The Kansas City Royals placed right-hander Alec Marsh (elbow) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with a right-elbow contusion and recalled right-hander Will Klein from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. X-rays came back negative on Marsh's elbow after he was hit by a comebacker on Wednesday and forced to leave his start early against the Toronto Blue Jays, but he's still going to have to miss at least two weeks. It's unclear who will replace the 25-year-old in Kansas City's rotation moving forward. Klein will give the Royals some more depth in the bullpen. Marsh, a former second-round pick in 2019 out of Arizona State, should return to the Royals' rotation when his 15 days are up after going 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in his first five starts in 2024.

Updating a previous report, Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that X-rays came back negative on right-hander Alec Marsh (elbow, forearm) after he was forced to leave his start early on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays when he was hit by a comebacker on his right elbow/forearm in the fifth inning. Marsh was in a lot of pain initially, but the feeling came back in his arm quickly after he was pulled. "We feel like we got pretty lucky. Everything is good. X-rays are negative," Quatraro said. The 25-year-old could still be forced to miss his next scheduled start on Monday against these same Blue Jays, but it's obviously good news he avoided any kind of fracture in his arm. Before leaving on Wednesday, Marsh tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings with two hits allowed, two walks and only one strikeout to drop his season ERA to a strong 2.70.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Alec Marsh (elbow, forearm) left his start on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays after being hit on the right elbow/forearm area on a comebacker up the middle. It did not look good, and Marsh appeared to be in a significant amount of pain. Before leaving the game, Marsh threw 4 1/3 shutout innings with two hits allowed, two walks and only one strikeout in what would be a no-decision in the 3-2 loss. It's being called a right-forearm contusion for Marsh for now, but he's surely to undergo X-rays and is in danger of missing his next start or landing on the injured list. The 25-year-old's ERA is down to 2.70 on the season after shutting Toronto out for 4 1/3 innings on Wednesday. Check back for an update on his condition later on Wednesday or on Thursday morning.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Alec Marsh has been named the team's fifth starter to open the 2024 season, according to manager Matt Quatraro. Right-hander Jordan Lyles will begin the season in the bullpen. We reported on Wednesday that Marsh was the favorite for the No. 5 spot, and now it's official. The 25-year-old earned the final rotation spot for KC this spring by recording a 1.93 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, four walks and 17 strikeouts in 14 Cactus League innings. Marsh struck out 85 hitters in 74 1/3 innings in his rookie season last year for the Royals, but he also walked 39 in 17 appearances (eight starts) and allowed 50 runs (47 earned). Right now, he's only an option for strikeouts in AL-only leagues. Marsh will need to improve his control to become a legitimate streaming option in mixed formats.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Alec Marsh has made a strong impression in spring training, giving up three runs in 14 Cactus League innings, and might be considered the favorite for the fifth and final starting rotation spot to enter the season. Jordan Lyles is the incumbent behind Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Brady Singer and Michael Wacha, but he's been slowed in camp with lower-back tightness and it's unclear if he'll be built up to 90-plus pitches by Opening Day next week. Daniel Lynch IV is healthy and has also looked good this spring, though, and Anthony Veneziano is another candidate in the conversation as he continues to build up as a starter. The 25-year-old Marsh, a former second-rounder in 2019 out of Arizona State, went 3-9 in his rookie year in 2023 with a 5.69 ERA and 1.56 WHIP with 39 walks and 85 K's in 74 1/3 innings over 17 games (eight starts).