SEATTLE -- Right-hander Ian Kennedy left Friday night's 4-1 loss to Seattle with muscle tightness in his left side, but is expected to start when the Royals wrap up a three-game series against the Indians on Wednesday in Kansas City.
Kennedy allowed a pair of home runs in Friday's loss, to Mitch Haniger in the fourth and Mike Zunino in the fifth. Kennedy said he started feeling the tightness on the pitch Zunino sent deep to the left-field bleachers with one out, but finished the inning before manager Ned Yost took him out as a precaution. The Royals have allowed 119 home runs this season, the most of any team in baseball.
Kennedy was scheduled to play catch before Sunday's series finale against the Mariners and will be evaluated later in the day.
Kennedy has not won a start since April 7, a 1-0 win against the Indians in which he allowed four hits over six innings.
Soler still on schedule
Right fielder Jorge Soler will not need surgery on the broken toe in his left foot. He is expected to be out for six weeks, according to Yost. Soler sustained the injury June 15 and was placed on the DL on June 17.
Soler is batting .265 with nine home runs this season.
Deal done
The Royals signed 12th-round Draft pick Rylan Kaufman, a freshman left-hander from San Jacinto College North (Texas), for $722,500, a source told MLB.com.
Kaufman, 19, is 6 feet 4, 190 pounds. His slot value was $125,000.
Kaufman, who was 7-1 with a 2.15 ERA this season, was one of seven players drafted out of San Jacinto College North, a powerhouse junior college that Roger Clemens attended. It is also where Rays pitcher Anthony Banda and former Royals left-hander Daniel Stumpf played.