Royals' James McArthur: High-leverage struggles return
Rotowire
McArthur (5-6) took the loss Friday, giving up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning as the Royals fell 3-2 to the Astros.
With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, McArthur got the call and gave up a one-out single to Jake Meyers, setting the stage for Jose Altuve to walk it off with a double. With Lucas Erceg (hand) not 100 percent, the closer role is up for grabs again in Kansas City, at least in the short term, but McArthur may not be in the mix for save chances despite his 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB through 12 innings in August.
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Royals' James McArthur: Collects win Tuesday
Rotowire
McArthur (5-5) struck out four over two perfect innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Guardians.
Between Michael Lorenzen's hamstring injury and a rain delay, this contest turned into an impromptu bullpen day for the Royals. They never trailed, and McArthur was deemed the most effective reliever to pick up his first win since June 20. After struggling in the closer role in late July, McArthur has adjusted well to pitching in low-leverage situations. He's on a 9.2-inning scoreless streak dating back to Aug. 5, and he has a 13:1 K:BB in that span. Overall, he's at a 4.36 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 45:10 K:BB through 53.2 innings, though he likely won't have many chances to add to his 18 saves now that Lucas Erceg is thriving in the ninth inning.
Royals' James McArthur: Finding success outside of closing
Rotowire
McArthur has not allowed a run over his last seven appearances, allowing just five hits while striking out eight and walking none across 6.2 innings in that span.
McArthur surrendered 11 runs (nine earned) over 5.2 innings through his first six outings following the All-Star break, converting just one of three save chances in that span. He hasn't had the opportunity to close since, with Lucas Erceg moving into the closer role since he was acquired from the Athletics via trade. McArthur has just one hold since he lost the closer job, and he's more frequently been deployed in the seventh and eighth innings in recent weeks. McArthur has a 4.62 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 40:9 K:BB over 50.2 innings while going 18-for-24 in save chances this year, and he'll likely be a second or third option for closing duties when Erceg is unavailable.
Royals' James McArthur: Blows another save Saturday
Rotowire
McArthur (4-5) blew the save and took the loss Saturday, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning in a 6-5 extra-innings loss to the Tigers.
The Kansas City bullpen had a disastrous day, as Hunter Harvey and Kris Bubic blew leads in the ninth and 10th innings, respectively, before McArthur finished the job by surrendering a walk-off single to Wenceel Perez in the bottom of the 11th. The big takeaway was manager Matt Quatraro's reluctance to use McArthur in a save situation, and with good reason -- since the beginning of July, the right-hander has an 8.71 ERA, 1.84 WHIP and 5:2 K:BB in 10.1 innings, and he's blown two of his last three save opportunities including Saturday. Harvey's usage in the ninth could mark him as the next man up to get a chance to close for the Royals, but Lucas Erceg might also be in the mix after he picked up a hold with a perfect eighth inning. McArthur hasn't officially been removed from the role, but his job security seems to be hanging by a thread.
