Kansas City Royals add Mondesi and Kowar while top prospect Witt Jr. stays at Triple-A
.jpg "Bobby Witt Jr. attends American League batting practice before the MLB All Star Futures baseball game, Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/Gabe Christus)")
With just two additional roster spots available in September, the Kansas City Royals activated shortstop Adalberto Mondesi from the injured list and recalled pitcher Jackson Kowar prior to Wednesday’s game. Both went right into the starting lineup.
Those two additions represented this year’s September call-ups for the Royals with MLB’s rules limiting roster sizes to just two additional players which brings the total from 26 active players to 28. In past years, teams like the Royals would have been able to add as many as 15 players in September.
September call-ups in their prior format often included the major-league debuts of top minor-league prospects. Both Royals additions were players who’ve been in the majors previously this season. In Mondesi’s case, he has played in parts of six major-league seasons.
While both MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America rank Kowar among the top 100 prospects in the minors, the Royals also had several highly touted position players at Triple-A who will remain in the minors.
Baseball America ranks shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. the third-best overall prospect, while first baseman Nick Pratto ranks 65th and catcher MJ Melendez 90th.
Those three were all among the top five in the minors in home runs going into Wednesday night. Melendez was tied for first with 34 homers, while Pratto and Witt were tied for third with 28 homers apiece.
“I wish we could bring up more guys,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “We’ve always appreciated that flexibility for a number of reasons, but the rules are what they are and we have to respect that and make it work.”
The Royals will need to add Pratto and Melendez to their 40-man roster this winter in order to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.
Junis to the IL
One day after making his first start in the majors since being sent down to the minors in June and spending more than a month on the injured list at Triple-A with a shoulder injury, Jakob Junis went on the IL again.
The Royals placed Junis on the IL prior to Wednesday’s game with right shoulder impingement syndrome, and they reinstated left-handed reliever Jake Brentz from the IL.
Junis, 28, entered this season having pitched more innings (377 2/3) and making more starts (67) than any other Royals pitcher since the start of the 2018 season.
He began the season working out of the bullpen. Then he made four starts from April 7-27. When the Royals initially promoted top pitching prospect Daniel Lynch to the majors, Junis was bumped to the bullpen and struggled.
The Royals optioned him to Triple-A Omaha on June 7. He was on the injured list for Omaha from July 9 through Aug. 24.
He tossed 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday night in his first start in the majors since May 14.
“I like Jake. I’ve always liked Jake,” Moore said. “He’s got an impactful pitch in that slider when he’s throwing it with conviction. He has always been able to command his pitches. I think he’s a pitcher that really helps a team be successful over 162 games. I’m hopeful that he gets through this. I know that it has been a frustrating year for him, but we still believe in Jake.”
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 7:19 PM.
