The Royals are turning back to Daniel Lynch IV, and it comes at a time when their rotation depth is stretched thin enough to make the move feel less like a gamble and more like a necessity.
Lynch’s path to this point has been a winding one. Early in 2024, he was part of a spring battle with Alec Marsh for the fifth rotation spot.
Marsh won the job, while Lynch headed to Omaha to stay stretched out and wait for a chance. When Marsh got hurt near the end of April, Lynch got the call and went right back into the mix.
The results came fast, and then they came apart. Lynch opened with five shutout innings, followed that with a two-inning relief outing, then returned to the rotation for another five innings and allowed three runs, two earned.
His next start against the Mariners got rough in a hurry: 8 runs, all earned, in 4 innings. After that came a bulk relief appearance in which he gave up 6 runs in 6.2 innings.
That outing on June 12, 2024, was the last time he made a true effort at starting. * His next appearance didn’t come until the end of August, when he logged a 3-inning save and spent the rest of the year in the bullpen.
- He had two “starts” as an Opener last year.
For a stretch, there was some real intrigue. Lynch struck out 24 batters over 20.2 scoreless innings and gave the Royals a glimpse of something that looked a little like a left-handed Wade Davis.
But his bullpen work last season was a different story. He spent the full year there, often putting runners on base before John Schreiber helped clean up the mess.
He began this season looking more like the 2024 version of himself, but lately he’s slid back toward the 2025 reliever version. Over his last 20 appearances, he has thrown 19.2 innings, struck out 6, walked 4, and allowed 14 hits.
Even with just 5 runs allowed and a 2.29 ERA in that stretch, the numbers point more to good fortune than dominant pitching.
There are obvious counterarguments. Seth Lugo made his way back into a rotation role after years in the bullpen.
Danny Duffy did it too. The Royals can point to those examples and hope Lynch follows a similar track.
But the last two seasons haven’t done much to prove that starting is the answer for him. Even so, with Kansas City short on rotation help, giving Lynch another chance makes a lot more sense than turning to Mitch Spence.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are set to debut newly acquired Kevin Gausman against the Royals. The right-hander leans on three pitches - a four-seamer, slider, and splitter - and throws the fastball more than half the time. That kind of profile can look straightforward on paper, but Gausman has been effective for a long time anyway.
One odd wrinkle: the Royals have lined up their offense as if they’re facing a left-hander, even though Gausman is on the mound. Kansas City also made another roster move before the game.
Bummer pitched twice for the Royals and blew the game open for the other team both times, which is why his name showed up in the headlines of both game recaps. Maybe the next headlines will be a little less entertaining. Or maybe not.
In Other News...
Royals Put Daniel Lynch IV In A Spot That Could Change Plans
In a pitching staff that has been stretched by injuries, the Royals are turning to a familiar arm in a new role. Daniel Lynch IV, who has been a steady left-handed reliever this season, is moving into the starting rotation beginning with the game against the Cubs, giving Kansas City a chance to see whether his past experience as a starter can help shore up a need that has opened up in the rotation.
Manager Matt Quatraro framed the move as a response to the roster reality in front of him, and it puts Lynch in a spot that could influence how the club lines up over the coming weeks. For the Royals, this is more than a spot start, because any success there could reshape how they balance their bullpen and rotation depth while the injury picture remains in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Bullpen Depth Just Took Another Hit With Aaron Bummer
The Royals bullpen shuffle took another turn when the club recalled Mason Black and optioned Aaron Bummer to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Bummer, a veteran left-hander with prior stops in Atlanta and Chicago, had been in the mix as Kansas City tried to piece together relief innings, a task that has become more important as the season has worn on.
But the transaction did not end with a simple demotion. Because Bummer has enough service time to decline a minor league assignment, his status now adds another layer to a relief group that could use stability, and the Royals are left sorting through depth options again after giving him a brief look this season. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Just Got One More Problem In A Crucial Cubs Series
The Royals road trip just picked up another layer of difficulty as they prepare to open a key series in Chicago. The Cubs have added Kevin Gausman to their pitching staff after dealing for the veteran right-hander from Toronto, a move designed to help them navigate a rotation hit by injuries and give Craig Counsell another experienced arm to lean on.
Gausman and Counsell both sounded upbeat about how quickly the fit could come together, which only adds to the challenge for Kansas City as it tries to keep pace in a meaningful weekend set. The timing matters, too, with Gausman expected to step right into the spotlight in his new uniform against the Royals, giving Chicago a fresh look on the mound at exactly the moment Kansas City could have used a softer landing. [Read more 🡒]