Stephen

Kolek

For now, Kolek will be shut down for one-to-two weeks, and then his exact timeline will be determined by how he recovers from that downtime. With the Royals’ rotation seemingly settled, the right-hander was fighting to secure a spot as a multi inning reliever out of the bullpen to begin this season.

Kolek allowed three hits, issued a walk and struck out two before exiting in the Cactus League opener. The 28-year-old is battling for one of the final spots in the Kansas City rotation, but could be a multi-inning bullpen option if he doesn’t win one.

The trade that brought Kolek and Ryan Bergert from San Diego for Freddy Fermin is looking pretty good for Kansas City. Kolek went 5-for-5 in giving the team quality starts, and the Royals’ starting pitching depth for 2026 looks pretty great with Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, Kolek and Bergert all in the fold. Including his time with the Padres, Kolek finishes 5-7 with a 3.51 ERA overall.

Kolek racked up eight strikeouts on the afternoon while issuing just one base on balls. He allowed an RBI double to Jorge Polanco in the second inning that broke a scoreless tie, then kept the M’s at bay until J.P. Crawford added an RBI double of his own in the eighth inning. The 28-year-old right-hander got nine swings and misses on 99 pitches on the day — four on his changeup — while posting a CSW of 30 percent. He’ll look to finish the season strong as he brings an impressive 3.54 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 75/29 K/BB ratio (106 2/3 innings) into Thursday’s matchup against the Angels in Los Angeles.

Kolek punched out four batters on the night while issuing only one base on balls. The only damage done against him came on an RBI ground out off the bat of Jose Ramirez in the fourth inning. He exited with a 2-1 advantage and in line for a victory but the Royals’ bullpen was unable to hang on for him. The 28-year-old hurler got four swings and misses on 97 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 26 percent. He’ll carry 3.71 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 67/28 K/BB ratio (99 1/3 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Mariners.

Kolek gave up a pair of runs in the third inning, and that was it. The 28-year-old scattered six hits with one walk, and he was able to whiff four. Kolek is going to stay in the rotation with Seth Lugo (back) out of commission, and he’ll look to keep up the good work against the Guardians on Thursday.

Kolek came up and made a spot start against the Tigers on Saturday in place of Seth Lugo, allowing just one run over six innings in a no-decision. He’ll now get a chance for an extended run with Lugo (back) heading to the injured list. For the season, he holds a 3.99 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 59/26 K/BB ratio over 85 2/3 innings between the Padres and Royals.

Kolek heads back to the minors after allowing just one run over six innings on Saturday in a spot start against the Tigers in place of rookie Noah Cameron. The 28-year-old righty should be in the mix for a rotation spot next spring with Kansas City, but he’s unlikely to get too many chances over the final month.

Kolek was making his first appearance as a member of the Royals, and it went well. The 28-year-old surrendered an RBI single to Gleyber Torres, and that was it in terms of runs. Kolek allowed four hits, didn’t walk anyone, and was able to strike out three in the solid debut after being acquired from San Diego at the deadline. He likely gets the ball again Friday against the Twins.

Cameron was originally slated to take the ball this weekend against the division-rival Tigers. It’ll be Stephen Kolek coming up to make a spot start in his place. The 26-year-old lefty is being pushed back for workload reasons after surrendering six runs over five innings on Monday in a loss to the White Sox.