Michael Wacha
SP KC
Mon 3/25/24 5:28 PM

Manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that Wacha will not miss time due to a bruised right middle finger, Jackson Stone of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Wacha sustained the injury Sunday during an intrasquad game. Quatraro added that Wacha woke up Monday morning and "forgot about" the injury, so the right-hander should be ready for his first regular season start against the Orioles on April 1.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Sun 3/24/24 5:05 PM

Wacha suffered a bruised right middle finger during an intrasquad game Sunday and will undergo X-rays, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Royals are optimistic it's not a worrisome injury, but Wacha's status will be a bit up in the air until the results of the X-rays are known. Assuming it's not a serious issue, Wacha may still be able to make his first start of the season next weekend versus Minnesota.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Mon 3/4/24 4:39 PM

Wacha has allowed one run on three hits and struck out three without walking a batter over three innings across his first two Cactus League starts.
EDGE Analysis
Wacha's doing just fine in spring training. The veteran right-hander will need to stay healthy to be an effective starter, but he's logged 20-plus starts in each of the last three seasons while keeping his ERA under 3.50 in the last two years. The Royals' pitching staff was a weakness in 2023, and signing Wacha to a two-year deal addressed that concern. He'll likely continue to offer solid control and an ability to keep the ball in the yard, but he may regress in the surface stats in his age-32 season.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Fri 12/15/23 11:44 AM

Wacha signed a two-year, $32 million contract with the Royals on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
The deal includes an opt out after the first year. Kansas City has been busy lately, adding Seth Lugo and now Wacha to its rotation in addition to Hunter Renfroe to its outfield and Will Smith to its bullpen. Wacha hasn't made 30 starts in a season since 2017, but he's been very effective when healthy over the last two seasons, collecting a 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 228:74 K:BB over 261.2 innings.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Mon 11/6/23 4:27 PM

Wacha declined his $6.5 million player option for 2024 on Monday and will become a free agent.
EDGE Analysis
After the Padres informed Wacha that they wouldn't exercise a two-year, $32 million option that would keep him on the books through 2025, the veteran right-hander declined to decline an option of his own, albeit at a less favorable annual salary. Wacha presumably feels he can find a better deal on the open market, a fair conclusion after he turned in a 3.22 ERA (4.30 xERA), 1.16 WHIP and 14.6 K-BB% in 134.1 innings for the Friars in 2023. Durability has been a concern for Wacha for much of his career -- he hasn't made 30 starts in a season since 2017 -- so he may not be able to find a team that's willing to sign him to more than a two- or three-year deal as he heads into his age-32 campaign.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Sat 11/4/23 9:08 PM

The Padres declined Wacha's two-year, $32 million option for 2024-25 on Saturday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
EDGE Analysis
Wacha has a $6.5 million player option for 2024 that he's expected to decline, at which point the pitcher will become a free agent. The right-hander has posted a nifty 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 228:74 K:BB over 261.2 innings covering the last two seasons. He hasn't made more than 24 starts in a season since 2017, though, and the Padres decided he wasn't worth the risk as they look to trim payroll.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Sun 10/1/23 12:11 AM

Wacha (14-4) earned the win Saturday, allowing three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against the White Sox. He struck out seven.
EDGE Analysis
The 32-year-old scattered three singles and needed just 87 pitches to complete seven scoreless innings en route to his 14th victory of the campaign. Outside of a recent seven-run start against the Dodgers, Wacha compiled a 6-1 record with a 2.82 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 48:15 K:BB across 44.2 innings after returning from a shoulder injury Aug. 15. Building upon a resurgent 2022 season for the Red Sox, the right-hander's first year in San Diego concludes with a 3.22 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 124:43 K:BB across 134.1 innings with his highest win total since Wacha went 17-7 in 2015.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Sun 9/24/23 8:12 PM

Wacha (13-4) yielded two runs on six hits and a walk over seven innings Sunday, striking out six and picking up a win over St. Louis.
EDGE Analysis
Wacha rolled through six shutout frames before the Cardinals finally broke through with two runs in the seventh inning. The Padres had already provided 12 runs of support before then. Wacha earned his second straight win and lowered his season ERA to 3.39 across 127.1 frames. However, he owns a 5.54 ERA in five September outings. Wacha is projected to close out his 2023 season with a road start against the White Sox.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Tue 9/19/23 1:29 AM

Wacha (12-4) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and struck out six without walking a batter over five innings to earn the win over the Rockies on Monday.
EDGE Analysis
Wacha departed with a comfortable 11-3 lead in the contest, though the Padres' bullpen allowed six runs to score. Wacha has given up at least three runs in four of his last five outings, and he's completing six innings in just one of them. It's a noticeable drop in quality from what he was doing in May and June prior to a shoulder injury. Wacha is at a 3.44 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 111:41 K:BB through 120.1 innings through 22 starts this season. The veteran righty is lined up for a home start against one of his former teams, the Cardinals, over the weekend.

Michael Wacha
SP KC
Wed 9/13/23 1:32 AM

Wacha (11-4) allowed seven runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over four innings, taking the loss Tuesday versus the Dodgers.
EDGE Analysis
Wacha matched his season low in innings while also equaling his season high in runs allowed. He also gave up multiple home runs for just the third time in 21 starts. The poor outing accounted for his second loss in a row, and he's allowed 10 runs over eight innings in that shaky span. For the year, he's at a 3.43 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 105:41 K:BB over 115.1 innings. Considering he's gone five years without tossing more than 130 innings, he may be wearing down as the campaign winds to a close. Wacha is projected for a home start versus the Rockies next week.