There’s a funny story about the way Kyle Zimmer found out he made the Royals’ roster
Kyle Zimmer walked into Ned Yost’s office in Arizona unsure what to expect. For the first time in nearly six seasons, he felt like he had a real shot to make a major-league bullpen. To finally repay for the Royals for their patience.
And in one sentence, Yost squashed it.
“He basically told me I was going to Omaha to start (the season),” Zimmer said. “I was like, ‘Ah, man.’”
A 27-year-old pitcher’s first moment as a big-leaguer was sitting quietly in his manager’s office. He was somber. He was disappointed.
And completely fooled.
A day after that meeting to close spring training, the Royals were headed to Omaha for their final exhibition game with their Triple-A affiliate. So when Yost said Zimmer was headed to Omaha...
“He said, ‘You can come on the flight with us to Omaha for the game tomorrow. You’ll be there for that. And then when the team flies to Kansas City, you can come on that, too,’” Zimmer said. “It was pretty cool.”
A spot on the major-league roster at long last.
It’s been an improbable journey, with more doubts than signs of optimism. It’s been nearly seven years now since the Royals plucked Zimmer with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. Baseball America said his fastball was better than any in the college game. His curveball was nearly as effective.
A hamstring strain delayed the start of his career. An omen, apparently.
Elbow surgery, bicep tendonitis, shoulder surgery, thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, more shoulder issues, arm fatigue. He’s been operated on four times in all.
Asked if he doubted this day would come, Zimmer replied, “Oh, yeah. Every day. Several times. For multiple years. ... There were several times where I thought this day would never come.”
Zimmer walked into Kauffman Stadium about 9:30 a.m. Thursday for opening day. He wanted to arrive early. Wanted to walk around the field to soak it all in. “I could spend all day here,” he said as he stood in the clubhouse.
He hasn’t seen a baseball game in Kansas City in five years. He sat in the stands in the 2014 World Series. His arm was wrapped in a sling, two days after his first surgery.
“To think how far and how long of a road it’s been since then is kind of crazy,” he said. “I’m excited to be here and watch a game from a different vantage point.”
His once powerful right arm had not felt right for five years. He joked that he must own some record for leaving the mound with the assistance of a medical trainer. Last spring, he thought he was finally going to give up trying. Find something else to do. But at the advice of the Royals’ front office, he traveled to the Pacific Northwest to Driveline, an analytical training program that works to strengthen muscles and fine-tune pitching mechanics.
Finally, a payoff.
The days of Zimmer becoming a front-liner starter are almost certainly gone, but he’s back to throwing upper 90s, a weapon lodged somewhere in the Royals bullpen. In his final outing of the spring, Zimmer threw a 97-mph fastball. In total, he allowed only one run across 12 2/3 innings this spring. He struck out eight.
“Step one was getting here,” he said. “Now it’s time to stay.”
After realizing the true fate of his roster spot in that meeting with Yost, Zimmer called his parents, his grandma, his girlfriend and his brother. The people who stuck with him along the way. Those were emotional conversations, he said.
His parents are in Kansas City for opening day. They plan to stay for the weekend.
Zimmer hopes his stay will stretch a bit longer.
“I’m gonna try to treat every day up here like a gift,” Zimmer said. “Not waste it or take for granted any time I get in the clubhouse.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2019 at 12:43 PM with the headline "There’s a funny story about the way Kyle Zimmer found out he made the Royals’ roster."