Kyle Wright DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

MLB.com's Anne Rogers reports that Kansas City Royals right-hander Kyle Wright (hamstring) has a mild right-hamstring strain at spring training that he suffered while throwing the other day. Wright has been able to continue playing catch, but this is a setback in his progression in camp. The Royals will re-evaluate him next week. While it's a minor injury, it's not good news for the 29-year-old, who is coming off right-shoulder surgery and didn't pitch at all in 2024. Given Wright's long layoff from pitching, he was already more of a long shot to open the 2025 season in KC's starting rotation. The former first-rounder by the Atlanta Braves broke out with a league-best 21 wins in 2022, but it was his only effective season in Atlanta after debuting in 2018. The Royals are hoping he can recapture that magic from 2022, but he'll likely be on an innings limit in 2025 if he stays healthy throughout the year.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Kyle Wright (shoulder), who hasn't pitched in a big-league game since Sept. 28 of 2023 after having surgery to fix a torn capsule in his right shoulder, is slightly behind the other pitchers in camp but he could throw live batting practice next week. Wright was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday and wants to throw at least two bullpens before progressing to live BP. He has extra hurdles to clear since it's been so long since he was 100% percent healthy, but a lot of the hurdles are mental. If healthy, the 29-year-old could compete for a start in KC's Opening Day starting rotation after the former fifth overall pick in 2017 won a World Series with the Braves in 2021 while also leading the majors in wins (21) with a 3.19 ERA in 180 1/3 innings in 2022. Because he's a candidate for an innings limit in 2025 in his first year with the Royals, fantasy managers in mixed leagues can probably avoid him for now.

According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kyle Wright (shoulder) "may be a little behind" in his throwing progression. Wright missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder. While Wright has been throwing off the mound during the offseason, he may not be a full-go early on in spring training. Rogers noted that this could open the door for Kris Bubic and Alec Marsh to be viewed as the favorites to land the final spot in the rotation. Daniel Lynch IV and Jonathan Bowlan could also be in the mix as well. Wright enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022 when he posted a 21-5 record with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP with the Atlanta Braves. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Wright's status as he could make a case to earn the final spot in the rotation if he has a successful spring training.

According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kyle Wright (shoulder) is having a normal offseason. Wright missed the entire 2024 campaign due to surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder. Rogers noted that the team could have him on a slower progression, but the team is "excited" about Wright returning to the mound at some point. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during spring training as he could have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Opening day rotation. In 2023, Wright logged just 31 innings of work with a disappointing 6.97 ERA and a 1.84 WHIP with the Atlanta Braves. However, in 2023, Wright enjoyed a career season as he posted a 21-5 record with a 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 174 punchouts across 180 1/3 innings. Wright will likely compete for the final spot in the rotation with Alec Marsh and Kris Bubic.

The Kansas City Royals avoided salary arbitration with right-hander Kyle Wright (shoulder) on Tuesday by signing him to a one-year, $1.8 million deal for the 2025 season, according to a source. Wright will make the same salary he did in 2025 while he was rehabbing from surgery on his right shoulder. The former fifth overall pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2017 out of Vanderbilt missed all of the 2024 season and only appeared in nine games (seven starts) in his final season in Atlanta due to his shoulder injury. The 29-year-old has been throwing off a mound during the offseason and is expecting to be full go for spring training, though, giving the Royals another option for their starting rotation. However, given his missed season in 2024, he'll likely have his innings limited. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues might feel he's worth a flier in hopes he can recapture his breakout form in 2022.