Kansas City Royals: Danny Duffy out until June

Danny Duffy was a gamble when he was acquired by the Dodgers. Although he was on the Injured List with the Kansas City Royals, he was expected to return in relatively short order. However, that time kept getting pushed back, to the point where he never threw a pitch for the Dodgers.

It is now questionable as to when Duffy will throw his next pitch. He had surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his left elbow, leading to what will be a lengthy rehab process. Right now, his hope is to be ready to return in June.

Former Kansas City Royals pitcher Danny Duffy hopes to return in June

The fact that Duffy is returning at all is notable. He had stated that he considered retiring when the extent of the injury was diagnosed but opted to have surgery and give it another go. He expects to pitch out of the bullpen during the upcoming season, but is hoping to return to the rotation in 2023.

Duffy was in the midst of a career season when he was sidelined. He had posted a 2.51 ERA and a 1.213 WHiP in his 61 innings, striking 65 batters with just 22 walks. He had been the key to the Royals’ surprising start to the season, and when they fell out of contention, was a prime trade candidate until his injury.

While Duffy had already been an interesting free agent, he is even more so with this news. It is possible that a team could sign him to a heavily backloaded two year deal with a team option for that second year, allowing him to get back into shape and show he can still be an asset.

This injury also brings Duffy’s future role into question. While he is hoping to return to the rotation in 2023, he may be better off as a high leverage reliever. He has only eclipsed the 150 inning mark twice in his career and has never started 30 games in a season. Duffy would be a gamble even if he was healthy to start the season.

Former Kansas City Royals pitcher Danny Duffy is hoping to pitch again by June. Even if that happens, his future role may be in question.