Steven Zobac: Everything you need to know

Double-A Northwest Arkansas placed Zobac on the 7-day injured list April 2 with an undisclosed injury, Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline reports. The Royals protected Zobac from the Rule 5 Draft despite the fact knee injuries limited him to 36.1 innings at Double-A in 2025. His above-average fastball and slider should eventually fit in the middle of a big-league bullpen, although he is still being developed as a starter entering his age-25 season.

The Royals optioned Zobac to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday. Zobac was awarded a spot on Kansas City's 40-man roster during the offseason, but he'll return to Double-A to begin the new year. The 25-year-old righty posted a 7.68 ERA and 1.91 WHIP over 36.1 innings at Northwest Arkansas last season but pitched 2.2 scoreless frames this spring.