3 happy takes from another winning KC Royals weekend

Two keys to the KC Royals' 2023 starting rotation pitched quite well

Kansas City won't make its way out of the American League Central cellar this season unless its rotation improves considerably. Two big league veterans, Zack Greinke and Jordan Lyles, are especially important to the group of starters new manager Matt Quatraro will rely on to avoid a second consecutive last place finish.

The weekend was good for both.

Greinke, who signed another one-year deal to return to the club he came back to last season, started against the Dodgers Saturday night and surrendered a run and three singles in three innings. He struck out three and lowered his ERA to 1.80.

He gave up two singles to start the second but escaped with little damage after inducing two groundouts and striking out Steven Duggar to end LA's one-run inning. Only a walk in the third blemished Greinke's final frame of the night. He's now been nicked for two runs in five Cactus League innings.

Lyles started Sunday and, pitching for the second time this spring, fanned three and limited San Francisco to three hits over three scoreless innings. Credited with the win, he's 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA.

The Royals signed Lyles, who led Baltimore's rotation with 12 wins last year, two a two-year, $17 million free agent contract in December. Expect him to pitch in the middle of Quatraro's rotation.

KC Royals first base candidate Nick Pratto is doing what he needs to do

The Royals have no qualms about Nick Pratto's Gold Glove-type defense, nor should they. His glovework is excellent and frequently spectacular; he even won a minor league Gold Glove two seasons ago. And KC would love to have his defensive prowess at first base.

But his bat didn't permit the club to give him that job last year. His glove was up to the task during the almost month-and-a-half he spent with the Royals, but he hit so poorly that he ended up finishing the final two weeks of the campaign back at Triple-A Omaha.

Pratto can play an important role in the Royals' planned return to winning ways, but only if he rediscovers the keys to the 36-homer. 98-RBI, .265/.385/.602 minor league campaign he enjoyed in 2021. Only then will the Royals give him first base, where Vinnie Pasquantino will likely spend most of his time if Pratto's bat doesn't recover.

Fortunately, it appears Pratto may be on the right track. He went 3-for-3 (and scored three runs) against the Reds Saturday afternoon, then 1-for-2 with an RBI in Sunday's victory over the Giants.

Although he hasn't homered yet, and strikeouts remain his nemesis (his spring K% is 35.7), he's slashing .417/.429/.583 in five games. And that's at least some progress.