Royals Report: 5 Things About Damaging Loss To Cardinals

5) Yordano Ventura Struggles In His Return From Suspension

Yordano Ventura followed his blow up against Baltimore with two dominant starts as he challenged his nine-day suspension from major-league baseball. His appeal shaved a day off of his suspension and he served his eight-game penalty before making his start on Tuesday.

Ventura struggled in his return, giving up seven earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched, allowing 7 hits, 3 walks, and striking out 4.

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Honestly, Ventura looked out of sorts the entire game and never really hit a groove. The poor performance inflated his season ERA to 5.00.

Ventura’s inconsistency makes KC Royals fans wonder if the team can rely on Ventura as the season progresses. Long believed to possess “ace” stuff, his performance continues to degrade from his strong rookie season in 2014 when he went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA.

So far this season, Ventura has gyrated between dominance and failure. His struggles seem more in his head than any lack of ability or physical shortcoming. In many ways, he reminds me of the talented Jake Arrieta with the Baltimore Orioles before he blossomed into an ace after his trade to the Chicago Cubs.

Hopefully, Yordano Ventura will realize his potential before leaving the Kansas City Royals. But, I’m beginning to wonder if he will require a change of scenery before harnessing his full talent.

Next: Edinson Volquez