On Thursday afternoon, it was announced that right-handed pitcher Jordan Lyles of the Kansas City Royals had been scratched from his Friday night start due to illness. In his place, right-handed pitcher Alec Marsh, the Royals’ No. 14 prospect, is set to make his Major League debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Kauffman Stadium.
Marsh’s promotion to the Major Leagues came as a surprise, primarily due to the timing. Although he is on the 40-man roster, Marsh has only made three starts in Triple-A this year. He began the season in Double-A with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, where he had a 5.32 ERA in 11 starts. However, he has performed much better in Triple-A with the Omaha Storm Chasers, boasting a 2.32 ERA across 15 innings.
For Marsh to succeed at the Major League level, he will need to work on limiting walks, as he has issued seven free passes in Triple-A and had an 11.3% walk rate in Double-A. Despite some ups and downs in his Minor League career, Marsh has shown promise and is considered an exciting prospect by the Royals due to his repertoire of five pitches, strong arm, and strikeout ability.
The official move to add Marsh to the active roster will be made on Friday, and a corresponding move will be necessary to create space for him. The duration of Lyles’ absence due to illness remains unclear.
