Royals Trade Deadline Acquisition Returns To Mound With Playoff Hopes On The Line
The greatest moment of veteran right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen's career was undoubtedly the no-hitter he threw for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 9, 2023.
He has a chance to create another lifelong memory against those same Nationals on Wednesday night.
Lorenzen's new team, the Kansas City Royals, are in a hotly contested battle for a postseason spot. They could have had one locked up by now, but self-inflicted wounds (see: two seven-game losing streaks in the last month), have made it a tight race.
After arriving in Kansas City via trade on Jul. 29, Lorenzen had pitched well before hitting the injured list on Aug. 27. He has since been rehabbing a left hamstring strain, last pitching with Triple-A Omaha on Sept. 13. Now, he has been announced as the Royals' starting pitcher on Wednesday night in D.C.
Wednesday night, Lorenzen can cement himself in Royals lore with a good start. His team is two games clear of the Minnesota Twins with five to play, and if Kansas City wins behind Lorenzen and the Twins and Seattle Mariners both lose, the Royals will be in position for a possible clinch on Thursday.
Lorenzen had a 2-0 record and 1.85 ERA in five starts with Kansas City before hitting the IL. He struck out 17 batters and walked 10 in 24 1/3 innings pitched. Overall this season (with Kansas City and the Texas Rangers), Lorenzen has a 3.43 ERA in 126 innings.
At 32, Lorenzen has already played for six teams, including four in the last two years alone. It's unlikely he'll ever find a long-term home at this point, but pitching the Royals to a postseason berth and making meaningful contributions in October could be the next best thing.
The stage is set. Shut down the Nationals, and Lorenzen will inch closer to becoming a part of Royals lore. And as the no-hitter showed, Lorenzen has
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JACKSON ROBERTS
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org