Kansas City Royals: Adalberto Mondesi surgery perfectly timed

Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will undergo shoulder surgery, but it may be happening at the right time.

It was certainly disheartening for the Kansas City Royals when their talented shortstop, Adalberto Mondesi, left their September 22nd contest with a shoulder injury. He had recently returned from a lengthy stint on the Injured List due to another shoulder issue, and was told to no longer dive into bases head first or dive for balls for the rest of the season. Naturally, he injured his shoulder doing just that – diving for a ball off the bat of Nelson Cruz.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Mondesi will need to undergo surgery on his shoulder to repair a tear in the joint. Recovery time is expected to last for five to six months.

This has the potential to be devastating to the Royals. Mondesi has become one of the more intriguing young shortstops in the game, with his blend of speed, brilliant defense, and developing pop making him a key piece in the Royals current rebuilding project.

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And yet, this surgery could not be timed better. While he will miss those five to six months, the majority of that time will happen during the offseason. Should Mondesi’s recovery happen towards the more optimistic side of that projection, he would still be able to get into enough Spring Training games to be ready for Opening Day.

Even the six month window would not be a disaster. That would put Mondesi on track to begin playing at the end of March. While he would miss time in the regular season as he returned back to playing shape, his stint on the Injured List would not last for long.

Chances are, 2020 will be another step in the Royals rebuild. Unless a lot changes in the offseason, they will not contend next year either. What will be important will be the development of their young core, and making sure the players stay healthy. This includes Mondesi.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will undergo shoulder surgery. However, the timing of the procedure may be perfect, as he should not miss much, if any, time next year.