KC Royals Duffy goes on DL, to miss eight weeks

Whatever else happened to the KC Royals, Danny Duffy was a constant. But he won’t be for the next few weeks after suffering a strained oblique.

The KC Royals placed left-hander Danny Duffy on the 10-day DL on Monday.  Duffy will be out for the next six-eight weeks with a Grade 1+ oblique strain. Rustin Dodd, Royals’ beat writer for the Kansas City Star, tweeted the news earlier today.

Duffy suffered the injury in the fifth inning of his Sunday start in Cleveland. The injury occurred when he missed first base and fell down on a ground ball. He remained in the game for two more batters, but realized the injury this morning when he woke up, according to reporters.

“This sucks, man,” Duffy told reporters. This was a big time for us to turn around the ship.”

Duffy also said he feels at fault for the injury occurring on such an odd play.

“I feel responsible for that.”

Other Notes

In other injury news to KC Royals pitchers: right-hander Nate Karns has now been ruled out until next week at least. Combined with Duffy’s injury, this could open a couple of rotation spots for pitching prospects from the farm system. Lefty Eric Skoglund has pitched reasonably well in triple-A Omaha, with a 4.53 ERA in 44 innings. He has looked stronger in his most recent outings. Right-hander Jake Junis has also pitched very well in Omaha, to say nothing of his brief-but-successful times in Kansas City so far.

Right-hander Jake Junis has also pitched very well in Omaha, to say nothing of his brief-but-successful times in Kansas City so far.

Next: The Anti-Detroit Breakdown

The Royals enter a crucial home stand, opening with three against the Tigers. Game one is Monday night. With the injury bug infecting the pitching staff, and ineffectiveness still lingering in the offense, the KC Royals must turn it around now. Three games against the second-place Tigers should give them the measuring stick they need as they near their 54^th game, marking the passage of one-third of the season.