Royals shuffle bullpen, add Eli Morgan and Mitch Spence
Luinder Avila and Steven Cruz were sent down.
Apr 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Eli Morgan (34) on the mound during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images The Royals continued to shuffle their bullpen Thursday, adding relievers Eli Morgan and Mitch Spence from Triple-A Omaha, while sending Luinder Avila and Steven Cruz down. Avila and Cruz each pitched extensively in Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland.
Morgan was up last Saturday as the 27th man for the doubleheader against Milwaukee, pitching three scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Morgan has pitched parts of five seasons with the Guardians and Cubs before this season, posting a 4. 15 ERA in 275.
2 innings, mostly as a reliever. His best year came in 2024 when he posted a 1. 93 ERA, although he pitched in just 32 games.
He pitched in just seven games last year before he injured his elbow in April and missed the rest of the season. The Royals signed the 29-year-old as a minor league free agent this past winter. Spence was acquired from the Athletics in a trade for minor league reliever A.