Royals recall Brandon Finnegan from minors
The Kansas City Royals welcomed a familiar (albeit youthful) face back to their bullpen prior to Friday's game against the Chicago White Sox when they recalled left-hander Brandon Finnegan from Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Hurriedly promoted to the major leagues in September, the precocious 22-year-old crafted a 1.29 ERA over seven relief appearances with the Royals last season just two months after he was selected with the 17th overall pick in the amateur draft. Finnegan also made seven relief outings in the postseason, two of which came in the World Series, making him the first player in history to pitch in the College World Series and the Fall Classic in the same year.
Finnegan, though, opened the 2015 season in the Double-A Texas League following his strong showing in Kansas City last summer. The 5-foot-11 hurler started two games for Northwest Arkansas prior to his promotion, managing a 3.86 ERA with a 6:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio over seven innings.
The Royals optioned infielder Orlando Calixte to Triple-A Omaha to create a spot for Finnegan on the active roster.