Kansas City Royals pitcher Bubic will begin a rehab assignment. Here’s the update

The Kansas City Royals continue to get good news on the injury front.

Last Sunday, starting pitcher Alec Marsh pitched four scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha.

Now, the Royals could be close to another starting pitcher’s return. Kris Bubic is set to begin a rehab assignment in Surprise, Arizona on Tuesday.

He will make a couple of starts with the Arizona Complex League (ACL) Royals.

“He said he feels great which is really encouraging,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s a really grueling rehab process. So it’s exciting for him, as I know, to see another uniform and get out there and compete for real.”

Bubic, 26, has missed significant time since undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left elbow. He last pitched on April 15, 2023 against the Atlanta Braves.

Bubic has continued to recover this spring. He began throwing bullpen sessions in February and his progression toward live action is at hand.

“Just to get into a real game and get the adrenaline going, I know it’s going to be exciting,” Quatraro said.

The Royals will continue to monitor Bubic. He is likely to ease back into a regular starting pitcher’s routine.

“Usually, the rehab starts with pitching and a couple days off,” Quatraro said. “After two or three of those, you get onto a starter’s five or six days (between outings). I don’t know exactly how they will do it with every Monday off in the minor leagues.”

Bubic could also pitch at different minor-league levels during his rehab assignment. If all goes well, he could potentially return to the majors later this summer.

The Royals drafted Bubic in the first round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft. He owns a 4.85 ERA in 70 major-league games (60 appearances).