The return of Michael Lorenzen, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury in late August, gives the Kansas City Royals a quality starting pitcher. The Royals have also optioned Steven Cruz, a right-handed pitcher, to Triple-A Omaha. Lorenzen will start tonight’s game against the Washington Nationals. Lorenzen was ordered to minimize his pitch count throughout his rehab assignments. He’ll continue with his final regular-season start. Also, starter Alec Marsh will be transferred to the bullpen, while relievers Hunter Harvey and James McArthur will not be back this year.
Royals Starter Michael Lorenzen Returns to Mound Following Hamstring Injury
Lorenzen’s return is timely, coming just before the start of the postseason. Going into Wednesday evening’s game, the Royals and Detroit Tigers are tied for second place in the AL Wild Card race. This evening’s game will undoubtedly be important for the Royals as they attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive. They now have a two-game lead over the cutoff in the wild card rankings. The Royals need four wins to make the postseason.
Lorenzen had a 7-6 record, a 3.43 ERA, and 92 strikeouts in 126 innings thrown prior to being sent to the IL. Lorenzen has put up some impressive stats this season throwing for the Royals. He’s 18-5 in NRFIs (No Run First Innings) this season. He has a three-game NRFI streak. However, his first-inning ERA and WHIP are 4.37 and 1.59, respectively. Lorenzen’s ERA after joining the Royals is 1.85, which is even better. Lorenzen was transferred to the Royals on July 29 in exchange for Walter Pennington. The Royals are hoping to win the second game of the series against the Nationals. This is following a big win yesterday that stopped the bleeding of a seven-game losing streak.
