Latest Kris Bubic injury update leaves Royals in precarious spot ahead of trade deadline

The second-half of the season has begun which means many teams are gearing up for the final stretch run of the season with hopes of playing October baseball. For many teams, they'll be looking to the trade market for that extra boost to propel them to their competitive goals. At 19 games under .500, the Kansas City Royals aren't one of those squads, rather a team many of those contenders will look to for that aforementioned boost.

However, one of the Royals' top trade assets isn't making things any easier on them at the moment. Kris Bubic has been sidelined since May 18 with an elbow turned shoulder ailment, suffering setbacks along the way in his rehab efforts. And according to MLB.com's latest injury update, the impending free agent southpaw will be cutting it close if he's to return ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.

"Scratched from rehab start July 1 with shoulder soreness," the injury report said. "Received cortisone injection July 2 and hasn't thrown since, but could begin new throwing program week of July 20."

Bubic fits the profile of the ideal trade candidate for the Royals, who are likely looking to retool in an effort to immediately compete in 2027, as an All-Star on an expiring deal. Teams always need starting pitching an rentals are usually the least expensive ways to provide that impact. And there was already interest in Bubic around the league earlier this season, with the Athletics reportedly being one of his top potential suitors.

However, now that we're talking about a July 20 start to a throwing program, not a return or an official rehab outing, could put a return to action before the trade deadline in jeopardy and thus the Royals' potential trade plans for him.

Royals' trade deadline could be shaping up to be more unimpactful than anticipated

According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, the Royals will take a conservative sellers approach to the trade deadline this summer.

"They clearly won’t be buyers in a traditional sense, meaning they’re not going to trade prospects to infuse the Major League roster with pieces that will help them this year," Rogers wrote. They also won’t be sellers in a traditional sense, meaning a full teardown will not be in effect."

This means veterans Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are reportedly unlikely to be traded this summer, making the Royals group of trade assets look fairly modest.

Relievers like Alex Lange and John Schreiber as well as bench bats like Lane Thomas and Starling Marte seem like the likeliest names to be on the move this deadline season. However, none of those teams come with the pedigree that experienced veterans like Lugo or Wacha or a recent All-Star starting arm like Bubic possess.

It's clear that the Royals could do with more than trading fringe players here and there if they want to compete starting next season. Many initially thought 2026 was their chance to get back to October, but a 40-59 record shows this group has it's flaws that merely tinkering won't solve.

Someone like Bubic potentially would've been able to get that impactful return, but with each passing day he's not on the mound, the flags only turn a deeper shade of red for potential trade suitors.

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