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The Kansas City Royals aren\u2019t planning to make any major changes within their coaching staff.<\/p>\n
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General manager J.J. Picollo said as much ahead of Tuesday\u2019s series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. He indicated the Royals will retain their current staff but potentially evaluate further at season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThese are the same guys we\u2019ve worked with for really four seasons now,\u201d Picollo said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been through the highs and the lows, and they\u2019ve been challenged before.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Royals entered the season with high expectations. They earned an MLB playoff berth<\/a> in 2024 and turned in consecutive winning campaigns. There was hopet they could win the American League Central and compete within the upper echelon of the league.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, the Royals have fallen short of the mark. They entered Tuesday\u2019s game with a 35-50 record, last place in the AL Central<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n April was a disappointing month. The Royals lost 19 of their first 31 games as the season opened and dealt with key injuries within their pitching staff.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Closer Carlos Est\u00e9vez was sidelined with a left-foot contusion. And weeks later, he suffered a setback caused by a right rotator-cuff strain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other notable injuries include second baseman Jonathan India (left-shoulder surgery), starting pitcher Cole Ragans (left-elbow impingement) and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (right-hamate fracture).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou know, we\u2019re faced with a challenge that\u2019s greater than any other point right now,\u201d Picollo said. \u201cBecause in \u201823 the expectations weren\u2019t as high. The expectations were there this year, so it\u2019s more challenging.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut I know what this group is about. I know how they work. They\u2019re very curious and they want answers. They want to try to find solutions to the questions we had, and that\u2019s what they work (on).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo I know they are prepared every day, and that\u2019s all we can ask. At the end of the year, you take a look and say, \u2018Is this moving in the right direction we wanted to go?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals hired two new assistant hitting coaches<\/a> this offseason. Both Marcus Thames and Connor Dawson have assisted hitting coach Alec Zumwalt throughout the year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n