Luke Hochevar to start throwing off mound by month’s end

Luke Hochevar was noticeably absent from the bullpen dominance that carried the Kansas City Royals to the World Series this past season. The right-hander missed the entire 2014 season following Tommy John surgery after feeling a twinge in his elbow during an outing in Spring Training. Having since re-signed with the Royals, the 31 year old continues to rehab from the procedure and hopes to start throwing off a mound soon.

An Associated Press report (via ESPN.com) reports that Hochevar could be back on a mound by month’s end.

After being taken with the first overall pick in the 2006 draft and making his MLB debut a season later, Hochevar has largely failed to live up to expectations during his tenure with the Royals. Used primarily as a starter during the first six years of his career, Hochevar posted a 5.39 ERA and 1.403 WHIP in just under 800 innings.

In 2013, however, the Royals shifted Hochevar to the bullpen full time and the results were significantly improved. Hochevar made 58 appearances that year, totaling 70.1 IP, with a 1.92 ERA, 0.825 WHIP, and 10.5 K/9.

Despite questions about when he’ll be ready to step back on a mound in game action, Hochevar apparently had drawn interest from multiple teams since the offseason began. He elected to re-sign with the Royals late last week, agreeing to a two year, $10 million deal that reportedly carries a number of incentive clauses. He’ll reportedly earn $4.5 million in 2015 and $5.5 million in 2016, but the salary that second year could rise based on separate incentives tied to either games started or total innings pitched.

It would appear that the Royals haven’t ruled out returning him to a starting role, which could make some sense given the team’s lack of depth at the position. How he’s utilized would seem to depend on the makeup of the team’s bullpen once he’s ready to return, however. Kansas City rode a three-headed force at the back of their bullpen last season but there are no guarantees that all of Greg Holland, Wade Davis, and Kelvin Herrera will still be in the mix by midseason. Both Holland and Davis are attracting some trade interest, according to multiple reports, and both have rising salaries in the coming seasons. If one is moved, Hochevar could be a favorite to step in as a replacement.