In one of the strangest situations in Royals history, the club officially parted ways with pitcher Jordan Lyles on July 20 after only pitching five innings this season. This comes after Lyles was placed on the restrictive list on April 20, a move the club gave little detail on. Today I’m setting out to do what seemingly nobody has quite been able to do—piece together what led to this happening.

Restricted List

First things first, what is the restricted list? According to the MLB, a player can be placed on the restricted list either because of their own actions or when “unusual circumstances exist.” A player on the restricted list is not subject to being paid their contract and does not count against the team’s reserved or active lists. One recent example of this is former Rays shortstop Wander Franco. After accusations arose last summer that Franco had been having inappropriate relations with a minor the Rays placed him on the restrictive list as investigations into the matter took place. Franco’s case is extreme and not an indicator of why another player would be placed on this list, but rather just an example of how this list can be used by teams.

Lyles picked up baseball activities again in June, working out in Surprise, Arizona with hopes of getting him ready to join the big league roster. Per MLB rules, a player has only 30 days of baseball activity after reporting back from the restricted list before the organization either reinstates them or cuts them. The club ultimately decided to cut ties and release the veteran into free agency.

What Caused This?

The question on everyone’s minds is, what exactly happened? Normally at least some explanation is given for a player landing on the restricted list. It may be as vague and just a family emergency, but the norm is for there to be some public context. This has not been the case in the Jordan Lyles saga. The only reasoning we have is from Jaylon Thompson’s report from the Kansas City Star. In Thompson’s report, Royals manager Matt Quatraro is quoted saying “We know he has been gone for personal reasons.”

On the surface that’s fair enough. Players have missed time for non-injury-related things such as anxiety before. The confusion is how can Lyles turn around and sign a contract with the Dodgers. How can there be a personal reason that keeps him from pitching for the Royals, but not another team? As a journalist, you don’t speculate about someone’s personal life, but the fans deserve an answer. Lyles will be getting paid the rest of his 8.5 million dollar salary by the Royals this year now that he is active again.

Of course, the Royals starting pitching has been great this year. There is a possibility that the team didn’t see a need for him anymore after a first half that saw all five starters in the rotation pitch well. I do however have a hard time believing the Royals didn’t see him as help for a struggling bullpen. Maybe Kris Bubic return from injury gave them the reliever who has starter-like stuff and Lyles was no longer needed.

Moving Forward

The Royals will have to eat the rest of his contract in 2024 but are off the hook past that. Developments on what took place may or may not become public. At this point, I think most Royals fans are ready to move off the mystery and focus on returning to the postseason for the first time in nine years. A truly odd situation comes to an end.