Is a disappointing June clouding this KC Royals prospect's immediate future?

Had it not been for Jac Caglianone and his brief but spectacular visit to Triple-A Omaha, Cam Devanney may have been the toast of the Kansas City Royals' top farm club. No other Omaha player's performance could hold a candle to Caglianone's, who made such quick work of Triple-A pitching that the Royals summoned him to Kansas City in early June after he'd played only a dozen games for the Storm Chasers.

That absent Caglianone Devanney would have dominated Omaha headlines states the obvious. Devanney exploded out of the gates this season — in 14 April games, and despite spending a week on the Injured List, he slashed an eye-popping .395/.457/.763 with three homers, 11 RBI, and a 1.220 OPS. So as May rolled around, Devanney appeared to be building a good case for promotion and his first regular-season taste of major league action.

Now, though, that case may be weakening, and Devanney's seemingly smooth road to Kansas City could be getting bumpy,

KC Royals prospect Cam Devanney is in a slump

Devanney's problems began in May. No one expected him to maintain the torrid pace with which he started the season — and he didn't. While in May he better than doubled his April home run total with seven and drove in 26 runs in as many games, the components of his .268/.357/.505 May line, although quite good, dropped considerably.

Perhaps it was a sign of things to come.

A month-long slump now ensnares the player who not long ago was rapidly becoming a fan favorite for a spot on the Royals' big league roster. After going 1-4 Sunday against Durham, Devanney is in danger of dipping below the Mendoza Line for June — heading into this week's six games at Indianapolis, he's batting only .206 for the month. Yes, he's still getting on base (.359 OBP in June), but the home run he hit Sunday was only his third of the month.

Hopefully, Devanney's present slump will end soon. Able to play every infield position, he could be the eventual answer at second base for Kansas City, where Jonathan India is hitting .238 through Sunday's loss to San Diego, and Michael Massey, who's currently on the injured list but is expected to join Omaha on a rehabilitation assignment this week, is slashing only .202/.221/.258 in 56 games.

Fortunately, Devanney is probably too good for his slump to last much longer — despite his current June swoon, he's still slashing .272/.373/.541 with 14 homers, he helps make the Storm Chasers a good attraction, and he could even draw important suitors at this season's trade deadline.

But if he doesn't break back out soon, the versatile player who not so long ago looked worthy of the "can't miss" label may find his immediate future with the organization cloudy and uncertain, and that dream call-up to the Royals delayed indefinitely.