Kansas City Royals Top Prospect Lost For the Season After Surgery
Kansas City Royals top prospect Kyle Zimmer will undergo season-ending surgery. How does this affect the Royals trade strategy?
Tuesday, it was announced that Zimmer will miss the rest of the season due to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery to help with pain and discomfort in his arm. Zimmer had not pitched since May 17th and had been on the disabled list since early June, so the news isn’t terribly surprising, but the confirmation of TOS and loss of Zimmer for the season could put a damper on his trade prospects.
What is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?
If that syndrome sounds familiar, it’s because it is, as Monday it was announced that Mets star right-hander Matt Harvey would miss the rest of the season due to surgery to relieve pain and pressure from the same issue. In one of the most severe cases, Houston Astros star right-hander J.R. Richard had his career cut short after suffering a series of strokes due to a blood clot caused by TOS. At the time, Richard was considered one of the best pitchers in the league, and many to this day consider him the hardest thrower that’s ever played the game (quick plug – read Richard’s autobiography “Still Throwing Heat”, an awesome book!).
TOS is a condition where the muscles developed in the throwing region of your body (usually shoulder/neck/upper chest area) get inflamed such that they begin to cut off proper circulation, causing pain, soreness, or in the worst of cases, like Richard’s, clotting that can lead to strokes. Pitchers are very susceptible to this, especially pitchers that throw hard, due to the enlarged muscles in the throwing sides of the upper regions of their bodies.
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Who is Kyle Zimmer?
Zimmer is a prospect that many thought could be a guy to headline a deadline deal for the Royals this summer as they make a push to return to the playoffs after winning the World Series in 2015. He was the fifth overall selection in the 2012 draft out of the University of San Francisco, and he has good baseball blood lines (brother Bradley Zimmer is a top prospect with the Cleveland Indians).
Zimmer has struggled some to stay healthy throughout his minor league career, but he’s always put up solid numbers when healthy, and he’s consistently been viewed as one of the top prospects in all of the game. Coming into this season, Zimmer was rated as the #85 prospect by Baseball America, #65 by MLB.com and #89 by Baseball Prospectus. However, he had been dropped all the way to the #9 prospect just in the Royals system in Baseball America’s recent updated top 10 system rankings.
What will the Royals do?
Zimmer isn’t the only prospect that the Royals could dangle out there in the trade market, of course. Shortstop Raul Mondesi has returned from his 50-game PED suspension, which could raise some red flags for teams, but still means that he’s back playing nonetheless. Hunter Dozier has had a breakthrough season this year between AA/AAA, hitting .330/.394/.578. They also have Jorge Bonifacio, an outfielder who has changed his approach this season to generate more power from his massive frame. Last, the Royals possess a glut of what they develop best – big-time, high-velocity relief-type arms, highlighted by Josh Staumont and Miguel Almonte.
Zimmer’s future
The bigger question will be whether the Royals will continue with Zimmer as a starter when he returns or if they will finally bite the bullet of moving him to the bullpen. The team did try this in 2015, but got too tempted when he was absolutely dominating and moved him back to the rotation in AA. The bullpen conversion has worked in the past for the Royals with high-end prospects that were struggling for one reason or another to make the major leagues, like Luke Hochevar and Danny Duffy. In Duffy’s case, it allowed him to work his way back to the rotation eventually. Zimmer’s going to be 25 in September, so his “prospect clock” is likely running out to maximize on what is a tremendous arsenal of pitches when he’s on and healthy.
Next: The Top Ten Prospects In Baseball
For reference on Zimmer, here are a few videos I’ve found on him to get an idea of the level of stuff he has and the guy that the Royals are losing right now: