Bubic (elbow) scratched from rehab start

Bubic hasn’t pitched since the middle of May and will be returning when Blake Snell (elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (back) are also likely back in the Dodgers’ rotation. That means that Bubic will most likely serve as a bulk relief option for the Dodgers in September and potentially the playoffs.

The Dodgers are the type of powerhouse that can afford to take a chance on Bubic, who hasn’t thrown a pitch in the big leagues since mid-May. The 28-year-old impending free agent is working his way back from a shoulder issue and there isn’t a lot of clarity in terms of when he’ll be able to return. Still, he’s a zero-risk gamble for the Dodgers on the chance that he’s able to come back and contribute down the home stretch.

Reliever Carlos Duran will serve as the return. There’s probably a 10 percent chance of this paying off for the Dodgers, but why not? Bubic, a free agent at season’s end, has a 3.02 ERA and a 167/65 K/BB in 166 2/3 innings over 29 starts since the beginning of last year. He was also excellent in 27 relief appearances in 2024 after returning from Tommy John surgery. He’s currently on the shelf with a sore shoulder, but he’s back throwing again now and might be of some use in September, probably out of the pen.

The procedural move frees up a spot on Kansas City’s 40-man roster. Bubic was on the precipice of making it back to the majors before suffering a setback in his rehabilitation process. MLB.com’s Anne Rogers notes that Bubic is dealing with a shoulder issue that led to the 28-year-old southpaw being scratched from Wednesday’s scheduled rehab outing for Triple-A Omaha. There should be some clarity on his status and next steps later this week.

Bubic threw just eight pitches in his first rehab outing since June 9. The 28-year-old has been on the injured list with elbow soreness since mid-May. He’s likely to remain out until after next month’s All-Star break since he’ll need a handful of additional outings to continue building up his arm strength and pitch count. The encouraging news here is that he’s healthy and making progress again.

Bubic experienced elbow soreness on May 18th and landed on the injured list. Since he hasn’t missed an extended period of time, he may need to make one or two rehab appearances before rejoining the Royals’ rotation. The 28-year-old has a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and a 51/26 K/BB ratio in 50 1/3 innings this season.

Bubic resumed throwing earlier this week, but is still dealing with some generic arm discomfort. There’s a chance the Royals back off a little bit with his ramp-up process in the coming days. The 28-year-old southpaw hit the shelf with elbow soreness back on May 18. There is no timetable for his return.

It sounds like a precautionary decision by Kansas City after Bubic told reporters he experienced more soreness than usual following his last start against the White Sox where he allowed five runs over four innings. The 28-year-old lefty will undergo further evaluation, and likely imaging, to determine whether he’s dealing with anything from a structural standpoint. At a minimum, he’ll wind up missing at least a couple weeks.

The 28-year-old left-hander also walked three batters in the contest while striking out four. Randal Grichuk did most of the damage against him, smacking a two-run homer in the opening inning and adding a two-run single in the third. Bubic got six swings and misses on 84 pitches on the night, registering a miserable CSW of only 18 percent. He’ll look to bounce back as he lugs a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and a 51/26 K/BB ratio (50 1/3 innings) into Tuesday’s tilt against the Red Sox.

Things could have gone much worse for Bubic in this one, as he struggled to keep the ball in the strike zone, but managed to hold the Tigers to just one run through the first five innings before they finally got to him in the sixth inning. With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the sixth inning, Bubic gave up an RBI double to Wenceel Pérez to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead, and was responsible for Pérez coming around to score on the following at-bat after he was pulled for reliever Nick Mears. Bubic has walked three or more batters in six of his eight starts, but has been able to limit runs despite putting runners on. His next start is scheduled for Thursday on the road against the White Sox.