After Tommy John recovery, Kris Bubic is back in the Royals’ rotation ... and ready to go
Kansas City Royals starter Kris Bubic has endured a long journey.
At the onset of the 2023 season, Bubic was poised to take a significant leap within the Royals starting rotation. There were flashes of brilliance, much like his nine-strikeout performance against the San Francisco Giants.
Other times, Bubic showcased a deft pitching arsenal. He had a solid four-seam fastball but relied heavily on his off-speed pitches. It allowed him more control and the ability to pitch efficiently in the strike zone.
Bubic had a 3.94 ERA in three starts during the 2023 season. However, he got hurt after the three starts, underwent Tommy John surgery and ended up missing the rest of the 2023 season.
Bubic was on the shelf. He bided his time working to regain strength despite long nights and early-morning treatments. In his mind, the goal was to find a way back in the Royals starting rotation.
On Monday, Royals manager Matt Quatraro made it official. Bubic earned a starting rotation spot after a spring competition.
“It’s really cool to see this opportunity,” Bubic said. “I want to take this opportunity and do the best I can with it. Kind of my whole thought process throughout the offseason and throughout spring training was whatever role they had envisioned for me when we got to the end of spring here, you know I was going to be good with either way.”
Bubic returned to the Royals last season. He carved out a role in the bullpen and made a sizable contribution during the playoffs. Still, the Royals always felt Bubic was better suited to be a starter.
KC told Bubic he would transition back to a starting role this offseason. He wound up in competition with teammates Daniel Lynch IV, Kyle Wright and Alec Marsh for the final rotation spot this spring.
Lynch earned a bullpen role this spring. Meanwhile, Wright and Marsh will start the season on the 15-day injured list.
“I think that really speaks volumes to the depth of the rotation,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, we thought highly of him two years ago. To lose him for all of last year as a starter and to have him back this year is a big step forward for him and for us.”
Bubic was an early frontrunner for the role. He pitched well throughout the spring and hit a fair amount of metrics along the way. One of his goals was to reach five innings in a start before his first regular-season start.
On Tuesday, Bubic achieved the goal. He tossed five innings against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Bubic allowed one run and struck out eight batters in what was his last spring outing.
And he did so throwing just 81 pitches.
“I think we did a lot better job of getting ahead in counts today,” Bubic said. “That just made life a little easier for me.”
The Royals hope to see Bubic at his best this season.
Bubic produced a 2.67 ERA in 30 1/3innings as a reliever in 2024. He also recorded 39 strikeouts and just five walks in 27 appearances.
“I know generally with the Tommy John surgery, your first full season back, which is this one, it’s kind of thought that everything is back to normal and how your body should feel,” Bubic said.
However, Bubic knows that fatigue can set in quickly. He spent this offseason preparing himself to make multiple starts in the rotation. His routine included specific workouts to get in better shape to pitch deeper into the season.
These workouts involved lower intensity and high volume work. Bubic took a month off from throwing and began again in mid-November.
“I think I’m just understanding how to pace myself a little bit better again and understanding kind of I got 80, 90, 100 pitches today,” Bubic said.
Bubic is scheduled to pitch in the Milwaukee Brewers series. On Thursday, the Royals open the 2025 regular season against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium.
“I’m happy with where I’m at physically and where the stuff is at,” Bubic said. “There will be times, during the year, ups and downs happen. It’s just making sure you make the adjustments as quickly as possible.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
