Kansas City Royals potentially cutting bait on Kyle Zimmer

He was supposed to be the next ace of the Kansas City Royals. Instead, after dealing with an endless myriad of injuries, the Royals have designated Kyle Zimmer for assignment.

For years, Kyle Zimmer was expected to be the next ace of the Kansas City Royals. Taken with the fifth overall selection in the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft, Zimmer dazzled with his solid fastball and excellent curve, a consensus top 100 prospect in three out of four years from 2013 through 2016. Unfortunately, injuries hindered Zimmer throughout his minor league career, delaying his ascension to the majors.

Now, one has to wonder if he will ever deliver on his potential. The Royals, in a flurry of moves prior to their game on Thursday, designated Zimmer for assignment to remove him from the 40 man roster.

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When Zimmer has been able to get on the mound, he has flashed that potential that made him such a highly desired prospect. He posted a respectable 3.54 ERA and a 1.247 WHiP, striking out 310 batters with just 90 walks in his six minor league seasons. However, he only pitched 259 innings in that time, as he dealt with injuries and spent time in the bullpen to minimize the wear on his arm.

There is still a chance that Zimmer will remain a part of the Royals organization. By being designated for assignment, Zimmer has been exposed to the waiver wire, giving other teams a chance to claim him. If he slides through without being claimed, the Royals would likely assign him to the Omaha StormChasers, allowing Zimmer to continue to develop, and potentially, remain healthy for the first time in the past few years.

However, there is the potential that another team could snag the talented, but injury prone, pitcher. With his fastball/curve combination, as well as two other potentially viable offerings, Zimmer may be of interest as a bullpen option. Or, if he proves he can stay healthy, he could be a future part of the rotation.

Next: Royals season preview

Of course, that health is the biggest question. The talent is there, but those health issues have led to the Kansas City Royals designating Kyle Zimmer for assignment.