The Royals added Mark Quinn to their ever-growing disabled list last week. Quinn strained his left hamstring in the first inning of their June 7th game against St. Louis while fielding a ball hit by Albert Pujols. Fortunately Quinn did not tear the muscle and he may be able to return when he's eligible to come off the DL. However, his stay on the DL could just as easily last up to a month.

Kansas City called up Donzell McDonald to replace Quinn on the roster. Originally a Yankee prospect, McDonald signed with Cleveland this off-season. The Indians traded him to the Royals at the end of Spring Training for a PTBNL who has not yet been named.

McDonald demonstrated good strike zone judgment in 1999 and 2000 but his plate discipline dropped sharply last season. He has a little pit of power and definite speed potential, though his stolen base totals have dropped over the last two seasons. When Kansas City promoted him, he was hitting .263 with a .350 OBP and .413 SLG in 213 AB at AAA Omaha on 56 H, 5 2B, 9 3B, 3 HR, a 27:44 BB:K, and 16/19 SB%. He's received steady playing time since his call up and now has 4 H and 2 2B in 20 AB with a 4:4 BB:K and a 4/5 SB%.

The Royals placed Chuck Knoblauch on the disabled list June 6th with a strained left forearm. He first injured his left elbow in late April, but after a few days of rest, he was fine again until aggravating the injury in late May. Though he attempted to play through the pain, it eventually caused a trip to the DL. The Royals do not seem optimistic that Knoblauch will be able to make an early return.

Kansas City called up Brandon Berger to replace Knoblauch on the roster. He was sent down from his last major league promotion in late May when the Royals called up Mac Suzuki. Over the course of his three stints on the major league roster this season, Berger's hit .217 with a .284 OBP and .400 SLG in 60 AB on 13 H, 2 2B, and 3 HR with a 5:16 BB:K. Given McDonald's success during his call up, I expect Berger to be sent down for whomever of Quinn and Knoblauch returns first.

Suzuki hasn't pitched well out of the pen this season; he's allowed 13 H and 2 HR in 12.1 IP with an 8:12 K:BB. He's always had control problems and he really shouldn't be on a major league roster unfortunately until those dissipate. His AAA Omaha numbers indicated that he might have made progress with a 26:9 K:BB in 27.1 IP while allowing 30 H and 2 HR. However I don't think his stay in the minors was long enough to make much of an impact.

The Royals' pitching staff has suffered several injuries recently. Kansas City placed Chris George on the disabled list due to a blister on the middle finger of his left hand in mid-May. He went on a rehab assignment in late May, and the Royals expected to call him up shortly thereafter, but he's struggled in his minor league starts and may be another week away from rejoining the team.

Darrell May returned from the disabled list to fill George's roster spot and has since joined the rotation. Despite earning the loss, he had one good outing at Texas on June 1st but has otherwise struggled with control problems.

Kansas City placed Blake Stein on the DL with a groin pull in late May. Stein had some control problems early in the season, though he really settled down a couple weeks before his injury. The Royals tried Stein in the rotation briefly before his injury, but as in years past, jerked him back to the bullpen. Earlier this week, the team moved him to the 60-day DL, so he won't be able to return until the end of July.

The Royals called up Brad Voyles to fill Stein's roster spot. It was apparent at the time of Voyles' call-up that he needed more time to work on his control in AAA, so it isn't surprising he has a 13:8 K:BB in 13.2 IP while allowing 15 H and 2 HR. The 25-year-old's strikeout skills show definite promise, but he'll need to improve his control before he's ready for a full time relief position in the majors.

Most recently, the team placed Jason Grimsley on the DL in early June with a strained left oblique. Unlike George and Stein, he's making good progress and the Royals expect him back when he's first eligible to rejoin the team, which should be June 20th.

Kansas City called up Jeff Austin to replace Grimsley on the roster. Austin was pitching well in AAA at the time of his call up with a 29:11 K:BB in 26.1 IP while allowing 22 H and 2 HR. He could struggle if his control drops but seems to be one of the brighter spots in the Royals' bullpen at the moment.

Jeremy Affeldt left his last start with a blister and missed his most recent scheduled appearance. He's supposed to test the finger today and could still wind up on the DL as he could need another week of rest. However unless he suffers a setback with the blister, he would be able to return quickly from the disabled list as the move would be retroactive to June 9th.

Paul Byrd had an MRI on his elbow after his last start. Although the test revealed no reported damage, he'll likely miss his next start due to soreness in the joint. Kansas City currently doesn't expect him to spend time on the disabled list.

The Royals received a scare when Mike Sweeney sprained his left ankle, but as the MRI showed no fractures or tears, he shouldn't miss any more time. Juan Brito returned to the minors as expected when Brent Mayne was activated from the DL in late May. Brito performed surprisingly well during his 23 AB with 7 H, 2 2B, and a 0:3 BB:K. Provided he finishes the season strongly in AAA, he could certainly receive an opportunity to earn a roster spot on the major league team next season.

Kansas City swapped lefties earlier this week, sending Brian Shouse through waivers and calling up Scott Mullen. Mullen had a 21:9 K:BB in 31 IP and 32 hits allowed at AAA Omaha when the Royals promoted him. Shouse struggled after returning from arm problems in mid-May. If he can regain his control in the minors, he has more upside than Mullen despite a five-year age difference that favors Mullen.