Royals put P Ryan Yarbrough on IL with head fractures

The Kansas City Royals placed left-hander Ryan Yarbrough on the 15-day injured list with head fractures Monday after he was hit in the face by a line drive in Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics.

Yarbrough, 31, was hit just above the left temple by a line drive from Oakland’s Ryan Noda in the top of the sixth inning. Yarbrough immediately crumpled to the ground, while the ball ricocheted back toward home plate.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez fielded the ball and threw it to first base for the out.

Yarbrough was tended to by Royals medical personnel and walked off the field with some assistance while holding a towel to his face.

A transaction report from the Royals, as well as MLB’s official website, noted “head fractures” for Yarbrough. Right-hander Jose Cuas was recalled from Triple-A Omaha.

Yarbrough is 1-4 with a 6.15 ERA in 10 appearances (three starts) with the Royals this season. He spent his first five major league seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and is 41-35 in 137 appearances (62 starts) with a 4.41 ERA.

Cuas, 28, was 1-0 with a 5.65 ERA in 14 appearances earlier this season with the Royals and is 5-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 61 relief appearances with Kansas City over the past two seasons.