Duffy set to have Tommy John: The Royals announced on Friday that the second opinion from Dr. Lewis Yocum confirmed the tear in Danny Duffy’s left ulnar collateral ligament, which means he will be forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in the next two weeks, ending his season. On Wednesday, manager Ned Yost said the he will probably be out a year, and now that the procedure has been confirmed, that timetable likely. (Updated 05/18/2012)
Injury Report
Elbow - 15-day DL. Out for the season (Updated - 5/18/12)
Fantasy Analysis
It appears the 23-year-old’s season is over and we will not see him until next spring at the earliest. He had put up a 3.90 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings before the injury, as he looked like he was starting to put together the potential he showed throughout his minor-league career. Duffy’s fastball velocity jumped two miles per hour from last season to this season, so it will be interesting to see how he comes back from the surgery, as some pitchers have even seen their velocity increase after Tommy John. He has a long road to recovery in front of him, so Fantasy owners in yearly leagues should drop him, however he remains a decent long-term option in deeper keeper formats. (Updated 05/18/2012).
05/14/2012 17:37 Royals lefty Danny Duffy needs Tommy John surgery
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy will need Tommy John surgery after being diagnosed with a torn left ulnar collateral ligament, the team announced on Monday.
05/13/2012 21:58 Royals lefty Danny Duffy to have MRI on elbow
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy, who was forced to leave his start against the White Sox on Sunday, will have an MRI on his ailing left elbow.
05/13/2012 20:18 Hit Parade for Week 7
As interleague play gets under way there are many matchups to break down. Our Scott White tells you who the best bets and biggest risks are in his Hit Parade for Week 7.
05/11/2012 12:20 Treating Fantasy like the game it is
There are plenty of under-the-radar types in Fantasy that are delivering for a handful of owners. Our Nando Di Fino comes up with a creative way to get his point across about a few of his favorite sleepers.
05/08/2012 23:15 Butler's three-run HR lifts Royals
Billy Butler hit a mammoth three-run homer in the eighth inning Tuesday night, giving the Kansas City Royals a 6-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Of the Royals' many pitching prospects entering 2011, Danny Duffy was the only one to earn a regular rotation spot during the season, getting the call after Kyle Davies went on the DL with a shoulder injury in mid-May. Though Duffy struggled with high pitch counts and early exits throughout his 20 starts, he did show enough potential for Fantasy owners to think he could be a viable contributor in the not-too-distant future. His strikeout rate of 7.4 per nine innings would seem to indicate he has the stuff to fool major-league hitters. Then again, his hit rate of 10.2 per nine innings would seem to indicate just the opposite. His walk rate was equally unimpressive, but the good news is he recognizes how inefficient he was last season and has made it a goal to pitch deeper into games this season. It's not like he was giving up a bunch of hits and walks in the minors, so it's probably just a matter of him making the necessary adjustments that many prospects have to make when they reach the majors. If you assess Duffy strictly on last year's numbers, you won't want anything to do with him. If you assess him on his potential, you'll recognize he's a worthy late-round sleeper in Fantasy. (Updated 1/9/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
= probable start