Royals reliever TIm Collins was pulled early from his appearance in the Royals 13-2 laugher over the Rangers after an apparent elbow injury, according to the Star's Andy McCullough. He will have an MRI Thursday morning at an area hospital.
A preliminary diagnosis by Kenney revealed soreness on the medial, or inner, portion of his elbow. "I just didn’t want to take it any further," Collins said. "It’s early in spring."
Collins, who had a disappointing 2014, suffered a flexor strain early in that year. He spent most of the year in Omaha, but returned down the stretch and was kept on the post-season roster. He was considered to have the inside track for a role in the bullpen, but an injury would throw that into doubt. Collins is not a left-handed specialist, but he may be the only left-hander the Royals carry in their bullpen. Franklin Morales, Joe Paterson, and Brian Flynn would be other options, although manager Ned Yost indicated that the team does not need to carry a left-hander.
Collins has options remaining, so he could be sent to Omaha again without risking him to waivers. He signed a $1.362 million contract earlier this off-season, but the Royals could still release him to get out of most of that salary of they cut him before the start of the season.