The Kansas City Royals have been without a few starters for a while this season. Cole Ragans has spent a good chunk of time on the injured list, and so has right-hander Michael Lorenzen.
Lorenzen went on the injured list on July 14, retroactive to July 11 due to a left oblique strain. However, he might be making some progress towards a return soon.
On Wednesday, he made his first rehab start with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and threw 66 pitches over three innings.
Injured Royals veteran making progress towards return
“[Lorenzen] felt good both during and after his outing with no pain,” Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported. Next rehab start is scheduled for August 10.
The 33-year-old veteran right-hander rejoined the team on a one-year, $7 million contract last offseason. The Royals had picked him up in a trade with the Texas Rangers last year at the trade deadline.
Lorenzen was an All-Star in 2023 with the Detroit Tigers. He hasn’t been able to replicate that success this year with Kansas City. Last year, he had a 1.57 ERA in seven appearances and six starts for the Royals.
This year, the former All-Star is 5-8 with a 4.61 ERA in 18 starts. He began his career in 2015 with the Cincinnati Reds and was with the team through the 2021 season. He then joined the Los Angeles Angels for 2022. The Tigers traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023.
Despite his struggles this year, having him back could give the Royals a major boost. Their starting rotation had been their strength until several pieces went down with injuries. They picked up Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Bailey Falter in trades at the deadline this summer, but having Lorenzen back soon should give them a big boost down the stretch.
His first rehab start was certainly a promising sign, as he didn’t feel any pain during or after the outing. His next start will be an important milestone, as he can check out without any pain in that start, he could be getting closer to making a return down the stretch.
The Royals are still alive in the American League Wild Card race, sitting just four games back with three teams in front of them for the final spot. They won 86 games last year and were the second AL Wild Card team, advancing to the ALDS, where they lost to the New York Yankees.
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