Kyle Wright DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Kansas City Royals pitchers Alec Marsh (shoulder), Kyle Wright (shoulder/hamstring), and James McArthur (elbow) were all officially placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday. None of these come as a surprise, with all three of them battling injuries this spring. Marsh is dealing with the most minor injury of the three, with a delay in his build-up due to tightness in his shoulder. Wright has progressed to throwing bullpens but is recovering from both an offseason shoulder surgery and a hamstring strain. McArthur is likely to miss the most time, as he is still recovering from an offseason elbow surgery and hasn't begun throwing yet.

Kansas City Royals pitcher Kyle Wright (hamstring, shoulder) is scheduled to face live hitters for the first time in Spring Training on Thursday, per MLB.com's Anne Rogers. The former No. 5 overall pick in the MLB Draft was traded to the Royals before last season but missed the entire year after right shoulder surgery. This spring, he has been sidelined by a hamstring injury but is starting to ramp up now. The 29-year-old will not be ready for the start of the season, for sure, but could provide a boost to the Royals' rotation when he's ready. He showed upside in 2022 with a 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 174 strikeouts in 180 1/3 innings. He has only made nine appearances over the last two seasons, though, so he'll need to prove he can stay healthy to contribute. At this point, he's possibly stash-worthy in deep AL-only leagues, but he's more just a name to keep an eye on at this point until he's ready for his season debut.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Kyle Wright (hamstring, shoulder) is hoping that he can progress to live batting practice sessions in camp next week, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. After already missing all of the 2024 season due to right-shoulder surgery, Wright has missed more time this spring after injuring his hamstring. Even if the 29-year-old former Atlanta Braves pitcher starts facing live hitters next week, he's not going to be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season. The Royals took a flier on Wright hoping that he can recapture his magical 2022 campaign with Atlanta in which he had a 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 174 strikeouts and 53 walks in 180 1/3 innings. However, it was the only one of his six big-league seasons that stands out, and he's made just nine appearances in the last two years due to his shoulder injury. At best, he's stash-worthy in deep AL-only leagues, but don't expect much.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Kyle Wright (hamstring) has continued his throwing progression in camp and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. Wright, who is trying to make a return after right-shoulder surgery, suffered a mild right-hamstring strain late last month, which has put him behind the rest of the pitchers at spring training. Especially due to the fact that he didn't pitch at all last year while rehabbing his shoulder, the 29-year-old is now considered a long shot to win a spot in KC's Opening Day starting rotation, let alone be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season. The Royals are merely hoping Wright can discover some of the magic he had with the Atlanta Braves in 2022, when he posted a 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 174:53 K:BB in 180 1/3 innings. Even if Wright gets past his hamstring and shoulder injuries and joins the Royals' rotation at some point this year, he'll be on a strict innings limit that will cap his fantasy upside.

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.