Royals bolster bullpen as this KC relief pitcher returns from 15-day injured list

The Kansas City Royals reinstated right-handed reliever John Schreiber from the 15-day injured list on Monday afternoon ... and he wasted no time in contributing Monday night.

Schreiber missed 18 games with an injury to his right patella tendon. He was hurt in a game against the Chicago Cubs on July 28: After fielding a ground ball near first base, he stepped awkwardly on the bag and his right knee flared up.

The Royals took a cautious approach to Schreiber’s recovery process. The 30-year-old pitcher, who has dealt with knee tendinitis before, received an injection of platelet-rich plasma to help heal some inflammation.

“I’ve been dealing with tendinitis in my knee for a few years now,” Schreiber said. “Just something, you know, minimal stuff I could play through. And, stepping on first base, the knee kind of popped right there and kind of gave out.

“Being able to get a few weeks off, going through rehab, the injection and all that, everything has been feeling really good. So I’m excited where I’m at.”

Schreiber holds a key role in the Royals’ bullpen. He is often used in high-leverage situations against tough right-handed batters.

On Monday, he earned his second save in the Royals’ 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. He pitched a clean ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium, retiring L.A.’s Brandon Drury and Mickey Moniak to end the game.

Drury grounded into a double play and Moniak lined out. Schreiber shut the door and the Royals improved to 70-55.

Schreiber has a 4.03 ERA in 44 big-league relief appearances this season. In two rehab outings with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, he allowed three runs and four hits and struck out three.

The Royals optioned reliever Carlos Hernandez to Triple-A Omaha Monday to make room for Schreiber’s return to the active roster.

“We wouldn’t be where we are without the contributions (Schreiber) has given us throughout the year,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “So it’s exciting and it’s nice to see him healthy.

“It’s really unfortunate he got injured the way he did. You know, covering first, he gets a lot of ground balls, as that’s part of his game. It’s kind of a freak injury, but we are really happy to have him back.”

Schreiber tinkered with his pitching arsenal while he was sidelined. He focused on commanding his sweeper to better control its movement. His goal is to refine the pitch and use it to get consistent outs in key moments.

“I was struggling with the command on that before,” he said. So (the time off) gave me some time to figure (it) out, adjust my sights on that pitch and have some better command coming back.”

The Royals relied on relievers Lucas Erceg and Kris Bubic during Schreiber’s absence. The team is still waiting on right-hander Hunter Harvey to return from mid-back tightness.

Harvey, who is on the 15-day injured list, is said to be progressing well. The Royals have him on track to potentially start throwing bullpen sessions soon.

“Got good news on Hunter today,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “Sounds like he is making progress. And it would be nice to have the three guys (Erceg, Harvey and Schreiber) together.”

Schreiber, too, likes that proposition. He has been impressed with Erceg and Harvey since all three arrived in KC via separate midseason trades. Schreiber noted that Erceg was especially solid against the Cincinnati Reds Saturday.

“He’s been really fun to watch,” Schreiber said of Erceg. “He’s been nails down there and he’s a huge addition to the bullpen. It’s really exciting.”

The Royals’ bullpen was excellent overall in the final four games of their recent road trip. Schreiber hopes to add another element to that efficacy, as he did in collecting the save Monday evening.

“I’ve been anxious since three or four days after I went on the IL,” Schreiber said. “I’ve been super anxious to get back and I’m really excited to be here.”