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The Kansas City Royals acquired pitcher Michael Lorenzen from the Texas Rangers ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline. Lorenzen recently suffered an injury scare, however. On Wednesday, the Royals placed the veteran hurler on the 15-day IL with a left hamstring strain, per Royals broadcaster Joel Goldberg. Kansas City promoted pitcher Steven Cruz from Triple-A in a corresponding move before Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians.
On the the bright side, the Royals tied the Guardians for first place in the American League Central following their win on Tuesday. Cleveland had previously led the division since April, but now the Guardians are in trouble with Kansas City playing well.
However, losing Lorenzen for a significant amount of time is far from ideal. The Royals pitcher is on the 15-day IL but his exact return timeline has yet to be revealed. It is always difficult to predict timelines for hamstring injuries given their uncertainty.
Michael Lorenzen's 2024 season halted by injury
Lorenzen pitched at a respectable rate for the Rangers in 2024. He turned in a 3.81 ERA through July while pitching in Texas. Lorenzen made 19 appearances, 18 of which were starts for the Rangers.
The 2023 All-Star was moved ahead of the trade deadline for a second consecutive season with the Royals acquiring him. Lorenzen started strong in Kansas City following the deal, as he currently has a 1.85 ERA in his five starts with the ball club. However, this injury is obviously an unfortunate setback.
The Royals' acquisition flew under the radar for the most part. It was one of the few trades the Rangers made. Kansas City was out of first place at the time and fans wondered if the trade would end up being impactful.
Well, it appears to have been a big trade for the Royals. They are now at the top of the AL Central and Lorenzen has pitched well for them. Lorenzen's 2-0 record is indicative of what kind of impact he has had on his new team.
It goes without saying, but Lorenzen's injury absence will be a brutal blow for the Royals.
Royals starting pitching rotation amid Lorenzen's absence
Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and Michael Wacha are the Royals' current starting pitchers with Lorenzen out.
Lugo may earn American League Cy Young consideration given his strong 2024 performance. Ragans has quietly enjoyed a strong campaign in Kansas City. Singer, who features one of the highest-ceilings in baseball, has not necessarily pitched at a superstar level but he's still been good in 2024. Meanwhile, Wacha has also recorded impressive results.
There is hope for this Royals rotation despite Lorenzen's absence. They will need to name a fifth starter soon, but Kansas City's four aforementioned hurlers have what it takes to lead the way. Any more injuries would be devastating for this rotation, though. If the Royals pitchers can stay healthy during the final month of the season, the team will have an opportunity to clinch the AL Central division title.
The Guardians will not go down quietly, however. The same can be said for the Minnesota Twins, who are just 2.5 games back of first place in the division.
