Clarke will serve as the Royals' opening pitcher for Friday's road game against the Angels, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Clarke will likely work an inning or two before giving way to Ryan Yarbrough, who is expected to work the bulk of the innings in relief while the Royals look to replace the injured Kris Bubic (elbow) in the rotation. It's the first opener assignment for Clarke, who holds a 6.75 ERA but a 12:3 K:BB over eight innings out of the bullpen this season.