The Royals are considering a six-man rotation. Here’s the plan for the rest of 2018

The improved output from his starters has prompted Royals manager Ned Yost to consider using a six-man rotation over the final few weeks of the 2018 season.

Right-hander Ian Kennedy, who is slated for his final rehab start Monday, is on the verge of a return to the big-league rotation. But Yost isn’t ready to subtract any of its existing members — Danny Duffy, Jakob Junis, Brad Keller, Jorge Lopez or Heath Fillmyer.

Instead, Kennedy’s looming return would simply lengthen the rotation to six.

“We’re more open to it now,” Yost said. “I don’t wanna take Fillmyer out. I don’t wanna take Keller out. I don’t wanna take Junis out. I wanna keep looking at Lopez. Of course, I don’t wanna take Duffy out. And I want Kennedy to pitch.”

A weakness for much of the season, the rotation has compiled a 3.86 earned run average over the past two weeks. That’s third best in the American League. Not coincidentally, the Royals have won four straight ahead of Sunday’s series finale with the Baltimore Orioles.

None of the five current starters are in danger of exceeding any sort of innings limitations and figure to complete the season in the rotation.

But while Kennedy could force an extra spot, two other likely September call-ups will have to pitch out of the bullpen. Eric Skoglund and Glenn Sparkman have both been working as starters in the minor leagues, each with success. But the sequence of starters won’t include either in September, barring necessity.

“I wish I could go to an eight-man rotation — I probably would,” Yost said. “I’d like to see Sparkman and Skoglund pitch, too, but I just can’t. They’re just going to have to pitch out of the pen.”

Skoglund, who has been on the disabled list since May because of an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his throwing arm, threw five scoreless innings for Class AAA Omaha on Saturday. He allowed just three runners and threw 55 pitches.

Since being optioned to Omaha on Aug. 23, Sparkman has been impressive in two starts. He threw six scoreless innings Friday, striking out eight and walking zero. Royals pitching coach Cal Eldred recently shifted Sparkman’s placement on the rubber from the third-base to the first-base side, a move Yost credited for his recent outings.

But Skoglund and Sparkman will pitch out of the bullpen once returning to Kansas City this week.

“We’re just going to have to fit them in whenever we can,” Yost said. “Just going to have to juggle it just like we are everything else right now.”

This story was originally published September 2, 2018 at 12:55 PM.