Hurricane Helene could impact KC Royals MLB Playoffs chase in more ways than one

As Hurricane Helene barreled toward the U.S. mainland Wednesday night with landfall in Florida expected soon, thoughts and concerns of and about those in the storm's projected path focused, as they should, more on safety and welfare than baseball. And the KC Royals are headed for Atlanta, where Helene may well have a big impact, when they conclude their three-game series with the Nationals in Washington tonight.

How the weather greets the club in Georgia remains to be seen, but prospects of hurricane-generated severe weather have already forced postponement of the final two games of the Braves' critical home series against the Mets — Wednesday's and Thursday's games will be played Monday if they're still necessary to determine playoff spots and seeds. And they probably will be considering Atlanta trails Arizona by only a half-game for the third NationalLeague Wild Card, and New York by a game for the second.

And don't be surprised if the hurricane complicates Kansas City's three-game, regular season-ending series scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Atlanta.

KC Royals Weather: Threat of Hurricane Helene looms over games

Although hurricanes can defy predictions by changing course, strength, and intensity, the possibility of Helene affecting this weekend's games between the Royals and Braves can't be dismissed. Per late Wednesday night projections, the hurricane was expected to reach "catastrophic Category 4 strength" by the time it hits Florida today, cause widespread power outages in Georgia, and still have its hurricane status when it enters Georgia Friday morning.

And weather.com's late Wednesday night forecast suggested rain may not stop in Atlanta until sometime mid-to-late Friday morning. The Royals and Braves are scheduled to play their series opener Friday night beginning at 6:20 p.m. CDT.

But if heavy rain, winds, and flooding hit the city, the Braves could conceivably be unable to get the field in playing condition in time for Friday's game. And if that happens and weather permits Saturday evening's and Sunday afternoon's games to be played, a doubleheader on one of those days will be required — the playoffs begin for Tuesday, and Monday is already taken up by the Braves-Mets twinbill that almost certainly will be played.

But scheduling isn't the only baseball concern Helene may cause the Royals.

Hurricane Helene may make the KC Royals' playoffs chase more difficult

Nothing was set in stone as of late Wednesday, but the storm could complicate the task at Kansas City's hand — grabbing a playoff spot for the first time since the club won the 2015 World Series.

Remember as a preface that the Royals moved a bit closer to clinching that spot Wednesday night when, after defeating the Nationals Tuesday night, they beat them again Wednesday, a victory that reduced their Wild Card magic number to 3; now, any combination of KC wins and Minnesota losses totaling that number will hand the Royals nothing worse than the third AL Card. And if that happens and Kansas City and Detroit remain tied for the second Wild Card, the Royals get it because they own the tie-breaker against the Tigers.

It's likely, then, that Kansas City will squeeze into postseason play. But the chances the Braves may have something to say about that may have increased with the threat of Hurricane Helene. Chris Sale, who at 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA is Atlanta's ace, and the ever-dangerous Max Fried, who's 10-10, 3.42, were scheduled to pitch against the Mets, but the postponement of the Braves-Mets series may mean they'll work against the Royals instead.

And that's not good news for Kansas City. The Royals' offense is finally beginning to show some signs of life after a prolonged slump, but Sale and Fried aren't hurlers any team relishes facing when its bats are in any sort of disorder.

That Atlanta manager Brian Snitker will keep Sale and Fried in regular sequence and pitch them against Kansas City seems probable ... but he could also save them for Monday and the Mets. The Royals are probably hoping for the latter.

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