Royals’ Danny Duffy supports his friend Lorenzo Cain’s decision to opt out of season
After being acquired in a trade, outfielder Lorenzo Cain joined the Royals for the first time in the 2011 season.
That year, left-hander Danny Duffy made his major-league debut with the Royals.
Over the next six seasons, the two were part of a franchise revival that saw the Royals make consecutive World Series appearances and won the Commissioner’s Trophy in 2015.
Cain left the Royals as a free agent following the 2017 season, but Duffy kept tabs on his friend, who played a starring role for the Milwaukee Brewers.
But when the Brewers’ three-game series with St. Louis at Miller Park this weekend was postponed because of multiple positive COVID-19 tests on the Cardinals team, Cain opted out of the 2020 season.
Duffy, who will start Monday night for the Royals against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, was asked about Cain’s decision.
“I don’t blame him one bit,” Duffy said. “He’s got a family at home, he’s got kids. The uncertainty of, you know, when the heck are they gonna play again, you know what I mean? And having to start up and stop. It’s just not conducive to being healthy, having to turn it on like that, and I don’t blame him.”
However, Duffy will miss seeing highlights of Cain, who was an All-Star in 2018 and won his first Gold Glove award a year ago.
“Obviously, I love watching Lorenzo Cain play baseball and seeing his highlights and really keeping up with all my old friends,” Duffy said, “but he’s got to do what’s best for him and I don’t blame him at all.”
