The Royals announce they have called up utility player Josh Rojas, and that pitcher Stephen Kolek has gone on family emergency leave. To make room on the 40-man roster, Jonathan India was officially placed on the 60-day Injured List. India is out for the year, following shoulder surgery.
Rojas is a six-year MLB veteran who has appeared in 638 games with the Diamondbacks, Mariners, and White Sox. His best season came in 2022, when he was a 3.1 rWAR player for Arizona, hitting .269/.349/.391 with nine
home runs in 125 games. His numbers fell off last year in Chicago, where he hit.180 in 69 games, worth just -1.5 rWAR. The Royals signed the 31-year-old left-handed hitter to a minor league deal this off-season. He was hitting .246/.309/.433 with six home runs in 48 games for Triple-A Omaha. He is a very versatile player, with MLB experience at every position except center field and catcher.
Kolek started on Wednesday against the Reds, allowing just two runs in seven innings for the win. The move gives the Royals 14 position players and 12 pitchers.
