Royals reliever James McArthur had to leave last night’s game due to elbow tightness, as reported by the team. He is undergoing tests today to identify the cause and extent of the issue.
Initially, it seemed McArthur might have injured his hand while covering first base on an infield single by Zach McKinstry. However, manager Matt Quatraro clarified to Rogers that this wasn’t the case. McArthur stayed in to pitch to the next batter but was seen shaking his arm after a poorly missed fastball to Jake Rogers.
As McArthur prepared for his next pitch, catcher Salvador Perez noticed his discomfort and called for the training staff. Quatraro mentioned that McArthur admitted something felt “off” in his arm before he left the field with trainer Chris DeLucia.
At 27, McArthur began the 2024 season as the Royals’ closer and remains the team leader with 18 saves, though Lucas Erceg, acquired at the trade deadline, has since taken over the ninth-inning role. This change was due to Erceg’s strong performance and McArthur’s struggles midway through the season. After a shaky start, McArthur had a solid run from April 5 to July 23, posting a 3.22 ERA over 36 2/3 innings.
However, McArthur struggled in his next two appearances, allowing eight runs, which led to the Royals acquiring Erceg two days later. Since then, McArthur has mostly served in middle relief, with a 3.77 ERA over 14 1/3 innings, although most of the damage occurred in one rough outing at Yankee Stadium. Overall, McArthur has a 4.92 ERA this season, significantly impacted by recent poor performances.
While McArthur’s velocity hasn’t dropped drastically, his sinker has been slightly slower recently. It averaged 95.1 mph until early September but has since dropped to 94.3 mph over his last three appearances. Although such velocity fluctuations are not unusual, they combined with arm discomfort raise concerns.
The Royals are also missing Hunter Harvey (back strain), Will Smith (back spasms), and Chris Stratton (flexor strain). In the midst of these injuries, Erceg, John Schreiber, and former starters Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch IV are key options left in the Royals’ bullpen.
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