After Joakim Soria went down for the year to have Tommy John surgery, the common thought was that the Kansas City Royals bullpen should still be okay given the fresh, young arms the team has stacked up on hand -- particularly the dominant performance of Greg Holland last season that had some analysts believing he'd be the best closer option for the Royals with or without Soria in house. Now Holland is also out with a rib injury that could sideline him for the next three weeks.
Holland was placed on the Disabled List on Saturday due to what is being termed a stress reaction in his left rib cage. Manager Ned Yost made it clear that it was not a fracture, however.
"It was clear," Yost said of the bone scan. "It's a stress reaction. I don't know all these scientifical words; for me, it's a bone bruise. There's not a stress fracture, which was good news, because that would have taken longer."
With Holland out, it's likely Jon Broxton who will earn the lion's share of any save opportunities.
For more on the Royals bullpen, check out Royals Review.