3 more Royals spot starter options after Rich Hill's historic, solid debut

In the microcosm of one game, Rich Hill’s Kansas City Royals debut likely won’t matter much in the long run. Through no real fault of his own, the Royals dropped Tuesday’s contest, undone by a litany of defensive miscues, bad luck, and more misfortune against a strong Chicago Cubs squad.

But how will fans remember Hill’s role in that loss? In retrospect, none of the blame should fall on the 45-year-old lefty, who allowed just one earned run over five innings. It wasn’t a career-defining start—but it exceeded expectations all the same.

But the next man up conversation never stops in MLB. That mindset and reality are why Royals fans see outfielder MJ Melendez back in the dugout or pitcher Jonathan Bowlan yo-yoing between Triple-A Omaha and Kansas City. It seems like Kansas City has some sensible options to be emergency callups if the need arises, but the starting pitching picture is the murkiest it has ever been.

Injuries to Kyle Wright and Alec Marsh have pushed Kansas City's minor-league options to the brink, while Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen remain on the shelf and now Kris Bubic being added on Sunday. There is an amalgamation of bullpen games, MLB castoffs, and a sprinkling of legitimate prospects left in Omaha.

With it looking increasingly more likely Kansas City will need a new pitcher to take the mound down the road, who are the best options?

3 more Royals spot starter options after Rich Hill's historic, solid debut

LHP Dallas Keuchel

Just like Hill, Kansas City didn’t sign veteran lefty Dallas Keuchel to a Triple-A deal with 2026 in mind. He’s here as emergency depth—someone who might soak up innings if needed, and maybe squeeze out one last shot at the majors before that door closes for good.

Since his Houston heyday, Keuchel has bounced between six MLB organizations and even opened 2024 with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines. Outside of a strong 2020 with the White Sox, it’s been a steep decline. Never a velocity guy, Keuchel’s game unraveled as his fastball ticked down. By 2023, he had ditched the four-seamer entirely, leaning on a cutter and changeup to pair with his once-elite sinker.

But there’s a glimmer of life. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Keuchel touched 92 mph during a July workout—enough to earn Kansas City’s interest and a shot in Omaha. If called up, he’d earn a prorated $2 million salary. So far in Triple-A, the results are mixed: 13 1/3 innings across three starts, with his July 24 outing against a stacked Syracuse lineup being the lone dud (seven hits, four runs).

Walks remain an issue, but a 26.3% whiff rate and .317 xwOBA suggest there’s still something left to work with. Is Keuchel an ideal solution for the rotation? He was—in 2015. If he’s back on a major league mound in Kansas City this summer, it’s probably because something else has gone very wrong, and Bubic's injury might very well be that nightmare scenario.

RHP Kyle Wright

Wright’s lingering injury issues were already touched on earlier, but he has to be available soon… right? That hope feels more like desperation, given how few starting options Kansas City has at the Triple-A level right now.

Wright looked like he was finally building momentum after a late-May setback due to shoulder fatigue, alternating between shutout starts in Omaha and outings that spiraled out of control. Then, in late June, he pulled himself from a scheduled start after suffering what was later diagnosed as an oblique strain during his pregame bullpen.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said at the time that Wright would be shut down and “reevaluated in two weeks.” It’s now been nearly four weeks with no updates. Kansas City sent Wright back to Triple-A to build him back up, hoping he’d be ready to step in if needed. At this point, any optimism about Wright feels more like wishful thinking—especially considering he’s already on the 40-man roster.

Wright’s upside was a talking point during the offseason, with some hoping he’d crack the rotation out of spring training. But he hasn’t thrown a pitch for the big-league club since the Royals acquired him from Atlanta in November 2023. Tommy John rehab sidelined him throughout 2024, and this year’s recurring setbacks have kept him in limbo ever since.

RHP Luinder Avila

It’s been a tumultuous calendar year for 23-year-old pitcher Luinder Avila. The Venezuelan righty overcame a serious rib cage injury in 2024 and impressed during a strong Arizona Fall League stint, which—combined with his pending Rule 5 Draft eligibility—prompted Kansas City to add him to the 40-man roster. But what once looked like a promising trajectory coming out of spring training has since stalled.

Avila hasn’t pitched for Triple-A Omaha since May 22, landing on the seven-day IL with a right shoulder impingement. The Royals have offered no updates since, but given Avila’s stated desire to pitch in the Venezuelan Winter League, the injury likely isn’t season-ending.

Is this another hope-and-a-prayer situation like Wright’s? Probably. Kansas City remains notoriously tight-lipped on minor-league injuries, and the seven-day IL offers no transparency on return timelines.

Before the setback, Avila was settling in nicely, posting a 3.66 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 19 2/3 innings in May. His fastball has big-league life—as spring training viewers saw firsthand—and Baseball America grades his curveball as a 60. There’s still plenty of room for growth, but health is now the biggest hurdle.

Why can't the Royals just be healthy?