Kris Bubic Fantasy Stats

Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic (elbow) has started his throwing progression, but he's still dealing with general arm fatigue, according to MLB.com. Bubic has continued to play catch, though, and he's expected to return to the Royals' starting rotation in June. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 18 (retroactive to May 15) with left-elbow soreness. Bubic won't be allowed to ramp up his throwing program until his arm fatigue goes away, so he could be looking at more of a late-June return. The 28-year-old southpaw went 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA (3.68 FIP) and 1.23 WHIP with 51 strikeouts and 26 walks in 50 1/3 innings pitched over his first nine starts this year before landing on the shelf. Bubic was a first-time All-Star in 2025, when he went 8-7 for the Royals with a career-low 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 116:39 K:BB in 20 starts. Even though we don't have a clear picture of when exactly Bubic might return, he's a worthy stash candidate in deeper mixed fantasy leagues for pitching depth for the rest of the year.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic (elbow) is currently on the 15-day injured list as he battles elbow soreness. However, the 28-year-old began a full throwing program on Saturday and could be working his way towards a return to the big league mound in early June. Bubic was off to a solid start to his 2026 season before getting injured, recording a 3-2 record with a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts across 50 1/3 innings (nine starts). He struggled to a 12.6% walk rate before hitting the injured list, but the poor command could have been a symptom of his elbow discomfort. If Bubic is pain-free upon his return, his results may be more in line with his performance in 2025, when he posted a 2.55 ERA across 116 1/3 innings (20 starts). His profile carries some risk of re-injury, but Bubic's upside could make him worth stashing off the waiver wire ahead of his impending injury return.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic (elbow) felt more soreness than normal after his May 14 start against the Chicago White Sox and was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 18 with left-elbow soreness, but the severity concern is low, according to MLB.com. Bubic resumed playing catch on May 22 and started a full throwing program on Saturday. The 28-year-old southpaw could still need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment, but barring a setback, he could be back in the Royals' starting rotation sooner than later, around early to mid-June. The former first-rounder in 2018 out of Stanford was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his sixth year in the majors, going 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA (2.89 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with a career-high 116 strikeouts and 39 walks in 116 1/3 frames across his 20 starts. Bubic made nine starts for KC this year before his elbow injury and gave up 23 earned runs (4.11 ERA) while striking out 51 and walking 26 in 50 1/3 innings pitched. He should at least be a matchup-based streaming option in deep-mixed leagues when he's back, and he's currently rostered in 56% of Yahoo leagues.

The Kansas City Royals announced on Monday that they placed left-hander Kris Bubic (elbow) on the 15-day injured list with left-elbow soreness and recalled right-hander Eli Morgan from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Bubic struggled in his last start on May 14 in a loss against the division-rival Chicago White Sox, allowing a season-high five earned runs on five hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out four in just four innings of work. It's unclear if he'll need more than a minimum stay on the IL. After his last rough outing, the 28-year-old southpaw is 3-2 on the season with a 4.11 ERA (3.71 FIP) and 1.23 WHIP with 51 strikeouts and 26 walks in 50 1/3 innings pitched across nine starts for KC. Bubic was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his sixth season in the big leagues with the Royals, when he went 8-7 with a career-low 2.55 ERA (2.89 FIP), 1.18 WHIP, and 116:39 K:BB in 116 1/3 innings across his 20 starts. Right now, he's rostered in 71% of Yahoo leagues.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, as he's posted a 3-1 record with a 3.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts across 46 1/3 innings (eight starts). Bubic has pitched particularly well of late, allowing just five earned runs while striking out 18 in 17 2/3 innings over his last three outings. However, Bubic's profile contains some red flags. For one, his 12.3% walk rate is unsustainably poor and points to likely WHIP regression. Additionally, Bubic missed the final two months of the 2025 season with a rotator cuff strain in his left shoulder. While he's managed to stay on the mound so far in 2026, his average fastball velocity is down to 92.1 miles per hour, and he's reached 100 innings in a season just once since 2022. Fantasy managers may be wise to consider selling high on Bubic in the midst of his current hot streak.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic took advantage of a plus matchup in Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox to pick up his second win of the 2026 season in the team's 2-0 shutout win. In seven innings of work, Bubic only allowed two hits while walking one and striking out 11. It was the first time that the 28-year-old southpaw struck out double-digit batters in his career, and it was also only the fourth time that he threw at least seven shutout innings. The opponent definitely helped his cause, but Bubic generated an eye-opening 17 whiffs on 88 total pitches. He's sporting a nice 2.50 ERA with 23 strikeouts and seven walks in his 18 innings pitched this year as he heads into a much tougher matchup in his next scheduled outing against the division-rival Detroit Tigers. Bubic showed last year that he's the real deal, posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and eight wins. He doesn't blow hitters away, but his fantastic command gives him plenty of fantasy appeal.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic had a breakout start to the 2025 season, posting an 8-7 record with a 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts across 116 1/3 innings (20 starts). However, the 28-year-old lefty's season was cut short after he suffered a rotator cuff injury in late July. Bubic is now healthy and has been impressive so far this spring, recording a 0.75 ERA and 14 strikeouts across 12 Cactus League innings. While Bubic's fastball isn't overpowering, he still struck out nearly one batter per inning in 2025 and did a good job limiting the long ball with a 0.46 HR/9. Bubic has never logged more than 130 innings in a season and is coming off a shoulder injury, so fantasy managers may be wise to limit their expectations for his workload. Still, Bubic could be an undervalued source of quality starting pitcher production in the later rounds of drafts heading into 2026.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic is back at full strength after having his potential breakout season cut short last year, and he can be a solid mid-round value to add depth to your pitching staff. Last year, the 28-year-old lefty posted a 2.55 ERA, 2.89 FIP, and 2.97 K/BB ratio in 116.1 innings but was shut down in July with a shoulder injury. Bubic wasn't a hard thrower before the injury, but his velocity has returned to around 92 mph with his fastball, which is more effective due to movement than raw speed. Even though he doesn't normally overpower hitters, he did have a strong strikeout rate last season, giving him a nice ceiling in his return this year. He has allowed just one run with 10 strikeouts in his eight spring training innings, and if you can grab him to add depth to your rotation, he is set up to be a solid contributor again this season. He's RotoBaller's No. 57 SP coming into the season, so don't reach for him as an elite arm, but he can be a solid mid-rotation addition with good returns after seemingly making a full recovery.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic (shoulder) faced hitters during a live batting practice session on Saturday. According to Jaylon Thompson, Bubic looked strong and had good movement on his pitches. Those are encouraging words as Bubic looks to bounce back after missing the second half of last season due to a rotator cuff strain. During his breakout campaign last season, Bubic posted a 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 116/39 K/BB ratio across 20 starts. It was the first time that Bubic had started more than three games in a single season since the 2022 campaign. There are some durability and workload concerns, but the upside is too high to ignore. If healthy, Bubic should have no problem being in the top 40-50 range for starting pitchers in upcoming fantasy drafts.

Left-hander Kris Bubic won his salary arbitration hearing against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Bubic will earn $6.15 million in 2026 after the team filed at $5.15 million. Bubic broke out in 2025 in his sixth year in the big leagues to earn his first All-Star nod, but his season was cut short due to a rotator-cuff strain. In his 20 starts, the 28-year-old southpaw went 8-7 with a career-low 2.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with a career-high 116 strikeouts and 39 walks in 116 1/3 innings pitched. The good news is that Bubic is already throwing bullpens in spring training, so he should be ready for the start of the 2026 season. The former first-rounder has looked pretty darn good the last two years with ERAs under 3.00, but his arm just couldn't hold up to the increase in workload in 2025. He has kept hitters off balance with a diverse arsenal. Don't forget about him as rotation depth late in fantasy drafts.