Manager Matt Quatraro informed Sauer he made the Royals' Opening Day roster, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports Saturday.
Sauer will be a member of the Royals' bullpen to begin the season. As a Rule 5 pick, Sauer has a fair amount of job security, though he's also earned the spot with a 2.53 ERA over 10.2 innings across eight Cactus League appearances. Sauer has experience as a starter in the minors while in the Yankees organization, so he should be able to provide a multi-inning option out of the bullpen with the Royals.
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Royals' Matt Sauer: Solid in spring
Rotowire
Sauer has allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out eight over six innings across four Cactus League games.
Sauer was selected by the Royals from the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft in December. As such, he has to be on the Royals' major-league roster all season or they will have to offer him back to the Yankees. Sauer hasn't pitched above Double-A yet in his career, but he had a 3.29 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 83 strikeouts in 68.1 innings at that level last season. The Royals have plenty of candidates for rotation spots, but Sauer's pitched well enough in the spring to justify getting a bullpen spot in 2024.
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Royals' Matt Sauer: Nabbed by Royals in Rule 5
Rotowire
Sauer was selected by the Royals in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
Sauer, 24, posted a 3.42 ERA and 83:29 K:BB over 68.1 innings at Double-A Somerset in 2023. The right-hander pitched in relief in the Arizona Fall League and it's not clear whether the Royals plan to use him as a starter or reliever.
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Yankees' Matt Sauer: Reinstated at Double-A
Rotowire
Double-A Somerset reinstated Sauer (forearm) from its 7-day injured list Wednesday.
Sauer opened the season on Somerset's injury list while tending to a right forearm strain, but he'll get the chance to make his 2023 Eastern League debut after he recently completed three rehab outings. Between stops in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and at High-A Hudson Valley, Sauer covered 5.2 innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on two hits and five walks while striking out 10.
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Yankees' Matt Sauer: Roughed up in '23 debut
Rotowire
Sauer (forearm) retired just two hitters and allowed five runs (four earned) on two hits and one walk while striking out one in a rehab outing Monday for the Yankees' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate.
Sauer has spent the entire 2023 season on Double-A Somerset's 7-day injured list while recovering from a right forearm strain. Though he's reached the final phase of his recovery program, Sauer looks like he'll need at least a couple more outings in the FCL or the lower levels of the minors before rejoining the Somerset rotation.
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Yankees' Matt Sauer: Opens season on shelf
Rotowire
Sauer was placed on Double-A Somerset's 7-day injured list Thursday with a right forearm strain, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports.
Sauer didn't make any appearances after Aug. 31 of last season due to an undisclosed issue, which may have been the same forearm injury that is sidelining him to begin the 2023 campaign. The 23-year-old right-hander notably turned in 17- and 11-strikeout performances in two his four starts with Somerset in the second half of last season, but he was lit up when he wasn't making bats miss, as he finished with a 7.84 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and five home runs allowed over 20.2 innings with the Double-A club.
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Yankees' Matt Sauer: Racks up 17 K's in Double-A game
Rotowire
Sauer recorded 17 strikeouts over eight innings for Double-A Somerset in a game against New Hampshire on Thursday.
Sauer allowed just one run on two hits in the contest, though Somerset wasn't able to win. The right-hander's 17 punchouts were a Somerset franchise record and are the most by any major- or minor-league pitcher this season, per Eli Fishman of Pinstriped Pros. Sauer appears to have recently found another level of swing-and-miss stuff in his arsenal -- he registered a then season-best 11 strikeouts in his previous contest Aug. 19.
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Yankees' Matt Sauer: Opens in extended spring training
Rotowire
Sauer will open the year in extended spring training, MLB.com's Jim Callis reports.
The Yankees landed Sauer with the No. 54 overall pick in last year's draft, but he received a larger signing bonus ($2.4975 million) than their first-round pick, Clark Schmidt. He quickly rewarded that financial commitment, showing a plus fastball and potentially plus curveball in 11.2 innings in the Gulf Coast League. Sauer has a ton of upside, particularly if his changeup develops into a quality third pitch. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until short-season leagues begin this summer to see him make his 2018 debut.
