It has been a long fall for Lucas Erceg, who went from being the most trusted Royals reliever a year ago, to being demoted to the minors. But the 31-year-old right-hander will get his shot at redemption.
The Royals recalled Erceg from Omaha today and optioned right-hander Easton McGee to the minors. Erceg gave up two runs in 10.1 innings for a 1.74 ERA in Triple-A, and struck out 13 while walking just 3. He was demoted on August 18 after posting a 6.23 ERA with 29 walks and 31 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
Erceg had a big drop in strikeouts last year, and has caught up to him this year. While he still throws hard, opponents have teed off on his fastball, hitting .333 against the pitch. His command has been off and he has thrown his change up far less. Before his demotion, he had given up 14 runs and walked 9 in his last 13 outings covering 10.2 innings. Erceg will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time after this season.
McGee has appeared in seven games for the Royals and gave up nine runs in 9.1 innings with 8 strikeouts. The Royals purchased him from the Brewers in mid-July.
