch of strikes, command the fastball as well as I can and just challenge hitters.”

Yost added: “(Farrell) commands three pitches. He’s got a tremendous slider, and he’s been on a real roll. He ended up this week being the Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week … he’s having a great year.”

To make room for Farrell on the 40-man roster, the Royals must make a corresponding move before his start on Saturday.

This story was originally published June 30, 2017 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Pitcher Luke Farrell to make major-league debut for Royals on Saturday."