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Kansas City Royals Facing Pitching Decision After Mariners Game
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- Kansas City Royals Facing Pitching Decision After Mariners Game
(© Peter Aiken-Imagn Images)
The Kansas City Royals have had a disastrous season so far. But Saturday night was all about right-hander Stephen Kolek , who delivered one of the best outings of his career in a 5-0 win over the Seattle Mariners .
The 29-year-old tossed a shutout, allowing just four hits and striking out two. It marked the second shutout of his career and continued what has been an impressive stretch for him. His ERA now sits at 2.77 across 26 innings of work this year. After the game, Kolek spoke with reporters and credited his teammates for the win.
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"They made a lot of spectacular plays behind me and it's fun to watch them do their thing," Kolek said ( h/t Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star ). "And on the offensive thing, you know, like these guys, they have been struggling a little bit lately. But you can see the at-bats getting a lot better. And I think that's motivating as a pitcher.
Kolek's performance forces the Royals to confront a difficult decision about their rotation moving forward. Has Kolek done enough to earn a permanent spot in the starting rotation after his start on Saturday?
On the surface, the answer seems obvious. Kolek has been one of Kansas City 's most reliable arms this season. But the situation becomes far more complicated once left-handers Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic return from the injured list. Both are former All-Stars and will undoubtedly reclaim rotation spots when healthy.
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That leaves one remaining spot, unless Kansas City shifts to a six-man rotation. Realistically, the final job will come down to Kolek or Noah Cameron .
Cameron won the fifth starter role over Kolek in spring training, but Kolek has clearly been the better pitcher this year. Cameron owns a 4.72 ERA, though he has shown signs of turning things around.
On Friday, he tossed six scoreless innings against the Mariners in the series opener. It was a reminder of the pitcher he was last season, when he posted a 2.99 ERA across 24 starts.
Still, it is hard to argue against Kolek. He arrived at last year's trade deadline in a deal with the San Diego Padres and immediately impressed, recording a 1.91 ERA in five starts. He began this season in Triple-A only because Cameron won the spring competition, but his performance since being recalled has shown he belongs in the majors.
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The Royals have time before making a final decision, but once Ragans and Bubic return, either Cameron or Kolek will be pushed to the bullpen. If Kolek continues pitching like this, it will be difficult for Kansas City to justify removing him from the rotation.
