Competition for Royals' fifth starter narrows to Lynch, Bubic

PEORIA, Ariz. -- With just over two weeks to go before Opening Day, the Royals are letting their roster battles play out in front of them before making any decisions about who will break camp with the team and in what role.

But after more than two weeks of Cactus League games, there are definitely things to glean from performances and work on the backfields.

One of the main competitions the Royals had coming into spring was for the fifth starter spot, and that field narrowed fairly quickly when the Royals were hit with some injuries early in camp -- most notably Alec Marsh’s right shoulder soreness. The righty faced hitters for the first time earlier this week and has a two-inning live BP scheduled for Thursday, but his Opening Day status is not likely. Kyle Wright, making his way back from right shoulder surgery at the end of 2023, strained his hamstring in February and has been progressing slowly.

That leaves Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch IV vying for that rotation spot. Entering camp, Bubic was considered the frontrunner, making his way back to being a starter following Tommy John surgery and a solid second half of the 2024 season as a valuable reliever.

That assumption hasn’t changed, but Lynch’s performance this spring has made it more interesting. The 28-year-old has a 1.80 ERA across 10 innings (four games), with his fourth start of the spring scheduled for Thursday against the Padres. He hasn’t walked a batter yet and has struck out nine.

“That’s exactly what you want in camp,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “You want guys pitching well, making it a tough decision.”

“I feel like I’m in a little bit better rhythm of what I’m trying to do right now,” Lynch added. “I just want to keep getting better and get ready for the season. I’m not spending a lot of time worrying about what the roster looks like.”

Spring stats can be deceiving, and the Royals don’t make decisions only based on performance. Bubic has a 5.59 ERA this spring, but he’s working on different things, including getting a feel for his entire arsenal again.

And the Royals won’t be making any decisions public until closer to the end of camp. Health is still a factor, and they want as many starters built up in case someone gets hurt.

After the Royals decide who begins the season in the rotation, the next conversation will be about the role for whoever doesn’t win that spot. If Kansas City pegs Bubic as their fifth starter, does Lynch head to Triple-A again to start there and be part of the depth? Or do the Royals put him in their bullpen?

Lynch finished 2024 as a reliever and threw 20 2/3 scoreless innings. He talked earlier this spring about how his success out of the ‘pen and helping the Royals in a new way changed his perspective heading into this year.

There’s a case to be made that he’s deserving of a bullpen spot to begin the year.

“That will be a discussion at the finish line,” Picollo said. “Our Triple-A depth is in a great spot. … You have to take into consideration what both Daniel and Kris have done. If they’re still young and have options, [going to Triple-A] might be part of their development. But when they reach a certain point, it’s about what’s best for the team, when you know they can be a key ingredient to the team and productive.

“You don’t want to artificially say, ‘We need the depth.’ It’s real, we need it, and if we didn’t have it, we might look at it differently, but we feel like we have it.”

Both Bubic and Lynch have stated their willingness to pitch in whatever role the Royals see fit. It’s likely they’ll both log innings in the rotation and bullpen this year, anyway. Bubic might need to pull back on his innings at some point after throwing only 66 innings between his rehab assignment and as a reliever last season.

“If I’m a swing guy making spot starts or a consistent starter, I want to just pitch and be healthy,” Bubic said. “And whatever role that is in is out of my hands in terms of what they want to do. Now that I have experience doing both, I feel like I’m able to adapt a little better and know what my body needs for a start or a relief outing. Either way, I’ll be good with it.”