After return from DL, Nate Karns will pitch out of Royals' bullpen
Just four days ago, the Royals thought they were set.
They had finished the Cactus League portion of spring training without major injuries befalling any of the players who figured to be part of their 25-man roster for Thursday’s season opener against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. They wouldn’t have outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, who is serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug Baldenone, but they were ready to open the 2018 season with all their key players intact.
By Thursday morning, the Royals’ fortunes had drastically reversed.
Four-time Gold Glove catcher Salvador Perez was placed on the disabled list after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, an injury he said was caused when he missed a step on a staircase as he was unloading luggage in his house Tuesday night.
Then pitcher Nate Karns followed him onto the list, sidelined because of inflammation in his right elbow. Both players are eligible to return from the 10-day DL on April 5, but Perez will remain out of the lineup for four to six weeks as he recovers.
The Royals were forced to plug the holes in the roster. They recalled catcher Cam Gallagher from Class AAA Omaha and also retained pitcher Eric Skoglund, who didn't appear to be a lock for the major-league roster at the onset of spring training.
Karns, who missed most of last season after straining an extensor muscle in his right arm and undergoing surgery to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome, fought through the spring to earn a spot in the Royals' starting lineup. He posted a 1.98 ERA, issued six walks and struck out 18 batters in four Cactus League starts.
But in his final outing on March 22, Karns struggled through five innings because of fatigue. The right-hander hasn’t pitched a full season since he threw 147 innings for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. During his time with the Mariners in 2016, he strained his lower back in July and never returned from the disabled list. He threw 94 1/3 innings that year, and that number dipped to 45 1/3 last season.
Although he’d made progress this spring, it wasn’t enough for the Royals to risk a worse injury.
“I don’t know if it’s a pitch count number or if it’s just something we’re dealing with right now,” Karns said. “Give me a week or two and I feel better — that’s the approach we’re taking right now. I’m not expecting to be on it for an extended time period.
“I just went out and played catch, so as far as I’m concerned it’s nothing major. It’s just letting my elbow calm down and then getting back out there in whatever capacity I can.”
Karns’ role will be played out in the bullpen — for now. The Royals entered spring training tossing around the idea that Karns might be better suited for a multi-use role, similar to the one Chris Young filled for the Royals from 2014-15, when he made 31 regular-season starts and appeared in 37 games as a reliever.
But there is a chance Karns might play a role similar to Mike Minor, who appeared in 65 games and threw 77 2/3 innings out of the Royals’ bullpen last season. Minor recorded six saves at the end of the year.
“You go into this thing with a plan, but you’ve got to be open-minded to adjust the plan,” general manager Dayton Moore said. “Allow the player to change your mind one way or the other. Allow the medical team to change your mind one way or the other.”
The Royals will turn to rookie left-hander Skoglund for the foreseeable future. They extended his outings enough during spring training to feel comfortable using him as their fifth starter. Skoglund logged 10 2/3 innings in four games, including two starts. He allowed four earned runs and a .250 opposing batting average.
Skoglund was the first pitcher the Royals called on when Karns was sidelined last year. He outdueled Justin Verlander, then with the Detroit Tigers, in a 6 1/3-inning scoreless performance for his debut. But that success didn’t carry over into his next two starts. He returned to Class AAA Omaha and was later recalled to the major leagues at the end of the season. He recorded a 9.50 ERA in 18 innings with the Royals in 2017.
Depending on how staff ace Danny Duffy feels following Thursday’s start, Skoglund will make his first start of the season on either Monday or Tuesday in Detroit.
“We’ll evaluate start to start after that,” manager Ned Yost said.
This story was originally published March 29, 2018 at 3:20 PM with the headline "After return from DL, Nate Karns will pitch out of Royals' bullpen."