KC Royals News: Another trade, a waiver claim, and an injury

The exciting but certainly unanticipated seven-game winning streak they're on is hands-down the biggest and brightest news the KC Royals have made all season. Nothing they've accomplished from Opening Day through Friday night's come-from-behind victory over Philadelphia in the opener of the clubs' three-game series comes close.

How long the streak via which this last place club is suddenly baseball's hottest team might last is anyone's guess, but it's been a good ride so far for the players and a fanbase starved for something good.

It's not, however, the only news the franchise is making.

The KC Royals made another trade Thursday, this time with Baltimore

Just when some fans thought the Royals were done trading for the season, they swung another deal two days after Tuesday's major league trade deadline expired.

And it was an allowed transaction—although trades are banned at the major league level until a day after the World Series ends, deals between minor league clubs are still OK.

So, what did the Royals do? They shipped minor league pitcher Luis Barroso to the Orioles in a player-for-cash deal. Barroso, 24, was 1-3 with a 5.98 ERA for High-A Quad Cities when the deal was made, and the righthanded reliever is 10-15, 4.30 over the five seasons he's been in the Royals' minor league system.

Baltimore assigned Barroso to its Low-A Delmarva affiliate, where he pitched Friday night and earned a hold.

The KC Royals claimed an experienced relief pitcher off waivers Friday

Texas, to whom the Royals traded Aroldis Chapman in late June, designated reliever Joe Barlow for assignment last weekend. The move came little more than three weeks after the Rangers optioned him to Triple-A but retained him on their 40-man roster.

Friday, Kansas City rescued Barlow by claiming him on waivers. Now a member of KC's 40-man, he's headed for Omaha.

Barlow, who turns 28 next month, is a righty whose primary pitch is a slider, but he also includes a four-seam fastball and curve in his repertoire. He's 4-4 with a nice 3.05 ERA in 79 big league games (all relief appearances) and was 1-1, 4.66 in 13 games with the Rangers before they sent him down to Triple-A Round Rock in early July.

Although he went 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 13 saves in 35 games last year, the best campaign of his short major league career is still 2021 when, as a rookie, he saved 11 games and posted a skimpy 1.55 ERA in 31 appearances.

KC Royals reliever Taylor Clarke landed on the Injured List Friday

That something hasn't been quite right with Taylor Clarke this season has been obvious for a while now. A reliable bullpen piece last season, his first with the Royals, Clarke stands a poor 2-4, 5.87 in 2023 and, in 21 appearances from June 1 through Wednesday, was 1-4 with a ghastly 9.30 ERA.

Perhaps the reason behind Clarke's troubles, at least those of late, will be found in his right elbow. Inflammation in that elbow forced Clarke to the IL Friday; it's his first trip to the List this season, although he spent time there last year with a left oblique strain.

With less than a third of this season left, don't look for Kansas City to rush him back.