KANSAS CITY -- Just when the Royals got a crucial piece to their rotation back with Seth Lugo coming off the injured list on Friday, Kansas City took another hit in its bullpen with Lucas Erceg placed on the 15-day IL with a low back strain, retroactive to May 27.
Erceg hadn’t pitched since Saturday in Minnesota, but there were two reasons for that. First, he got the illness that was going around the clubhouse last weekend, with a fever and general fatigue. Because he wasn’t feeling well, he missed at least one workout and wanted to get back in the weight room on Tuesday.
That’s when Erceg “tweaked” his back while lifting, he said.
The Royals didn’t need Erceg to pitch during their losses to the Reds on Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday’s game was one they would normally have turned to him in the eighth inning with a one-run lead. Manager Matt Quatraro stayed away from him and said postgame that Erceg wasn’t feeling well.
By Friday, ahead of the Royals’ series opener against the Tigers, Erceg’s back still wasn’t progressing the way he or the Royals wanted it to, so he was placed on the IL as the corresponding move for Lugo coming off the injured list.
“It’s nothing too crazy, but the plan is to give it time to heal,” Erceg said. “Obviously, don’t want to mess with back issues because they linger more than others, I would say. We’re just going to make sure I get back to feeling healthy before I get back out there.
“... We’re just going to take it day by day and get stronger, get better.”
Erceg has been the Royals’ fireman in their bullpen this season and has a 1.96 ERA across 24 appearances (23 innings). The 30-year-old has been one of the best relievers in baseball since the Royals acquired him at the Trade Deadline last year; his 1.4 fWAR ranks fourth among qualified MLB relievers since the beginning of August last year.
His absence in the back end of the ‘pen will undoubtedly be noticed, even though the Royals still have closer Carlos Estévez for save opportunities.
While Erceg heals -- and the Royals are optimistic, as of Friday, that it could be a minimum IL stint -- the Royals will rely on John Schreiber and Daniel Lynch IV in those high-leverage situations. Angel Zerpa, Jonathan Bowlan and Steven Cruz will also get bumped up for leverage opportunities.
“[Erceg has] been one of the best relievers in the game since we traded for him,” Quatraro said. “You don’t want anybody to go out there and think, ‘I need to be Erceg.’ That’s not fair to anybody. So just go out there and execute your pitches and try to get the guy out that you’re asked to get out.”
The Royals’ pitching depth has certainly been tested the first two months of the season. Erceg is the third reliever to hit the IL, with Hunter Harvey still dealing with a right teres major strain from April and Sam Long (left elbow inflammation) on a rehab assignment.
The rotation took one step closer to full strength with Lugo coming off the IL on Friday to start against the Tigers. He’s coming back from a sprain in his right middle finger, and while the inflammation has gone down from earlier this month, he’ll continue to manage the injury while he pitches.
Lefty Cole Ragans has also been on the IL with a left groin strain, but he’s scheduled to make a rehab start with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday, likely pitching three or four innings.
If all goes well, he could come off the injured list next week and slot back into the rotation.
Plus, the Royals are still without two pitchers who would have been depth for both the rotation and bullpen in Alec Marsh (right shoulder impingement) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder surgery). Wright is on a rehab assignment in Double-A and is scheduled to make another start on Friday night. Marsh was in Kansas City on Friday for his first bullpen since a setback at the end of April. So both are making their way back, although it will still be a while before the Royals are discussing a return to the big leagues for either of them.