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The Kansas City Royals have placed left-hander Danny Duffy on the disabled list, according to Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.
Danny Duffy is going on the disabled list. Jason Vargas will start tomorrow. Brandon Finnegan will rejoin the team today.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) May 25, 2015
The 26-year-old was scratched from his start on Saturday after feeling shoulder stiffness. Because of the injury, the Royals moved their starters up a day rather than add an extra arm. The hope was that skipping Duffy's start would be enough, and that he could pitch on Tuesday against the Yankees.
As McCullough mentioned, Vargas is going to take Duffy's spot in the rotation, while Finnegan is joining the team today. His time with the Royals will be short lived however, as Finnegan will be sent back down after the game to make room for Vargas.
It's going to be interesting to see how Vargas pitches, as he was dealing with a injury of his own. He made a rehab start for a strained flexor muscle in his left elbow, and reported no issues. Vargas is the obvious choice to replace Duffy for the long-term, but will undoubtedly be monitored closely as the location of his injury was to his pitching elbow.
Putting Duffy on the disabled list gives the Royals options, as they don't have to reshuffle their rotation too much in his absence.
Duffy had a cortisone shot on Friday. His shoulder did not respond. DL-ing him buys time and keeps Young in the rotation.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) May 25, 2015
If it is a serious injury that sidelines Duffy for an extended period of time, the Royals may choose to fill their starting pitching need from outside.
Earlier this may, there were a few names circulating as potential trade targets for the Royals. Two of those names were Scott Kazmir and Mike Leake. That may have just been speculation by Buster Olney, but his educated guess is better than most.
With injuries starting to affect the Royals starting rotation, the team's depth will be tested. If they can't handle the problems internally, they could be serious and aggressive buyers at the deadline in 2015.