Veteran hurler may have dug too deep a hole with the KC Royals

The Kansas City Royals, a team historically willing to roll their dice on veteran but struggling pitchers fighting to resurrect their careers, signed Ross Stripling to a minor league deal just before their Cactus League schedule began. It's a low-risk, potentially high-reward risk the Royals are taking, but after Stripling's concerning start against the Seattle Mariners on March 12, it may already be time for the club to end the veteran's short time with the organization.

After giving up three home runs, nine total hits, and seven runs in five innings across three previous outings, Stripling had a lot to lose but a lot to gain when he took the mound against Seattle. His 15.75 spring ERA reflected the precarious position he's in roster-wise, and the chance to start gave him a prime opportunity to turn around what hasn't been a good spring for a pitcher hoping to rebound from the career-worst 2-11, 6.01 ERA record he had last year with the Athletics.

But instead of improving his lot with the Royals, he may very well have destroyed it.

After giving up a run on two hits and a walk in the first inning — it could have been worse had Donovan Solano not grounded into a bases-loaded, inning-ending double play — Stripling gave the Mariners four more runs (one unearned) in the second. That all four of those runs came on a first-pitch grand slam by Julio Rodriguez compounded the indignity of the fourth homer he's coughed up in just six Cactus League innings.

The five runs Stripling yielded appeared to be all Seattle would need until the Royals rallied from three runs down in the ninth to win 7-6. The five hits he surrendered over the two frames manager Matt Quatraro gave him ran Stripling's far-too-high count to 14 over those half-dozen innings. Opposing hitters are now batting .452 against him.

Where does Ross Stripling stand now with the KC Royals?

Probably not in a good place. His ERA, which was bad enough even before he threw his first pitch against the Mariners, is now 16.50. That, and the four home runs he's allowed, may be too much for the Royals to ignore, and that definitely isn't good for him. With nine major league seasons behind him and hoping for a 10th, Stripling may, and probably should, have to look elsewhere for a chance to pitch in the majors this year.