\n\tThe Kansas City Royals\u2019 starting rotation is in a bit of disarray. Cole Ragans<\/a>, still billed by many as the cream of the club\u2019s starting pitching crop, threw well in a Triple-A rehab start Saturday but remains sidelined<\/a> after experiencing elbow pain the next day. Elbow discomfort has also forced Kris Bubic<\/a>, who missed much of last season with a rotator cuff issue and most of 2023 after Tommy John<\/span>\u00a0surgery, out of action since May 15, and he isn\u2019t expected back until June<\/a>. Consistency has not been Noah Cameron<\/a>\u2019s closest ally.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tSo it is that a depth issue faced the Royals when they opened a three-game home series against the always-tough Yankees Monday, with a 10-game road trip to Texas, Cincinnati, and Minnesota, all of whom are in the thick of at least Wild Card races, to follow.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe solution, though, won\u2019t include Frank Mozzicato<\/a>, the promising prep phenom pitching prospect whose curveball and potential so captivated the Royals that they grabbed him with their first pick (and seventh overall selection) in the 2021 amateur draft. He\u2019s far from big league-ready \u2026 and may never be.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tMozzicato\u2019s is a sad tale indeed, and one easily told through the young left-hander’s disturbing numbers.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\tThat choosing Mozzicato so early in the 2021 draft triggered immediate skepticism understates the situation. After all, the Royals could have picked Kumar Rocker<\/a>, Gavin Williams<\/a>, Jordan Wicks<\/a>, Andrew Painter<\/a>, Max Muncy<\/a>, or Matt McClain, all of whom were available then and have made it to the majors. And although he\u2019d thrown four straight high school no-hitters that year, taking an 18-year-old with their first pick seemed a pretty risky move for a club with an increasingly questionable draft history.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n\n\tFrank Mozzicato Continues to Struggle in the Royals’ System<\/span>
\n<\/h2>\n