Royals call up catcher Tyler Cropley, Brad Keller returns

The Royals have called up catcher Tyler Cropley from Double-A Northwest Arkansas and have placed catcher Freddy Fermin on the Injured List with a fractured finger. The team also activated pitcher Brad Keller from the Injured List and placed pitcher Austin Cox on the 60-day Injured List.

Fermin was enjoying a terrific rookie season, batting .281/.321/.461 with nine home runs in 70 games, including a two-hit performance last night. Cox was injured covering first base on a ground ball last night, when he crumpled to the ground in pain, clutching his leg. Manager Matt Quatraro said the team believes it is an ACL injury, but they won’t know more until they fly him back to Kansas City.

Cox had a 4.79 ERA in his first season with the club with 33 strikeouts in 35 ²⁄₃ innings.

Tyler Cropley is a native of Sioux City, Iowa who was an eighth round pick by the Washington Nationals out of the University of Iowa. He was released in 2020 and the Royals signed him to Northwest Arkansas, where he has spent the last three seasons. The 27-year-old right-handed hitter was batting .235/.329/.359 with four home runs in 43 games.

Keller last pitched for the Royals in early May, and has been out with right shoulder impingement since. He went on rehab assignment in late June, but suffered a setback that ended his rehab. He returned to rehab in late August with Omaha and improved a bit. He has struggled with his control this year, issuing 40 walks in 43 1/3 innings covering nine starts with a 4.36 ERA.