Royals place right-hander Seth Lugo on IL because of lower back strain

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals placed right-hander Seth Lugo on the 15-day Injured List on Thursday because of a lower back strain. The move is retroactive to Monday.

Originally scheduled to start Thursday night against the Los Angeles Angels, Lugo (8-7) was was scratched Wednesday because of back discomfort.

“He came out and tried to play catch today,” manager Matt Quatraro said Thursday. “His back was still pretty stiff, so we’re going to put him on the IL.”

Right-hander Stephen Kolek took Lugo’s roster spot. He was expected to start Saturday against Minnesota.

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