It is hard to feel good about a season when the biggest news is that two guys with limited roles won monthly awards. The Kansas City Royals announced Randy Dobnak and Tyler Tolbert as their July Pitcher and Player of the Month winners. Per a post from the official team account, these two men earned the honors. But the real story here is not the trophies. It is the sheer lack of depth that put them in the running at all.
A Season Defined by Injuries
The Royals are currently battling to be the second-worst team in all of Major League Baseball. Only the Angels stand behind them in the standings. The Rockies actually won the first two games of this series and have caught back up to Kansas City, Royals Review reports. This is not the kind of season anyone signed up for. The roster has been absolutely devastated by injuries. That is why Dobnak and Tolbert were the only options left to shine. It drives home a painful point about how thin this team has become.
UCL injury symptoms often include right forearm tightness. It is usually the precursor to elbow surgery. The team announced roster moves before the game on August 2. A pitcher named Bummer will take the mound. It seems fitting that a guy with that name is pitching while the franchise barrels towards the final third of a terrible year. They refuse to trade aging veterans. At the same time, their younger pitchers are suffering long-term injuries. This is a disaster in the making.
Old Arms and Bad Math
Seth Lugo will pitch for Kansas City today. He has a 2.74 ERA over his past four starts. That looks good on paper. But he also has an 8.7% K-BB% and a 4.95 xERA. Those numbers tell a different story. The Royals should not be precious about keeping Michael Wacha past tomorrow night’s trade deadline. Lugo is just another example of why the team needs to move on. He might pitch better of late, but the underlying stats suggest he will not keep doing it forever.
The Rockies will counter with Kyle Freeland. He is one of the most accomplished starting pitchers in franchise history. Freeland is a lefty with a 7.34 ERA this year. Playing with the Rockies, he still posts a better SIERA than Lugo. They have suspect outfield defense if last night’s contest was any indication. His ERA is that much worse because of the defense behind him. In each of his last four starts, he has not allowed fewer than four runs. The odds are stacked against Kansas City.
This game feels like more than just a loss. Such a season appears poised to tank their chances to try to compete next year. The front office refuses to make the hard trades needed to fix the mess. Instead, they are handing the ball to guys who are barely staying on the field. The fans deserve better than this. They deserve a team that tries to win, not one that just tries to survive the injury bug. Is there any hope left for this roster?
