Kris Bubic’s rehab has hit another pause, and the Royals left-hander isn’t pretending otherwise.
He described the process as “stop and start,” and right now, he’s back in the stop phase. Speaking before Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Kauffman Stadium, Bubic said he’s trying to stay upbeat even as the recovery keeps forcing him to reset.
“I’m trying to be as positive as I can be, given my history,” Bubic said before Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Kauffman Stadium.
The latest setback centers on his left shoulder, not just the left elbow soreness that led the Royals to move him to the 60-day IR retroactive to May 15. That shoulder issue is especially concerning because Bubic missed the second half of 2025 with a left rotator cuff strain.
He had already taken two rehab starts in Triple-A Omaha, but after the second one on June 27, he knew something wasn’t right. He was scratched from his next scheduled outing.
“A bit more fatigued, a little more achy the following day,” Bubic said about his second start. “That catch play in between wasn’t where it needed to be.
We decided to shut it down again. It’s been frustrating to stop and start, and stop and start.”
Last week, Bubic got a cortisone shot. The Royals are waiting to see how his shoulder responds before making the next move.
“Letting that do its thing over the next week, and if the symptoms continue, or if there’s a lack of mobility or lack of strength there, then obviously it warrants a closer look.”
For now, the plan is to revisit a throwing program during next week’s All-Star Break.
The timing is tough for a pitcher who was supposed to be a major piece after his 2025 All-Star season. Bubic finished that year with a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts. This season, he has made nine starts and is 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA.
Still, Bubic said he’s leaning on teammates who’ve been through similar stretches and come back on the other side.
“I don’t always want to say you think worst-case scenario,” Bubic said. “The support of the guys is always great because there are a number of guys who have gone through injuries and have come back stronger because of it.
“... You can try to plan things out all you want, and have a timeline in your head.
At the end of the day. This game is hard.
Things get in the way. You overcome obstacles and adversity along the way.
That’s how I take this.
“It’s frustrating. I want to be out there.
I want to throw. But if I can’t throw at the capacity I want to throw and the team needs me to throw at then we obviously need to take a step back.”
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