Royals to call up reliever Richard Lovelady

The Royals will call up left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady today, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. No official announcement or corresponding move has been made. Lovelady missed the first month of the minor league season with an injury, but returned in June and has allowed just one run in 8 ¹⁄₃ innings of work with 9 strikeouts and 4 walks (1 intentional).

Lovelady has appeared in part so the last two seasons with the Royals, allowing 18 runs in 21 innings for a 7.71 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 9 walks. The 25-year old lefty was originally a tenth-round pick out of Kennesaw State in 2016, and has excelled in the minors with a 2.12 ERA in 199 ¹⁄₃ innings over five seasons.

Royals relievers have been taxed this inning, throwing the seventh-most innings in baseball, with a combined ERA of 4.36.

4:21 p.m. update: The move is official. Wade Davis hits the Injured List with a right forearm strain.