Kansas City right-hander Luinder Avila is scheduled for medical testing on Monday after the Royals placed the starting pitcher on the 15-day injured list on Sunday due to right forearm tightness.
The rookie, who turns 25 on Aug. 21, started Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rockies and retired the first six batters in order. He ran into serious trouble in the third and yielded six runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings to take the loss in a 12-6 setback in Denver.
Avila slipped while pitching to Willi Castro, who led off the third for the Rockies, which led to a visit from the Kansas City medical staff. Avila stayed in the game, but not for long.
“Warming up for the third inning, he felt his forearm a little bit,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, per The Kansas City Star. “Obviously, we didn’t know that at the time. But when he came out, after that, he talked with KT (Royals head trainer Kyle Turner) and he’s pretty sore.
“We’re going to have to get a scan (Monday) morning when we get back home and see what’s going on,” Quatraro said.
Avila is 5-4 with a 5.53 ERA, 42 walks and 61 strikeouts in 70 innings over 21 games (12 starts) this season.
He made 13 relief appearances last season and went 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA, six walks and 16 strikeouts in 14 innings.
In a corresponding move on Sunday, the Royals selected the contract of left-hander Aaron Bummer from Triple-A Omaha.
Bummer, 32, signed as a free agent with the Royals on July 21 after his release by the Cubs. Chicago had signed him on June 1 after his release by the Atlanta Braves on May 19.
He was 1-1 with a 7.63 ERA, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings over 19 relief appearances this season with Atlanta.
For his career, Bummer is 22-21 with five saves and a 3.94 ERA in 406 regular-season games (two starts) for the Chicago White Sox (2017-23) and Braves (2024-26).
