| Date | News | Comment |
| Mar 10 2024 | The Mariners placed Kowar on the 60-day injured list Sunday after he was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow. He'll undergo Tommy John surgery next Friday in Dallas, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After experiencing arm soreness early last week, Kowar was sent in for tests Friday, at which point the UCL damage was detected. The 27-year-old will miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign and likely the first couple months of 2025 as well. Kowar, whom Seattle acquired from Atlanta in December, was expected to handle a low-leverage role out of the Mariners bullpen. |
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| Mar 7 2024 | Kowar will meet with a doctor Friday to have his sore right arm examined, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Mariners gave Kowar a couple days to rest and that evidently didn't knock the soreness out, so he's set to be evaluated further. It's not clear whether the soreness is in his elbow or shoulder. Kowar might have been pitching his way into a bullpen spot with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings this spring, but now it's possible he could be sidelined for a while. |
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| Mar 5 2024 | Kowar's next Cactus League appearance will be pushed back a few days as he deals with soreness, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Where exactly the soreness is located is not clear, but it doesn't seem like the Mariners have much concern that this could be a long-term injury. Kowar has impressed in the early going this spring with three strikeouts over two scoreless frames. |
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| Dec 3 2023 | Kowar and Cole Phillips (elbow) were traded from Atlanta to Seattle on Sunday in exchange for Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales and Evan White, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar was traded from Kansas City to Atlanta in mid-November, and he'll be on the move once again as the Winter Meetings get underway. The 27-year-old was once a highly-regarded prospect, but he's largely struggled in the big leagues. Over 39 appearances (eight starts), he's posted a 9.12 ERA and 2.09 WHIP in 74 innings. If he earns a spot on Seattle's Opening Day roster in 2024, it's possible he has to settle for a role as a long reliever early in the year. |
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| Sep 18 2023 | Kowar (2-0) allowed a hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning to earn the win Monday over the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar's two wins have come over his last five appearances, in which he's posted a 5.1-inning scoreless streak with a 6:1 K:BB. The right-hander is finding a bit more success out of the bullpen in the majors, though he still has a 4.91 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 28:16 K:BB through 25.2 innings over 20 appearances this season. Kowar started just one of his 30 outings with Triple-A Omaha but pitched to a 5.96 ERA over 45.1 innings. It appears he'll mostly remain in a low-leverage role with the capability to take multiple innings for the rest of this season. |
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| Sep 5 2023 | Kowar (1-0) struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the win Tuesday over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar pitched the ninth inning with the Royals down by one, but they scraped together two runs to walk it off. This was Kowar's fifth scoreless effort across eight appearances since he was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Aug. 17. The right-hander has a 5.91 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and 23:15 K:BB over 21.1 innings in the majors this season while working almost exclusively as a reliever across all levels. |
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| Aug 17 2023 | Kansas City recalled Kowar from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar returns to the Royals as a fresh bullpen arm ahead of Thursday's series finale against the Mariners. The 26-year-old right-hander has allowed 12 runs -- eight earned -- in 11.2 innings of work this season at the MLB level. |
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| Aug 2 2023 | Kansas City optioned Kowar to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: James McArthur has also been sent to Omaha, with Cole Ragans and Tucker Davidson joining the Royals ahead of Wednesday night's game against the Mets. Kowar, 26, did not make an appearance during his one-day stint on the major-league roster. |
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| Aug 1 2023 | The Royals recalled Kowar from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar and James McArthur will both come up from the minors to make up for the loss of Scott Barlow and Ryan Yarbrough following Tuesday's trade deadline. With a 9.83 ERA and 2.13 WHIP through 57.2 career MLB innings, Kowar offers very little fantasy value. |
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| Jun 24 2023 | Kowar was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar was most recently promoted to the majors June 2, and he pitched 9.1 innings across seven appearances since. He allowed at least one run on four occasions, which amounted to a 7.71 ERA. |
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| Jun 2 2023 | Kansas City recalled Kowar from Triple-A Omaha on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 26-year-old right-hander will replace Amir Garrett, who is headed to the 15-day injured list with a left elbow injury. A former top prospect, Kowar projects to operate in long relief as he joins the Royals' major-league roster for the second time this season. |
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| May 20 2023 | Kowar was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar was called up on Tuesday and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings while walking two batters and striking out three others in Friday's 2-0 loss to the White Sox. With Amir Garrett (personal) being reinstated from the family emergency list Saturday, Kowar will head back to Triple-A. The right-hander could earn another call up later this summer if a bullpen arm goes down for Kansas City. |
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| May 16 2023 | The Royals recalled Kowar from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar holds a 7.84 ERA and 2.13 WHIP through 20.2 innings across 13 appearances in Omaha this season. His struggles are nothing new, as he hasn't maintained an ERA below 6.00 at any level since 2021. He has a knack for striking batters out at an above-average rate, but Kowar still holds virtually no fantasy value. Max Castillo was optioned to Omaha in a corresponding move. |
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| Jul 30 2022 | Kowar was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar was called up Wednesday, and he gave up two runs on two hits and two walks while failing to strike out a batter in one-third of an inning during Friday's game against the Yankees. He'll head back to the minors after Jonathan Heasley (shoulder) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. |
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| Jul 27 2022 | Kowar was called up from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar will return to the Royals just one day after being sent down to Omaha. He'll replace Angel Zerpa (knee) on the active roster after the latter was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday. Kowar has produced a 8.80 ERA over 15.1 innings in six appearances with Kansas City this year. |
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| Jul 26 2022 | The Royals optioned Kowar to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar threw two scoreless innings in his most recent appearance July 14, yet he still has an 8.80 ERA through six games this season. The righty figures to rejoin Kansas City for bullpen depth at some point in 2022. |
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| Jul 9 2022 | Kowar allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over 2.2 innings during Saturday's 13-1 loss to the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Jonathan Heasley was blitzed in the first two innings, and Kowar didn't do much better, though he recorded the most outs of any Royals pitcher in the contest. With eight runs, 12 hits and eight walks in 10 innings across four appearances since his June 26 recall from Triple-A Omaha, Kowar hasn't looked very effective against major-league hitters. Daniel Lynch (finger) is expected to return from the injured list Monday, and it figures one of Heasley, Kowar or Kris Bubic is most likely to be headed back to Omaha to make room for him. |
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| Jun 26 2022 | The Royals recalled Kowar from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar will provide the Royals with a multi-inning option out of the bullpen after Kansas City demoted lefty Foster Griffin to Triple-A in a corresponding move. Over his 12 starts with Omaha this season, Kowar has turned in a 6.34 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 62:23 K:BB across 55.1 innings. |
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| Apr 11 2022 | Kowar was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar got lit up for seven runs after entering out of the bullpen during Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Guardians, giving up 11 hits and walking one while striking out four over 3.1 innings. Manager Mike Matheny said that the 25-year-old will be a part of the starting rotation with Triple-A Omaha moving forward. In a corresponding move, Joel Payamps will rejoin the big-league club following an absence due to a family emergency. |
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| Apr 5 2022 | Kowar was awarded a spot on the Opening Day roster Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The first-round pick from 2018 got his first taste of big-league action last season, but he struggled with an 11.27 ERA and 2.08 WHIP across nine appearances spanning 30.1 innings. He didn't have the best spring either, allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks through seven innings. Kowar will be able to log multi-inning assignments, though with Carlos Hernandez in the rotation, it's expected Kowar will operate out of the bullpen to begin the year. |
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| Mar 21 2022 | Kowar allowed a run of three hits and struck out four over two innings in Sunday's 11-10 win over the Diamondbacks. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The decrease in walks is the most encouraging takeaway here -- Kowar issued 20 free passes in 30.1 major-league innings last season. He struggled to an 11.27 ERA and 2.08 WHIP with the Royals last season, but he posted a strong 3.46 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 80.2 innings with Triple-A Omaha. Kowar is competing for a back-end spot in the rotation during spring training, though he may begin the year in Omaha if the Royals opt to carry five starters early on. |
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| Oct 3 2021 | Kowar (0-6) allowed five runs on five hits and a walk while striking out six in four innings to take the loss against the Twins on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar gave up four runs in the top of the first inning before recording an out, but he settled down later in his outing and retired nine consecutive batters across the next three innings. However, he was forced to finish the season with his fourth loss in his last five appearances. The right-hander made nine appearances (eight starts) during his first major-league season and recorded an 11.27 ERA and 2.08 WHIP in 30.1 innings. |
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| Sep 27 2021 | Kowar (0-5) got the loss after pitching 4.1 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and walking one while striking out four versus Cleveland on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The right-hander was hit early, surrendering four runs in the first three innings including an Amed Rosario solo home run in the bottom of the third. It was the fourth straight outing for Kowar in which he gave up at least five runs. Since Sept. 7, he has thrown 15.1 innings while allowing 21 runs, good (or bad) for a 12.33 ERA. He'll look for his elusive first win in the season finale against the Twins on Sunday. |
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| Sep 20 2021 | Kowar (0-4) allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over four innings as he took the loss against the Mariners on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar was knocked around again in what was his third straight start allowing five runs or more. He gave up two in the first on a double from Jarred Kelenic, another in the second and two more in the third on a pair of solo home runs. His success in the minors has certainly not translated over to the big leagues just yet. The 24-year-old righty now owns an 11.45 ERA, 2.23 WHIP and 19:18 K:BB over 22 innings. He should be avoided in lineups at all costs for the remainder of the season. |
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| Sep 15 2021 | Kowar didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Oakland after allowing five runs on three hits and four walks across one inning, fanning one. He also tossed a wild pitch. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's not a secret that Kowar has struggled mightily in his first big-league campaign, but this one could go down easily as his worst start to date. The fact that he hasn't been able to complete two full innings in three of his six appearances is concerning, but so is the fact that he has allowed at least four runs in four of those six starts. With those numbers, the fact that he owns an 11.50 ERA with a 2.17 WHIP and a 7.5 BB/9 through 18 big-league innings shouldn't be surprising. |
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| Sep 8 2021 | Kowar (0-3) took the loss Tuesday, coughing up six runs on five hits and three walks over six innings as the Royals fell 7-3 to the Orioles. He struck out seven. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The strikeouts were a silver lining on an otherwise stormy performance, as Kowar got taken deep by DJ Stewart in the first inning and Austin Hays in the third to account for most of the damage off him. The 24-year-old has lasted six innings in each of his last two starts, but his 9.53 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and 15:12 K:BB through his first 17 big-league innings makes Kowar impossible to trust in fantasy lineups. |
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| Sep 5 2021 | Kowar will draw a second straight turn through the Kansas City rotation in Tuesday's game at Baltimore, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After joining Kansas City when the roster expanded from 26 to 28 men, Kowar slotted back into the team's rotation. He delivered a quality start Sept. 1 in a no-decision versus Cleveland, striking out six over six innings while giving up two runs on five hits and three walks. The Royals will reward Kowar with another start as a result, and he should hold down a spot in the team's six-man rotation until one of Brad Keller (lat) or Jakob Junis (shoulder) returns from the injured list. |
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| Sep 1 2021 | Kowar did not factor in the decision against Cleveland on Wednesday, pitching six innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The rookie right-hander posted an ugly 18.00 ERA across three outings earlier this season, but he looked like a different pitcher after being called up to start Wednesday. Kowar allowed only two hits through four scoreless innings before a two-out error led to a pair of fifth-inning runs, but he bounced back with a scoreless sixth frame, retiring his final two batters of the night via strikeout. The strong performance could earn Kowar another turn in the rotation, a scenario made more likely with Jakob Junis (shoulder) landing on the injured list Wednesday. |
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| Aug 31 2021 | Kowar will be recalled from Triple-A Omaha to start Wednesday against Cleveland, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports Kansas City reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar made his big-league debut in June and returned to the minors after surrendering 10 earned runs over five innings (three appearances), and he'll rejoin the Royals on Wednesday for another look. The 24-year-old hasn't been particularly effective at Triple-A since the demotion with a 5.14 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 74:24 K:BB, though he's given up two runs with a 16:2 K:BB in his past two outings (11 innings). |
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| Jun 23 2021 | The Royals optioned Kowar to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The writing was on the wall for Kowar's demotion after the Royals shifted him to the bullpen after a disastrous first two starts following his June 7 promotion from Triple-A Omaha. After giving up eight earned runs while recording only six outs between the two starts, Kowar fared only marginally better in long relief Saturday against the Red Sox, giving up two runs on three hits over two innings. He'll slot back into the rotation at Omaha and look to recapture some success before the Royals entertain the idea of calling him up again. |
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| Jun 19 2021 | Kowar allowed two runs on three hits and struck out one in three innings in Saturday's 7-1 loss to Boston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar was called upon for a bulk relief assignment, and his first two innings went well. The right-hander struggled in the ninth as Bobby Dalbec hit a two-run home run. Bizarrely, this relief outing was Kowar's longest of three appearances this year, even though the first two were starts. He's still allowed 10 runs across five innings to begin his major-league career. It's unclear if the 24-year-old will reenter the rotation next week -- if he does, it'll likely be versus the Yankees if he stays on regular rest. |
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| Jun 18 2021 | Kowar will be available to pitch in relief Friday against the Red Sox, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar originally lined up to start the series opener, but the Royals are opting to utilize Kyle Zimmer as an opener in place of the struggling rookie. The Royals have not directly said that Kowar will serve as the bulk man out of the bullpen Friday, but he figures to be an option to provide length following Zimmer's presumed early exit. |
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| Jun 12 2021 | Kowar (0-2) was tagged with the loss Saturday against the Athletics after allowing four runs on five hits and three walks across 1.1 innings. He struck out one. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was another rough outing for Kowar and even though he was able to get out of the first inning this time, he didn't make a substantial improvement compared to his debut and once again delivered a below-average outing. It remains to be seen how patient the Royals will be with their star prospect. Right now, it's not entirely clear that he'll get another shot in the rotation any time soon. |
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| Jun 9 2021 | Kowar is scheduled to start Saturday's game in Oakland, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 24-year-old right-hander couldn't make it out of the first inning in his highly anticipated MLB debut Monday, recording just two outs while surrendering four runs on three hits and two walks en route to taking a loss. Ervin Santana performed better in long relief (three earned runs allowed in four innings), but the Royals won't look to make a change to their rotation after Kowar's shaky debut. Kowar will have nowhere to go but up Saturday, though he may need to make notable improvements in his control and command to ensure he receives a third turn through the rotation. |
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| Jun 7 2021 | Kowar (0-1) was tagged with the loss Monday against the Angels after allowing four runs on three hits and two walks across two-thirds of an inning. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This wasn't the outing Kowar was expecting, as he couldn't even get out of the first inning and was lifted after giving up four runs and not striking out anyone. He could be lined up for a two-start week since he'd be tentatively up to pitch during the weekend series in Oakland, but that remains to be seen considering how much he struggled in his pro debut. |
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| Jun 6 2021 | Kowar will be called up to start Monday's game against the Angels, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kowar was dominant in the minors to begin the season, and he was named the Triple-A East pitcher of the month in May. Across six starts for Triple-A Omaha, the right-hander posted a 0..85 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 41:10 K:BB in 31.2 innings. Kowar boasts a mid-90s fastball and an elite changeup and will fill in while Danny Duffy (forearm) is sidelined, although the 24-year-old could also make a case for a long-term rotation spot. |
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| Jun 2 2021 | Kowar was named the Triple-A East pitcher of the month Wednesday after he went 5-0 with a 1.01 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 36:9 K:BB across 26.2 innings in his first five starts of the season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Royals already gave Daniel Lynch a look at the big-league level earlier this season, and Kowar is putting himself in position to be the next high-profile pitching prospect to earn a call-up. Kansas City currently has Ervin Santana filling in as its No. 5 starter while Danny Duffy (forearm) is on the shelf, but the 38-year-old isn't viewed as anything more than a temporarily option for a 27-26 Royals squad that was beginning to fade from the wild-card race prior to its ongoing three-game winning streak. Expect Kansas City to eventually make developing its younger options a greater priority as the season unfolds, making the 24-year-old Kowar an attractive pitcher to stash in deeper leagues. |
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| Mar 22 2021 | The Royals reassigned Kowar to their minor-league camp Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kansas City sent several of its top prospects back to minor-league camp Monday, as Kowar was reassigned along with infielder Bobby Witt, outfielder Kyle Isbel and pitcher Daniel Lynch. Kowar will likely open the 2021 campaign at Triple-A Omaha after posting a 3.51 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 78:21 K:BB across 74.1 innings at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2019. |
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| Jun 4 2018 | The Royals have selected Kowar with the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 first-year player draft. | An extremely projectable 6-foot-5, 180-pound righty, Kowar isn't as famous as Florida's Friday night starter, Brady Singer (who was selected 16 picks earlier by the Royals), but he's got a chance to be the best Gators hurler selected in this draft. His fastball is one of the best such pitches in this class -- a mid-90s dart that can touch 98 mph and could touch triple digits at some point once he gets into pro ball. There are concerns that the pitch lacks life, which could make it pretty hittable, even at that velocity. Fortunately he excels at changing speeds, already boasting a plus changeup, which is his second-best offering. His curveball lags well behind as a fringe offering, so it's fair to wonder if he might end up in the bullpen if that pitch never develops. On the other hand, if he is able to add a quality breaking ball to the mix, we could be talking about a No. 2 starter. |
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