His relief corps depleted, his bullpen running on fumes, Royals manager Ned Yost sank into a leather chair inside a clubhouse office Sunday and cycled through the names of his available relievers.
There was no Joakim Soria, Mike Minor or Peter Moylan, Yost said. Each was out after extended use. Closer Kelvin Herrera and Matt Strahm were questionable for the same reason. Two days earlier, rookie Eric Skoglund had lasted 1 1/3 innings against the San Diego Padres, exacerbating the issue. On Sunday, the bill came due. Rookie Jake Junis would take the ball for his third career start.