The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired left-hander Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals on Monday in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Durán, a league source told The Athletic. Bubic is on the 60-day injured list after elbow and shoulder problems this season; he has not pitched since May 14 and felt shoulder soreness during a rehab outing. Before the injuries he had a 4.11 ERA in nine starts with 51 strikeouts and 36 hits allowed in 50 1/3 innings; he was an All-Star in 2025 but that season ended early with a rotator cuff strain. The Dodgers viewed Bubic as a low-risk, high-upside flier while managing 40-man roster constraints, Durán had a 3.38 ERA in 37 Triple-A outings and was added to the Dodgers 40-man roster last month. Los Angeles president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had signaled the club was less likely to make big-league additions after trading for Tarik Skubal, so the move is a depth play aimed at seeing whether Bubic can get healthy and provide pitching help down the stretch; Bubic is eligible for free agency this winter. The Royals receive a pitching prospect they recently protected on the 40-man, and the transaction helps the Dodgers avoid risking Durán on waivers if they clear roster spots as injured players return.
