Former 20-game winner clears major comeback hurdle for KC Royals

As the case of Peyton Wilson tended to prove before his recent promotion to Triple-A Omaha, it's hard for any player to turn eyes away from Jac Caglianone when the Northwest Arkansas Naturals are in action. Caglianone is, after all, the top Kansas City Royals prospect, the young star everyone wants to see and so many hope will make it to the majors sooner rather than later.

But on Friday night in Springfield, Missouri, where the Naturals swept a doubleheader against the hometown Cardinals at Hammons Field, Caglianone probably found himself nudged out of the spotlight despite collecting a pair of hits, two walks, and an RBI during his night's work. Instead of again making most of the news, though, Caglianone watched as a right-handed pitcher fighting his way back to the big leagues captured attention.

Kyle Wright. That's correct, the same Kyle Wright who won 21 games and lost only five in 30 starts for Atlanta in 2022. The right-hander the Royals probably knew wouldn't throw a single pitch in 2024 when they acquired him via an early post-2023 season trade with the Braves worked in an official professional game for the first time in almost two years when he took on the Cards in the first game of Friday's twinbill.

And he was good. Count the performance as the clearing of a major hurdle in Wright's road back to the majors.

Kyle Wright pitched well in first rehab assignment start for the KC Royals

Wright, officially assigned Friday to Northwest Arkansas for the first leg of an injury rehabilitation assignment, started the day's first game for the Naturals and pitched with little trouble. He retired Springfield in order in the first inning, gave up a run on a two-out error in the second, pitched a scoreless, two-strikeout third, and surrendered a run on an infield groundout in the fourth. For his four-frame night, he struck out four, walked two, and yielded three hits.

Not bad for a pitcher whose last official appearance came in late September 2023, and then had offseason surgery that corrected a shoulder injury and forced him onto a long recovery and rehab road. He didn't pitch in any minor league or big league games last season.

So for Wright, who will once again be arbitration-eligible this winter and can't test the free agency waters until after next season, Friday's outing was crucial. His performance, while good, doesn't mean he's ready to leap back to the big leagues, but it's a positive step, especially for his first time out and for a pitcher the Royals clearly consider part of their future.

What's next for KC Royals pitcher Kyle Wright?

Hard to imagine is Kansas City rushing Wright back to Kauffman Stadium. Instead, expect him to make at least one more start for the Naturals before the Royals seriously consider moving him up to Triple-A Omaha for more work.

Kansas City's ultimate goal is, of course, to get Wright, whose 24-16, 4.45 ERA record over parts of six major league seasons reflects a good bit of promise, back to the big leagues yet this season. What role he assumes when he arrives in KC remains to be seen, and depends entirely on just where the Royals require the most help — the rotation or bullpen — when he's ready to return. But anyone who can win 21 games in this pitching era can probably handle whatever assignment manager Matt Quatraro gives him.