Jordan

Lyles

Lyles provides the Dodgers with some emergency pitching depth moving forward after being cut loose last weekend by the Royals. The 33-year-old right-hander made just five relief appearances for Kansas City before landing on the temporarily inactive list back in mid-April. It’s unclear how much time he’ll need to ramp up before being an option for Los Angeles. He offers plenty of experience having made 357 appearances (245 starts) in the majors dating back to 2011.

Lyles was released by the Royals last week after spending three months on the restricted list. He reportedly resumed throwing last month, but since he hasn’t pitched in a game since April 12, he probably is going to need some time in the minors before he’ll be a candidate to help the Dodgers.

The Royals activated the 33-year-old hurler from the restricted list and then cut him loose on Saturday without so much as an explanation. Lyles was placed on the temporarily inactive list back in late April as he was away from the club dealing with a personal matter. We wish him the best in whatever he’s dealing with at this time.

No word yet on how long Lyles will be away from the club as he deals with a personal matter. The 33-year-old righty has thrown five scoreless innings in five relief appearances this season for Kansas City.

Marsh will join Cole Ragan, Aroldis Chapman, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha to start the season. Marsh simply put together a camp that outperformed Lyles and other competition. The 25-year-old pitched 14 innings and had a 17/4 K/BB ratio in his five appearances during Spring Training. Meanwhile, Lyles, who signed a two-year, $17 million deal last offseason, finds himself in unfamiliar territory coming out of the pen. The 33-year-old posted a 9.00 ERA in his two starts this spring.

This one certainly qualifies as a surprise as it eliminates Lynch from contention for the fifth spot in Kansas City’s season-opening rotation. It’ll be either Jordan Lyles or Alec Marsh claiming the job with Angel Zerpa officially moved to a bullpen role.

Lyles was held back by some back tightness earlier this spring, but he’s made two starts now and his pitch count is about where it needs to be. Whether the Royals should really go forward with him as their fifth starter is a matter of debate, but for better or worse (worse, definitely worse), the guaranteed $8.5 million salary is relevant here.

Lyles was able to hold on after the Royals busted out with nine runs in the bottom of the first. It’s his third win in September, matching his total from the first five months. He ends the year 6-17 with a 6.85 ERA in 31 starts. The Royals signed him to a two-year, $17 million deal last winter, so for better or worse, he’ll remain a part of the team’s rotation in 2024.

Despite a challenging matchup against one of the top lineups in baseball, Lyles delivered one of his better performances of the season, scattering two hits and a pair of walks over five scoreless frames. The 32-year-old journeyman right-hander will bring an inflated 6.24 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 116/44 K/BB ratio across 171 2/3 innings (30 starts) into a home matchup on Friday against the Yankees in his final start of the season.

Lyles is up to 38 homers allowed on the year, matching his career-high total from 2021. It also matches a Royals record set by Darrell May in 2004. Lyles is 4-17 with a 6.43 ERA. With just two outings remaining, he’s at least avoided the possibility of a 20-loss campaign.