Kyle Zimmer had such promise. But the Royals' patience has run out
The intrigue derived from the velocity, at least initially, but as Royals scouts further studied Kyle Zimmer in 2012, they were awed by the full repertoire. Ahead of the June draft that year, Baseball America graded Zimmer’s fastball as unmatched in the college game, and ranked his curveball third among college draft prospects.
But while his predecessors in the organization — Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and the like — led the Royals to a world championship, Zimmer’s career never sidestepped the disabled list long enough to take flight.
On Thursday, the Royals finally cut bait on Zimmer, a former first-round pick once labeled the organization’s top prospect, by designating him for assignment hours before the season opener with the White Sox.
“It’s something we haven’t experienced here with a player of Kyle’s caliber,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore. “I think Kyle will still have a terrific opportunity to be a successful major-league pitcher at some point in time. He just ran out of time.”
The Royals offered him plenty of that. They invested more than a half-decade on Zimmer, 26, whom they drafted with the No. 5 overall pick in 2012.
The first start of his career was delayed by a minor hamstring strain. It was an omen, of sorts.
Zimmer’s medical report is extensive — elbow surgery in August 2012, bicep tendonitis a year later, shoulder surgery after the 2014 season, shoulder soreness in 2015, thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in 2016 and recurring shoulder soreness last summer. He appeared in only one Cactus League game this spring before experiencing fatigue in his right arm.
Time was something the Royals no longer had.
“The clock is always running,” Moore said. “There’s always another player. We had to make moves, and Kyle simply is at a point in time in his rehab process where we’re not going to be in a position to stay along with him while he’s on the roster.”
The move to designate Zimmer for assignment effectively removed him from the 40-man roster. Moore allowed for the possibility that Zimmer could return to the organization, but there are semantics and obstacles involved. The Royals have the option to trade him. If they are unable to do so, they could place him on waivers.
A potential return to the organization — which would undoubtedly include a return to the minor leagues, where Zimmer has spent his entire professional career — would require no team claiming Zimmer off waivers and the two sides agreeing on a reunion.
“We hope we can keep him in the organization and continue to rehab him,” Moore said. “He’s a terrific individual. He’s an extremely hard worker. ... We still have hope that he’ll be a successful major-league pitcher.”
It’s a belief the Royals have maintained despite his lengthy injury history. As recently as 2015, they held on to Zimmer while trading away other prospects in order to acquire Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist.
The intrigue that led the Royals to Zimmer kept the flame flickering. At FanFest in March, Zimmer said he had recently reached upper 90s in a bullpen session and done so without pain.
It didn’t carry over to the spring. In his only appearance in the Cactus League, Zimmer settled on 91-92 mph before dipping into the 80s. He retired one hitter and lost command of his fastball. He was removed after only 25 pitches. Afterward, Zimmer said he labored through the outing and felt tired.
Asked what he saw from Zimmer this spring, Royals manager Ned Yost replied, “Not much. He started rehabbing early. Got to where he was throwing OK in his live (batting practice). He went back out and hurt his arm again.”
“Something every year — he just can’t get over that injury.”
So a player drafted with promise did not reach the major leagues with the Royals. His six minor-league seasons included only 259 innings and never more than 108 1/3 in one year.
“When this guy comes out of the draft, a special talent, top rotation-type pitches in his arsenal, extremely hard worker, great human being, comes from a wonderful family, somebody that does and will connect with people and fans and do his part to make this game strong in Kansas City,” Moore said. “Unfortunately, he just hasn’t stayed healthy. No fault of his own. No fault of our medical team. It’s just one of those things that hasn’t worked out.”
This story was originally published March 29, 2018 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Kyle Zimmer had such promise. But the Royals' patience has run out."