Royals Place Zack Greinke, Josh Staumont On Injured List

The Royals announced that starter Zack Greinke is headed to the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 21, with forearm tightness. Reliever Josh Staumont is also going on the 15-day IL with biceps tendinitis. Collin Snider and Anthony Misiewicz were recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take the vacated active roster spots.

Greinke last took the mound on Sunday but came out of his start against the Rays after four innings due to forearm discomfort. How severe the issue is remains unclear, but it’s worrisome enough the Royals will keep him out of action for at least the next two weeks. It comes at an unfortunate time, as Greinke had allowed only three earned runs in 16 1/3 innings over his most recent three starts. Of course, with the Royals near the bottom of the American League standings and looking ahead to 2023, there’s little reason for Greinke and the club not to exercise caution with any arm issues.

Signed to a one-year, $13MM guarantee over the offseason, Greinke has made 21 starts during his second stint in Kansas City. He owns a 4.14 ERA through 108 2/3 innings despite a career-low 13.7% strikeout rate. The 38-year-old no longer throws hard or misses many bats, but he retains elite command and has provided the club with generally solid back-of-the-rotation production. He’ll again hit the free agent market this winter.

Staumont has had a very inconsistent 2022 campaign. Long considered one of the organization’s top pitching prospects, Staumont looked to have settled in as a quality late-game reliever over the prior two seasons. Between 2020-21, he tossed 90 1/3 innings of 2.76 ERA ball while striking out 29% of batters faced. As he had throughout his minor league career, he struggled to throw strikes at times, but his power arsenal was on full display.

He’d remained generally effective through the first few months of this season, working to a 3.67 ERA with a 27.1% strikeout percentage through the All-Star Break. Things have gone completely off the rails in the second half, however, as he’s been tagged for 16 runs with 11 strikeouts and walks apiece in 10 2/3 innings over his past 12 outings. Staumont will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter and is controllable through 2025.

Misiewicz is now in position to make his team debut. Acquired from the Mariners at the start of the month, he was promptly optioned to Omaha. He’s allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings there since the trade, striking out seven with just one walk. The left-hander had made 104 MLB appearances with Seattle over the past three seasons, working to a 4.48 ERA over 88 1/3 frames.