Royals Bolster Bullpen with Eli Morgan and Mitch Spence Additions

The Kansas City Royals made significant changes to their bullpen on Thursday, bringing in relievers Eli Morgan and Mitch Spence from Triple-A Omaha. In a corresponding move, the team optioned Luinder Avila and Steven Cruz back to the minors. Both Avila and Cruz had a rough outing in Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland, prompting the Royals to seek fresh arms.

Eli Morgan, who previously played parts of five seasons with the Guardians and Cubs, was recently recalled as the 27th man for a doubleheader against Milwaukee. He made an impressive impact, pitching three scoreless innings while striking out five. Over his career, Morgan has maintained a 4.15 ERA across 275.2 innings, primarily as a reliever. His standout season came in 2024 when he achieved a remarkable 1.93 ERA, although he appeared in only 32 games. Last year was challenging for Morgan; he was limited to just seven games due to an elbow injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The Royals signed the 29-year-old as a minor league free agent during the offseason, hoping to revitalize his career.

Mitch Spence joins the Royals after being acquired from the Athletics in exchange for minor league reliever A.J. Causey. Spence, who has spent parts of the last two seasons with Oakland, has a mixed record with a 4.77 ERA over 236 innings. Last year, he transitioned to a relief role, making 24 appearances alongside eight starts and posting a 5.10 ERA in 84.2 innings. This season, he demonstrated his potential in Omaha, giving up just one unearned run in five innings during his only start.

Luinder Avila’s recent performance with the Royals included giving up 14 hits, four walks, and six runs in just six innings. Despite his struggles at the big league level, he is highly regarded within the organization, currently ranked as the #9 prospect in the farm system, with expectations of becoming a top-of-the-rotation starter. On the other hand, Steven Cruz faced his own challenges, allowing eight runs in five innings, resulting in a troubling 14.40 ERA, which includes four home runs—tying him for the most allowed in the league.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.