The Kansas City Royals are attempting to look beyond hot-hitting Bobby Witt Jr. as a means for success on Wednesday when they play the rubber match of their three-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
“A good team identity is diversity,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You can’t just rely on a bunch of guys that can run. You can’t just rely on power all the time. You have to have that ability to beat teams in multiple ways.”
Hitting leadoff for much of the season, Maikel Garcia was recently dropped to the eighth spot in the order as Kansas City searched for more consistency in the lineup.
“Maikel does so many things,” Quatraro said. “Whether he’s hitting or not, if he takes a walk, he’s going to be running.”
Garcia is 6-for-19 with five runs in five games batting in the lower third of the order after the All-Star break. He had hit safely in 10 straight starts before going 0-for-4 in Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to Arizona while batting seventh.
“I think he came back rejuvenated,” Quatraro said. “He did exactly what he needed to do, mentally and physically, just to get away, take a break and recharge his body and his brain a little bit, and come back ready to go.”
The Royals will send right-hander Michael Wacha (7-6, 3.55 ERA) to the mound Wednesday.
Wacha has been on a roll since early May.
Since allowing seven runs in a loss to the Texas Rangers on May 4, Wacha sports a 6-2 record with a 2.30 ERA. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of the 10 starts in that span.
In eight starts against the Diamondbacks, Wacha is 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA.
Arizona will counter with right-hander Ryne Nelson (7-6, 4.78). In his lone appearance in his career against the Royals, Nelson took the loss after surrendering four runs on 11 hits in five innings on April 25, 2023.
Nelson is 4-1 in his last seven appearances. He has allowed more than three runs on one occasion in that span while striking out 35 batters against five walks. He yielded one run on three hits and fanned nine over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-2 win versus the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is enthusiastic about the return to health of his starting rotation.
“Four-fifths of our rotation was on that (injured) list a month ago,” he said. “We’re starting to layer them back in and that’s exciting.”
Zac Gallen recently returned after missing a month with a right hamstring strain. Tuesday saw the return of left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who missed nearly one month due to right knee inflammation.
“We’re excited to have him back,” Lovullo said. “He’s worked extremely hard.”
Montgomery picked up the win on Tuesday after allowing one run on three hits in five innings.
“Definitely good to be back, get the first one back under my belt,” he said. “I felt comfortable out there, pain free, and it was nice to be pain free.”
Montgomery allowed hits to the first two batters before settling in to retire 14 of the next 16 batters.
“The changeup was in play and that’s a very key pitch for him,” Lovullo said. “The pitch was very, very effective.”
