KC Royals: 3 things to watch on final 2022 road trip

The KC Royals, fresh from winning one of their most exciting games of the year, a remarkable 13-12 come from behind victory over Seattle to close out their 2022 home schedule, are enjoying their last day off of the season today before beginning the last road trip of this campaign.

They resume work Tuesday in Detroit, where they’ll play three games before finishing up in Cleveland with six against the recently-crowned American League Central Champion Guardians.

Unfortunately, the Royals are playing out the string. Their playoff aspirations are long gone, not enough time remains for players like Ryan O’Hearn and Hunter Dozier to turn around and salvage dismal seasons, and it’s probably too late for manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred to solidify their chances to return next year—those dies are likely cast.

But that doesn’t mean the club’s journey to the finish isn’t worth watching. Good individual marks were within several players’ grasps a couple of weeks ago and, while some have reached those numbers, others are still trying.

Is there more? Yes.

The KC Royals need to avoid finishing last in the American League Central.

Only twice in last 12 seasons preceding this one has Kansas City finished last in the five-team AL Central. But with nine games left, the distance between the Royals and cellar-dwelling Detroit is too close for comfort. Only 2.5 games separate them from the Tigers; so, combined with KC’s six more with Cleveland, and Detroit’s three with Minnesota and four with Seattle, the clubs’ three-game set that begins Tuesday night will determine who ends the season in last place.

The Royals are playing well—they’ve won six of their last eight—but can’t let up if they hope to stay out of the division basement.

Are KC Royals fans about to get their last looks at pitcher Zack Greinke?

That excitement greeted the return of Zack Greinke to Kansas City, a reunion the club and probable future Hall of Famer consummated soon after the MLB lockout ended, is an understatement. Home was the pitching hero who won his only Cy Young Award as a Royal and hope ran high that he’d help stabilize a KC rotation rendered shaky by inexperience and inconsistency.

But other than the 5-17 record and 5.80 ERA he put up in 2005, this has been arguably the worst statistical season of Greinke’s 19-campaign career. He’ll enter his scheduled Tuesday start against Detroit 4-9, 4.21, hasn’t won since beating the White Sox Aug.11, and had gone a month before that without a victory.

Fault, though, doesn’t lie completely at Greinke’s feet. He’s suffered from poor run support and spent time on the Injured List, first with a right flexor strain, then with right forearm tightness.

Still, KC fans have to wonder whether Tuesday’s start, and the one more he should get before the campaign ends in Cleveland, will be his last as a Royal … or for anyone.

Greinke turns 38 next month, so his best years are behind him. His injuries aren’t to be taken lightly and occasionally foretell more serios problems. And he’s pitching on a one-year deal.

Will he play one more season with the club he broke in with? Does he want to? The latter is a question only he can answer, and may already have; the former is one he and the Royals will obviously answer jointly.

It’s difficult to believe Greinke doesn’t prefer to remain a Royal. Surely he’d like to finish on a better note than this season’s and probably wants to be part of turning the team around. It’s just as difficult to think J.J. Picollo, who took over baseball operations a few days ago, doesn’t want Greinke helping tutor and guide Kansas City’s pitchers.

Greinke’s final starts may help him and the Royals determine his Royal future. They’ll be worth watching.