In its last six games entering Saturday, the Royals’ bullpen had logged 26 innings. The heavy workload left manager Ned Yost seeking more depth for the final two games of a weekend series against the Chicago White Sox.
The club recalled right-hander Jakob Junis from Class AAA Omaha and optioned outfielder Billy Burns on Saturday afternoon. The move left the Royals with 14 pitchers and just 11 position players entering an evening game against the White Sox.
“I got to have the depth,” Yost said. “My whole bullpen has been used. If something happened early [with starter Jason Vargas], I got to have some length in the pen.