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The Royals transferred Avila (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Avila is likely to remain sidelined until 2028 after undergoing Tommy John surgery Wednesday, so the Royals will stash him away on the 60-day IL. The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for Luke Little, who was claimed off waivers from the Cubs on Thursday.
Royals' Luinder Avila: Headed for Tommy John surgery
Rotowire
Manager Matt Quatraro said that Avila is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.
The 24-year-old was placed on the injured list Sunday due to forearm tightness, and further evaluation apparently revealed a torn UCL. Avila will miss the rest of this year and is also likely to be sidelined for the full 2027 season. He made 21 appearances (12 starts) for Kansas City prior to the injury and had a 5.53 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 61:42 K:BB over 70 innings this season. Avila will likely be shifted to the 60-day injured list in the near future.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Hits shelf with forearm tightness
Rotowire
The Royals placed Avila on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right forearm tightness.
Avila's move to the IL comes after he was blitzed for six earned runs on four hits and three walks over 2.2 innings in a 12-6 loss in Colorado on Saturday. Pitching at high altitude didn't help, but the forearm injury may have played a part in his struggles after he had been developing into a trustworthy fantasy option. Over his preceding seven starts, Avila went 4-0 with a 3.82 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 31:17 K:BB in 35.1 innings. The Royals will send the righty for further testing before providing a timeline for his return, though even mild forearm injuries often entail a recovery period of more than 15 days.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Falls apart in third frame
Rotowire
Avila (5-4) took the loss against Colorado on Saturday, allowing six runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two batters over 2.2 innings.
Avila kept the Rockies out of the scoring column for two frames, but he was knocked around in the bottom of the third. In that inning, Colorado pounced for six runs on five hits and three walks while Avila was on the mound, with the biggest blow being a Hunter Goodman three-run homer. Avila logged his shortest start since a disastrous outing against Houston on June 12 when he gave up eight runs over two-thirds of an inning. Between that start and Saturday's, the right-hander had posted a tolerable 3.82 ERA over seven appearances, but he also had a shaky 1.36 WHIP and 31:17 K:BB during that span. He'll carry an overall 5.53 ERA into his next start, which is tentatively slated to be a home tilt against the Cubs.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Labors in no-decision
Rotowire
Avila took a no-decision Sunday against the Tigers, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out four.
Avila struggled for efficiency Sunday, as he was unable to complete five innings despite throwing 89 pitches (50 strikes). The 24-year-old right-hander has battled control issues all season long and particularly as of late -- he's issued at least three walks in seven of his last 10 starts and four free passes on three occasions during that span. Avila is unlikely to have much streaming appeal for his next scheduled outing in Colorado, where he'll take a 4.81 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and an alarming 59:39 K:BB over 67.1 innings.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Fans seven during win
Rotowire
Avila (5-3) earned the win Tuesday against the Giants, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out seven over 6.1 innings.
Avila was dominant early, allowing just one hit through his first four innings before the Giants strung together three consecutive hits in the fifth to produce a two-run frame. He set career highs with 6.1 innings and seven strikeouts while improving to 5-1 over his last six decisions. The right-hander has struggled at Kauffman Stadium this season, posting a 7.88 ERA at home compared to his 3.00 ERA on the road. Avila's next start is scheduled to be a road outing against the Tigers.
Royals' Luinder Avila: Yields three runs in no-decision
Rotowire
Avila did not factor into the decision Friday against Baltimore, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three across five innings.
Avila put the Royals in an early deficit by giving up two runs in the second inning before putting his team behind 3-2 on a solo home run from Blaze Alexander in the fourth. Avila ended his start with 57 strikes on 96 pitches while generating nine whiffs and nine groundouts, and he was in line to take the loss before teammate Isaac Collins tied the game at 3-3 with a solo homer in the eighth. Avila has allowed three earned runs or less in four of his last five starts and enters the All-Star break with a 5.08 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across 56.2 innings, although those numbers are inflated by his June 12 outing against the Astros, when he recorded just two outs while allowing eight runs.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Earns fourth win
Rotowire
Avila (4-3) earned the win Sunday against the Phillies, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings.
Avila threw 41 of his 69 pitches for strikes and limited Philadelphia to one hit through the first four innings. His lone blemish came in the fifth, when Bryson Stott tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly one batter later. Avila has now allowed one run or fewer in five of his seven starts since the beginning of June. Two blowup outings have inflated his numbers to a 5.04 ERA with a 27:19 K:BB across 30.1 innings during that span. Avila is scheduled to make his next start on the road against Baltimore.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Takes no-decision vs. White Sox
Rotowire
Avila did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four over four innings against the White Sox.
Avila ran into trouble immediately, walking the first batter he faced before serving up a two-run homer to Miguel Vargas. He was tagged again in the second inning, allowing three consecutive hits that led to two more runs. Command continues to be the biggest concern for the right-hander, as he has now issued at least three walks in five of his six starts since joining the rotation. During that stretch, Avila owns a 5.68 ERA and 23:18 K:BB. His next start is set to come Sunday at home against the Phillies.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Strikes out six in win
Rotowire
Avila (3-3) earned the win against the Rays on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and four walks with six strikeouts over five innings.
Avila allowed a run in the first inning before settling in with four scoreless frames, recording a season-high six strikeouts while also issuing four walks for the second time this year. Since joining the rotation June 1, Avila has yielded exactly one earned run in four of five starts, with an eight-run blowup inflating his 5.06 ERA for the month. He'll take a 5.06 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 39:27 K:BB across 42.2 innings this season into a road matchup with the White Sox this weekend.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Bounces back for second win
Rotowire
Avila (2-3) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over 5.2 innings in a 6-2 victory over the Nationals. He struck out five.
The right-hander got chased in the first inning by the Astros in his last trip to the mound, but Avila shook off that disaster and came one out shy of recording his first career quality start, tossing 59 of 91 pitches for strikes before being lifted when he ran into trouble in the sixth. Since moving into the rotation at the beginning of June, Avila has posted a 6.06 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 13:11 K:BB in 16.1 innings over four starts. He'll look to build on Wednesday's performance in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Tampa Bay.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Can't escape first inning
Rotowire
Avila (1-3) was tagged with the loss Friday against the Astros after allowing eight runs on five hits, including two home runs, and three walks over two-thirds of an inning.
Avila gave up two home runs to star slugger Yordan Alvarez while being responsible for eight of the nine runs the Astros scored in the first inning. This was a step in the wrong direction for Avila, who was coming off back-to-back starts in which he'd allowed just one run over five frames. Avila, who carries a 7.02 ERA over his last five starts, is slated to make his next start on the road against the Nationals.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Getting another turn through rotation
Rotowire
Avila is slated to start Saturday's game against the Twins.
After primarily working out of the bullpen throughout the season, Avila moved into the rotation this past Monday against the Reds. Avila came through with a serviceable performance in Cincinnati, picking up a win while striking out five batters and giving up one earned run on two hits and four walks across five innings. Avila tossed 86 pitches in that contest, so he should be capable of handling a traditional starter's workload moving forward.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Stingy in no-decision
Rotowire
Avila didn't factor into the decision Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and three walks over five innings in a 3-2 victory over the Twins. He struck out three.
The 24-year-old right-hander was lifted after 70 effective pitches (46 strikes) with the score tied 1-1, denying Avila his second win of the season. He's looked good since rejoining the Royals in late April, posting a 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 22:15 K:BB through 25.1 innings over his last 10 appearances (three starts). Avila will look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is set to come at home next weekend against the Astros.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Earns first win of season Monday
Rotowire
Avila (1-2) earned the win Monday against the Reds after tossing five innings of one-run ball, allowing two hits and four walks while striking out five.
Avila entered the rotation after Cole Ragans (elbow) suffered a setback in his recovery process that will force him to remain on the 15-day injured list, but the 24-year-old right-hander was up to the task Monday and earned the win despite his command issues. In fact, the lone run he allowed came on a solo homer from JJ Bleday in the bottom of the first inning. It remains to be seen whether Avila will make another start, but if he stays in the rotation, he'd be lined up to go against the Twins on the road over the weekend. Avila has made two starts and 11 appearances this season, posting a 4.44 ERA and 1.71 WHIP across 26.1 innings.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Entering rotation Monday
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Manager Matt Quatraro said Saturday that Avila will start Monday's game against the Reds, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
With Cole Ragans (elbow) set to spend more time on the 15-day injured list than the Royals originally expected following a setback, Kansas City will turn to Avila to temporarily fill the fifth spot in the rotation. The 24-year-old righty struggled to find his footing in the majors early in the season but has settled in as of late, posting a 3.14 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 14.1 frames since the beginning of May. He likely won't be able to handle a full starter's workload Monday after throwing just 67 pitches over three frames during his last appearance Tuesday against the Yankees, and he'll also be tasked with taking on a Reds lineup that's posted a .742 OPS across its last 10 games.
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Royals' Luinder Avila: Tosses three scoreless innings
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Avila allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three across three scoreless innings Tuesday against Boston.
Avila entered after opener Bailey Falter allowed two runs over the first two innings and provided Kansas City with valuable length out of the bullpen. The right-hander limited Boston to just one hit across his three innings while continuing a strong recent stretch. Avila has now put together four consecutive scoreless appearances, improving his season line to a 4.42 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB across 18.1 innings in his second season with Kansas City.
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