Kowar was named the Triple-A East pitcher of the month Wednesday after he went 5-0 with a 1.01 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 36:9 K:BB across 26.2 innings in his first five starts of the season.
The Royals already gave Daniel Lynch a look at the big-league level earlier this season, and Kowar is putting himself in position to be the next high-profile pitching prospect to earn a call-up. Kansas City currently has Ervin Santana filling in as its No. 5 starter while Danny Duffy (forearm) is on the shelf, but the 38-year-old isn't viewed as anything more than a temporarily option for a 27-26 Royals squad that was beginning to fade from the wild-card race prior to its ongoing three-game winning streak. Expect Kansas City to eventually make developing its younger options a greater priority as the season unfolds, making the 24-year-old Kowar an attractive pitcher to stash in deeper leagues.