The Royals were in need of a spark. Their top three starters had struggled with command over the weekend, walking nine batters in 14 innings and leaving the team searching for consistency. But on Monday afternoon, a crucial piece of the puzzle was back on the mound in Milwaukee, and he wasted no time making his presence felt.
After nearly two years of waiting, rehabbing, and battling back from a devastating injury, the Royals pitcher took the mound for his first start of 2025. Six scoreless innings, three hits allowed, two walks, one hit batter, and eight strikeouts later, he had not only shut down the Brewers but also reminded everyone why he was once considered one of the team’s most promising arms. The Royals cruised to an 11-1 victory, with their starter leading the charge on the mound and the offense backing him up with relentless firepower.
The start was an emotional one, not just for the pitcher but for the entire team. “We were really confident with him, very comfortable and happy for him, too,” said manager Matt Quatraro, who had known for some time that the pitcher was ready to shine on the big stage again. “We knew coming into the season that [he’s] a pretty darn good guy pitching the fourth day of the season for us.”
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The significance of this outing couldn’t be overstated. After a weekend full of pitching struggles, Bubic’s start provided the Royals with their first quality start of the season. He threw 83 pitches through five innings but earned the chance to finish the sixth. With reliever Angel Zerpa warming in the bullpen, Bubic stayed calm, retiring the middle of the Brewers lineup in order and wrapping up the day with 95 pitches.
“There’s no more [being] starstruck,” he reflected after the game. “It’s just, ‘This is it, here it is, go get outs.’” And that’s exactly what he did. The pitcher, who had spent months tweaking his mechanics and arsenal, kept the Brewers guessing all day long. His fastball was electric, recording 11 whiffs and tying his career high. Along with his sweeper and slider, he dominated the strike zone, leaving Brewers hitters with little to show for their efforts.
Catcher Salvador Perez was impressed by his performance. “His fastball was really good,” he said. “I don’t know if they were looking for soft, but I don’t think they made an adjustment to the fastball. So we kept throwing it.” The Brewers managed only one hard-hit ball against Bubic all game, a testament to how well he commanded the zone and kept hitters off balance.
Rather than focusing on pitch count or how deep into the game he needed to go, Bubic approached every inning as if he were in relief. “Now it’s, ‘OK, I’m a reliever for one inning. The next inning, I’m a reliever for one inning,’” he explained. “It allows me to focus on the present.”
It helped that the Royals offense provided early support, with Jonathan India leading off with three hits and Maikel Garcia hitting his second home run of the season. By the time Bubic took the mound, the Royals had already given him a three-run lead. The offense continued to roll, with Perez adding his first home run of the season in a six-run seventh inning.
The night belonged to the Royals and their determined pitcher—whose comeback story was complete with a dominant performance and a reminder of his immense talent.
And that pitcher, of course, was Kris Bubic. Welcome back.
