The Royals pitched a reliever Matt Strahm on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation, MLB.com’s Jeff Jones reports. Bailey Falter (swelling of left elbow) returned to IL in Strahm’s area.
Strahm has dealt with right knee inflammation in the past. The first occurrence was in September 2020, and in that instance, Strahm missed just 12 days. The second case was a year later, and again, Strahm missed only two weeks. He entered the IL twice in 2022, but not due to a knee injury. Strahm has been fully healthy through 2023, so between that and his minor absences due to knee inflammation in the past, the Royals can expect him to return quickly.
Kansas City acquired Strahm from the Phillies in December in a one-man trade Jonathan Bowlan. Strahm was coming off an excellent 2.30 ERA in 125 relief innings since 2024-25 and a recent All-Star selection in 2024. His acquisition adds an experienced lefty to the Royals’ bullpen with an affordable $4.5MM salary through 2026.
Strahm has worked for the Royals, although he has taken a step back from his 2.74 ERA last year with the Phillies. In 16 1/3 innings over 17 appearances, Strahm has a 3.86 ERA. His 23.9% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate are both worse than last year, although they are league average. More to the point, Strahm’s speed is low across the board. His four outs, which he used 36.3% of the time, dropped from 92.2 to 91.1 MPH, which Statcast has at just seven percent.
Meanwhile, Strahm’s 4.88 FIP is a full run higher than his ERA, suggesting he’s been lucky to do as well as he has. The decline could be a mix of age-related decline (Strahm is now 34) and a knee injury. Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters today that Strahm has “been playing all year” and that the inflammation occurred in the ninth inning of yesterday’s game. In any case, the club hopes that the knee inflammation is a minor issue and that Strahm can return with a minimal absence.
The Royals’ bullpen was a Bottom-5 unit in the Majors in 2026. Overall, the team has a 4.50 ERA and similar expected numbers in 154 innings, and a 13.4% walk rate over the Reds’ bullpen. Daniel Lynch IV he has a stellar 1.96 ERA, though he has to regress with an opposing average of just .205 balls in play. Nearby Lucas Erceg has a 3.44 ERA but a troubling 15.8% walk rate. Nick Mears, John Schreiberagain Alex Lange have walk rates of 12.3% or higher and expected ERAs over 5.30.
Falter’s return probably won’t move the needle much. The 29-year-old lefty has been a starter since his debut in 2021 with the Phillies. His career since 2024-25 consists of 267 2/3 innings over 54 appearances (52 starts). Falter had a 4.44 ERA during that time, not striking out many batters but posting better than average walk rates. Like Strahm, Falter has low-90s velocity for the four-seam, though there’s a chance he could play a relief role. At the very least, Falter will fill Strahm’s role as a left-center fielder until he returns from IL.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
