Before Tuesday’s doubleheader split against the Chicago White Sox, the Kansas City Royals placed RHP Taylor-Clark on the 15-day injured list with a left diagonal strain. The move was retroactive to the previous day, so the long-term theory would give the club 24 hours for him to do so, but the point remains that Clarke’s absence will continue for several weeks in Kansas City’s future. Hmm.
It’s a serious blow for the bullpen, which is ranked 28th in Major League Baseball with a 4.56 ERA.
A quick look at Clarke’s profile doesn’t tell you how good he’s been pitching for the Royals lately. After all, he’s boasted a 4.02 ERA in 47 innings this season, his exit average dropped to his 29th percentile, and ranks in the middle of the pack when it comes to strikeout rate. Judging by those optics, Clark is just a useful arm.
Among all eligible pitchers, Clark ranks in the 77th percentile in tracking percentage. He’s in the 70th percentile in his barrel percentage, 97th percentile in steps. The 29-year-old veteran is a statistical step forward from what Arizona could achieve with his Diamondbacks last year. He recorded his 4.98 ERA and his 4.50 xFIP. Nine. From the lens of the season as a whole, Clark was pretty much what Kansas City brought him.
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It’s even more pronounced this summer. In his first 21 appearances of the year, in 21 innings of work, Clark rotated a 6.00 ERA while allowing an HR/9 of 1.71 for a 6.86 K/9. Since then, in his 2-month sample size, which is exact at the time of this article’s publication, he’s gotten a lot better. His ERA (2.42) and his FIP (2.88) are below his 3.00, his average exit speed is down more than 2 mph, his strikeouts are up (9.69 K/9), and his home runs are significantly lower (0.69HR/9). Clark has sacrificed bases in the process (2.42 BB/9), but he’s been a really great player for the Royals since June 10 until he got injured.
Unfortunately for Clark, his recent outing has left a sour taste in the mouths of many. For the first time since the 25th of May, he crept a long ball. But he does.
Clarke will turn 30 early next season, but has three years of arbitration remaining before hitting the free agency market in 2026. If the Royals really value him as part of their future, it makes sense to keep him in. He hasn’t been great in 2022 and his split season sample is his It doesn’t tell the whole year, but he’s making progress in his new surroundings. That’s especially important for a team that has experienced downright lousy bullpen performances all season.
The oblique strain could prove to be a tough injury to recover from, but Clarke could make a comeback sooner or later. No, but it will be yet another challenge in a campaign already full of them. An underestimated loss for the bullpen.
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