Athletics' Richard Lovelady: Could be in mix for saves
Rotowire
Lovelady (0-3) allowed one earned run on a walk and no hits while striking out one across 0.2 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Mariners.
Lovelady entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with the score knotted at 2-2. He retired two of the three batters he faced but was pulled for Garrett Acton, who was on the mound when the winning run crossed the plate. Lovelady began the season in the minors, but he has pitched well since being recalled, turning in 13 scoreless outings in 16 appearances. It's difficult to decipher the Athletics bullpen due to their lack of wins and standout talent, but Lovelady could see some save chances moving forward -- particularly while Zach Jackson (elbow) is sidelined.
Athletics' Richard Lovelady: Recalled from Triple-A
Rotowire
Lovelady was recalled Saturday from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Oakland claimed Lovelady off waivers from Atlanta on Thursday, and now he'll jump into the bullpen Saturday afternoon against the visiting Mets. Hogan Harris has been optioned.
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Athletics' Richard Lovelady: Claimed off waivers by OAK
Rotowire
Lovelady was claimed off waivers from Atlanta on Thursday and assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Lovelady had allowed four earned runs through five innings of relief this season at Triple-A Gwinnett. The 27-year-old left-hander hasn't appeared in a major-league game since 2021 and will function as minor-league bullpen depth for Oakland.
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Braves' Richard Lovelady: Headed to Atlanta
Rotowire
Atlanta acquired Lovelady from the Royals on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. He was then optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Lovelady failed to make the Royals' Opening Day roster and is now headed to a new organization. He'll provide Atlanta with some left-handed relief depth at Gwinnett.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Sent to Triple-A
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Lovelady was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.
Lovelady had an excellent spring, pitching eight innings without allowing an earned run or a walk while striking out 10. Despite the strong showing, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports the Royals want Lovelady to work on building up arm strength after missing most of 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. If the southpaw can continue his strong pitching into the minor-league regular season, it shouldn't be long before he's an option for the major-league roster.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Strong start to spring
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Lovelady has yet to allow an earned run over six innings across six Cactus League appearances.
Lovelady has allowed four hits and struck out eight without issuing a walk. The 27-year-old returned from Tommy John surgery late in the 2022 campaign, logging four scoreless outings between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. He has 46 appearances in the majors during his career, and he should slot into a low-leverage role in the bullpen this season thanks to his strong play in spring.
The Royals selected Lovelady's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.
Lovelady sat out most of 2022 while he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery, but he returned to game action in September with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Omaha. The left-hander had a 3.48 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB across 20.2 innings prior to the injury in 2021 and could be a bullpen piece for Kansas City to open next season.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Returns from Tommy John surgery
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Lovelady (elbow) was reinstated from Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 60-day injured list Sept. 18 and struck out two over a scoreless inning in his 2022 debut for the affiliate.
Lovelady made a remarkably quick recovery from the Tommy John surgery he required last September, making his return to game action exactly 12 months later. After the strong showing at Northwest Arkansas, Lovelady was bumped up to Triple-A Omaha last week. He struck out four over two scoreless innings between his first two appearances at Omaha.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Back with Royals on MiLB pact
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Lovelady (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Wednesday.
He was non-tendered as a move to get him off the 40-man roster due to the fact he will miss the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but Lovelady will opt to stick with the organization through his recovery.
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Richard Lovelady: Let go by Kansas City
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Lovelady (elbow) was non-tendered by the Royals on Tuesday.
Lovelady underwent Tommy John surgery in September and is set to miss the entire 2022 campaign, so the Royals opted not to tender him a contract.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Undergoes Tommy John surgery
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Lovelady (elbow) announced Wednesday that he recently underwent Tommy John surgery, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.
Lovelady was initially expected to avoid surgery for the sprained UCL in his left elbow, but that is no longer the case. Given the recovery timeline involved with the surgery, it's unlikely the lefty pitches in the majors during 2022. He should have plenty of time to be ready for the 2023 season, barring any setbacks in the lengthy recovery.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Shifts to 60-day IL
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Lovelady (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Lovelady was already expected to miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a sprained UCL in his left elbow in late August, and the move to the 60-day IL frees up a spot on the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old hasn't undergone Tommy John surgery and is instead going through a rest and rehab program, so he should be able to pitch next season if all goes well in his recovery.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Expected to avoid surgery
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Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Sunday that he expects Lovelady to avoid surgery and treat the sprained UCL in his left elbow with rest and rehab, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports Kansas City reports.
Injuries of these sort often involve Tommy John surgery, but Lovelady appears likely to avoid a procedure that would sideline him through the 2022 season. Though Moore didn't say so, Lovelady is still expected to miss the remainder of the 2021 campaign, but the lefty will be sent in for further tests before the Royals provide an updated timeline for his return, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Dealing with UCL sprain
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The Royals placed Lovelady on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a UCL sprain in his left elbow.
The injury comes at a tough time for Lovelady, who has posted 7.1 straight scoreless innings while logging four holds in that span. The Royals haven't revealed the severity of Lovelady's sprain, but since he's dealing with structural damage to his elbow, it's possible that his season could be over, and Tommy John surgery may even be in the cards. Tyler Zuber was called up from Triple-A Omaha to take his place on the roster.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Logs second hold
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Lovelady allowed a hit and struck out one without allowing a run in two-thirds of an inning to earn a hold in Monday's 7-1 win over Houston.
The southpaw entered with one out in the seventh inning with Kansas City leading 4-1. Lovelady has earned two holds in his last five outings, and he's only allowed three hits while striking out six in that 5.1 inning span. For the year, he has a 3.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 20:5 K:BB while adding a 2-0 record and one save in 18.2 innings. While he probably won't be a regular late-inning option, he's pitched well enough to warrant more high-leverage work lately.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Earns first career save
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Lovelady worked a perfect ninth inning Sunday, striking out two batters and earning a save over the Cardinals.
Lovelady had seen only one save chance in his career prior to Sunday's outing, a blown opportunity back in 2019. He quickly rolled through the ninth inning, striking out Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong on the way to his first career save. The 26-year-old southpaw owns a 4.50 ERA through 12 innings this season.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Pitches 1.1 innings
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Lovelady allowed a run on two hits and struck out two in 1.1 innings versus Detroit on Saturday.
The left-hander hasn't seen much work lately, as Saturday was just his second appearance since the All-Star break. Lovelady has allowed runs in three of his seven outings this year, although he's managed to pick up two wins. Overall, he has a 5.87 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 7:3 K:BB through 7.2 innings in a low-leverage role.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Picks up second win
Rotowire
Lovelady (2-0) retired the only batter he faced, earning the win over Cincinnati on Tuesday.
The southpaw got the final out in the top of the ninth inning, and he was the pitcher of record when Kansas City rallied to walk it off in the bottom half of the frame. Lovelady allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning his previous appearance, so he's likely to remain in a low-leverage role going forward despite picking up wins in two of his four outings this year.
