Royals left-hander that hell mi s the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Hell likely be sidelined into the early portion of the 2025 campaign. Lacy, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 draft after a standout college career at Texas A&M, ranked as one of the sports top pitching prospects in the year following that selection but has seen injuries and shaky performance tank his stock. Shoulder and back injuries have hobbled the lefty to this point in his pro career. He didnt throw a pitch for Ryan Fernandez Jersey a Royals affiliate in 2023 and will now also mi s the 24 campaign. Overall, Lacy has just 80 innings pitched since being drafted, and hes posted a 7.09 ERA with a 21.3% walk rate in that time. Lacy wont turn 25 until June. Theres still time for him to eventually get back to full strength and resume the once-promising trajectory that made him a slam-dunk first-round pick and had him in the conversation for the No. 1 overall selection at times heading into that 2020 draft. As it stands, Lacy is one of several high-profile college arms around whom the Royals structured their most recent rebuilding efforts an endeavor that simply hasnt panned out. Lacy, , , , and are among the names the club envisioned filling out a pipeline of young pitching. Singer has at times looked like a high-end starter but has lacked consistency. The others have yet to establish themselves in the majors. Stalled development among that group of college arms has been one of the key reasons for the Royals struggles in recent years and was surely a driving factor behind the teams decision to spend a combined $77MM to sign and in free agency this winter. Kansas City will also be without lefty for a decent chunk of time. The 29-year-old reliever has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain and will mi s at least six weeks of action, manager Matt Quatraro announced to the teams beat this week ( via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). Brentz was a solid member of the K.C. bullpen back in 2021, to sing 64 innings with a 3.66 ERA, 15 holds and a pair of saves. His 13.3% walk rate was an obvious reason for concern, but Brentz helped to mitigate his sub-par command with a hearty 27.3% strikeout rate and strong 49% ground-ball rate. Injuries have taken their toll on the southpaw over the past several years, however. He dealt with a shoulder impingement late in that 2021 season and saw his 2022 campaign almost entirely wiped out by a flexor strain and a subsequent UCL tear that required Tommy John surgery. Brentz inked a two-year, $1.9MM deal with the Royals covering the 2023-24 seasons, with the clear hope that hed be at full strength again this year and serve as a key member of the bullpen. But a lat strain (coupled with that Tommy John rehab) limited him to just 2 2/3 minor league frames last year. Hes struggled mightily this spring, walking 11 of his 32 opponents and yielding a whopping 14 runs in just 5 1/3 innings of Cactus League action. When healthy, Brentz averaged 97 mph with his heater, mi sed bats in droves and kept the ball on the ground nicely. Its been three years since weve seen that version of the lefty, but hell have the rest of this season and potentially another two years of arbitration eligibility with the Royals to get back on track. The injury to Brentz thins out the competition for the final couple bullpen spots in Kansas City. One name thats impre sed the club thus far in camp, , is left-hander . In camp as a non-roster invitee, the former As and Giants hurler has to sed 7 1/3 frames and held opponents to one run on five hits and a walk with 13 punchouts. Long, 28, signed a minor league deal back in December. Hes pitched in the majors in each of the past three seasons, logging 128 innings between MLBs two Bay Area clubs. In that time, Long has pitched to a 4.92 ERA with an 18.5% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate. Hes at 1.160 years of big league service time, so if he wins a spot in Kansas Citys bullpen and can cement himself as a consistent option, theyd be able to control him for as many as five seasons. Ken Boyer Jersey