The Kansas City Royals acquired right-hander Randy Dobnak from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday for cash considerations. The 31-year-old was immediately added to the Royals' 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Omaha. The move addresses depth issues in the starting rotation amid several injuries.
The Royals have three starters on the injured list, including Cole Ragans with left elbow impingement, Kris Bubic with left elbow soreness and Seth Lugo in concussion protocol. They had lost six of seven games before their win over the Nationals on Wednesday.
Dobnak signed a Minor League deal with Seattle this past offseason. He exercised an upward mobility clause in his contract, prompting the Mariners to either add him to their 40-man roster or make him available to other clubs.
Dobnak made his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2019. He has recorded 39 career appearances, including 21 starts, and posted a 1.59 ERA over 28 1/3 innings that season. He missed significant time due to finger injuries from 2021 to 2022.
This season, Dobnak made 13 starts for Triple-A Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League and posted a 4.24 ERA. The Royals transferred Ragans to the 60-day injured list to clear space on the 40-man roster for Dobnak.