Kansas City Royals left-hander Angel Zerpa is lined up to start on Thursday against the Seattle Mariners. It will be Zerpa's first start in 2023 and just his fourth major-league start since debuting with Kansas City in 2021. In just four appearances out of the bullpen for the Royals this year, he has allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits (two home runs) while walking one and striking out three in 9 1/3 innings of work. The 23-year-old picked up a win last Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals despite giving up five runs (four earned) over four innings as a bulk reliever behind opener Dylan Coleman. Zerpa will need to show more before he's a viable streaming option for fantasy managers in DFS and deep leagues.
The Kansas City Royals reinstated left-hander Angel Zerpa (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list on Friday and optioned him to Triple-A Omaha. The Royals also moved right-hander Josh Staumont (neck) to the 60-day injured list. Zerpa had a solid 2.91 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, nine walks and 22 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings over six rehab starts with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Omaha, and he'll continue to work in Omaha's starting rotation now that he's fully healthy. The 23-year-old southpaw made his big-league debut back in 2021 with one start. In four appearances (three starts) for the Royals in 2021 and 2022, Zerpa went 2-2 with a strong 1.13 ERA (4.63 FIP), 1.00 WHIP, four walks and seven strikeouts in 16 innings.
The Kansas City Royals placed left-hander Angel Zerpa (knee) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a right knee injury. Zerpa left his start against the Los Angeles Angels early on Tuesday with right knee discomfort, and now he'll be forced to miss the next two weeks. Jackson Kowar has been called up from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. The 22-year-old Zerpa is the team's No. 11 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he was making just his second major league start this year (third overall) on Tuesday before his injury. He's allowed just two earned runs while striking out three in 11 innings in three outings (two starts) for KC this year and will likely return to the starting rotation when he's healthy.
Kansas City Royals left-hander Angel Zerpa (knee) was removed from his start against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday due to right knee discomfort. He suffered the injury in the fifth inning while fielding a bunt. Zerpa's final line for the day was four innings, four hits, one walk, two runs (one earned) and one strikeout. The 22-year-old took the loss for the game and is now 2-1 over three appearances on the year with a 1.64 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He's spent the majority of the 2022 season at Double-A, where he has pitched to a 4.36 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP across 13 starts. The Royals are expected to give an update on the status of his knee at some point on Wednesday.
Angel Zerpa Allows Just Two Unearned Runs In His Debut
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Angel Zerpa made his MLB debut against the Cleveland Indians on Thursday. He pitched five innings and allowed three hits, one walk and two runs (both unearned) while striking out four. After the game, Royals manager Mike Matheny said that Zerpa looked terrific while adding, "He looked advanced, especially when you take into consideration his age." The 22-year-old is ranked as the team's 18th overall prospect on MLB Pipeline. Across three minor league levels this year, he posted a 4.58 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP to go along with 11.0 K/9. He may have a chance to compete for a rotation spot with the team next year if the offseason goes well for him.
The Kansas City Royals called up 22-year-old pitching prospect Angel Zerpa on Wednesday. He is slated to start Thursday's game against the Cleveland Indians. It will be his MLB debut. Zerpa is the Royals' 19th ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. He's spent the majority of the year at High-A and Double-A, but he recently made one start at Triple-A that didn't go well as he allowed three earned runs over 1 1/3 innings. Across all three minor league levels this year, he went 4-4 with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP while averaging 11.0 K/9.
Angel Zerpa
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Royals
