The Kansas City Royals were already thin in the starting rotation before the 2012 season even began. Now with several players injured for the season and others turning out as disappointments, the Royals rotation is now a disaster. Last night's one-plus inning performance by Jonathan Sanchez only further decimated a staff that's been beaten up, and Ned Yost said he tried to make the right call last night with the choices given to him against the Seattle Mariners.
Faced with the replacement of Sanchez before the second inning was over, Yost turned to Everett Teaford, Tuesday night's starter, to throw starter-level innings on Monday night.
"There was not really much we could do," Yost said. "I knew that we were either going to blow the bullpen out or blow tomorrow's starting pitcher out, so we took the second route. I knew that we would find a way to get somebody else up here to start tomorrow, but I wanted to just try to get through this game with [Louis] Coleman and with Teaford, and they both did a good job. They ended up throwing 7 2/3 innings, so they saved the 'pen tonight so they're in great shape for tomorrow."
The pen continues to keep things together, but that's not how this team should be structured at this point. The Royals really need the young arms to come through and a dynamic ace this coming offseason to turn things around. The Nationals have shown what can happen when a team loads up on arms for a line-up already in place. Now the Royals have to do the same. Until then, it's likely to be this same story for the rest of the 2012 season.
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