The Kansas City Royals placed Stephen Kolek on the paternity list on Friday afternoon, removing him from the club just hours before he was scheduled to start Friday night in Chicago against the White Sox. Mitch Spence was recalled from Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding move.
That shift changed the Royals' pitching plan for the night immediately. Kolek, 60, has gone 4-2 with a 4.15 ERA this year, and the move came before a 6:40 p.m. CT game the Royals still had to get through without the starter they had lined up.
Royals.TV's Joel Goldberg said Thursday that Kolek was going home because of the birth of his first child, which set up the roster move that followed a day later. Kolek had been making several starts for the Royals rotation as the team worked through several injuries this season, so his absence left another opening for a staff that has already been asked to absorb a lot.
The Royals now have to fill Kolek's spot for Friday night, and the one thing that is not clear is whether Spence is there to take the ball or simply to give the club coverage. That answer should matter as soon as the game plan is set in motion.
