Royals’ Matt Strahm set to receive second opinion on his knee on Thursday

Royals pitcher Matt Strahm, who sustained a torn patellar tendon in his left knee last weekend, is set to receive a second opinion on Thursday from Timothy Kremchek, an orthopaedic specialist at Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Cincinnati.

Strahm was placed on the 60-day disabled list Monday, two days after injuring his knee in the first game of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals have declined to speculate on the prognosis or a timeline for recovery. But the club’s decision to put Strahm on the 60-day DL just days after his injury suggests that surgery is a likely possibility.

While torn patellar tendons often require surgery, it’s possible to heal the injury with rehab and physical therapy, depending on the severity. Strahm is not eligible to return from the disabled list until Aug. 30.

Strahm, 25, recently spent a short stint in the Royals’ starting rotation before returning to the bullpen in the days before his injury. In 34  2/3 innings this season, Strahm recorded a 5.45 ERA. But the overall numbers were inflated by a woeful first week of the season and two rough starts in late June. Before returning to the bullpen, Strahm posted a 2.08 ERA as a reliever in May.

In the hours after his injury on Saturday, Strahm was replaced on the 25-man roster by reliever Miguel Almonte. On Tuesday, Almonte was optioned to Class AAA Omaha to create space on the roster for the return of starter Danny Duffy.

This story was originally published July 4, 2017 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Royals’ Matt Strahm set to receive second opinion on his knee on Thursday."