Fresh off a morale-boosting win over the Cardinals, the Kansas City Royals made an unexpected move to shore up their injury-hit pitching staff by acquiring former MLB starter John Gant from the independent Long Island Ducks.
With Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans on the injured list and rehab setbacks for Kyle Wright and Alec Marsh, the Royals tapped into Gant’s experience.
The 6-foot-4 righty last pitched in the majors in 2021 and posted a 3.89 ERA over six seasons with the Braves, Cardinals, and Twins. Though plagued by control issues, Gant showed promise earlier in his career and was off to a strong start this year with a 1.71 ERA in four starts for the Ducks.
Kansas City’s elite pitching development staff will now work to refine Gant’s deep arsenal—highlighted by a standout changeup—and potentially restore his lost velocity. Whether it’s a new pitch like a sweeper or fine-tuning mechanics, Gant is a low-risk, potentially high-reward depth piece for a Royals team thin on arms but rich in development success stories.
