Why the Kansas City Royals decided to part ways with veteran pitcher Jordan Lyles

The Kansas City Royals have released veteran starting pitcher Jordan Lyles.

Lyles, 33, spent two seasons with the Royals. He posted a 6.11 ERA in 36 appearances after joining the organization in 2023.

This season, Lyles made five relief appearances after transitioning to a bullpen role. On April 20, however, he was placed on the restricted list.

The decision was approved by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. Players on the restricted do not necessarily receive compensation.

“It’s one of those things where this is still sort of like an ongoing thing,” Royals assistant general manager Scott Sharp said. “So, out of respect to Jordan and the personal nature of it, we don’t want to comment too much. We wish him well moving forward.”

Lyles reported back to the Royals in June. He spent time in Surprise, Arizona to work out and pursue a path back to the majors. The Royals curated a plan that allowed Lyles to pitch in simulated games at their spring training complex.

On Saturday, the Royals had to make a decision.

Per MLB rules, a player has 30 days of baseball activities after reporting back from the restricted list. A team must decide whether to add a player back to the 40-man roster, as well as the active 26-man roster.

Lyles, who has more than five years of service time, was released. He cannot be optioned without his consent. Additionally, a player on the restricted list is not subject to a rehab assignment after reporting back to the club.

“We were in a position where we had to make a decision,” Sharp said. “And the best decision for the organization was to release Jordan Lyles.”

Lyles became a free agent after clearing release waivers Sunday.

The Royals relied on Lyles throughout their 106-loss campaign last season. He made 31 starts and notched three complete games. He had a 6.28 ERA in 177 12/3 innings with the Royals in 2023.

“It’s not how we wanted it to work out,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We know he has been gone for personal reasons. And there’s not a whole lot else we can really say about it other than we hope everything works out the best for him.

“We signed him here for a two-year deal with hopes we have him here the whole time. But, it just didn’t work out.”