Royals Lose Michael Wacha to Concussion in Off-Field Incident at Critical Time
The Kansas City Royals are facing a mounting crisis as their playoff hopes are slipping away. 
By the end of Tuesday’s action, the Royals found themselves four games behind a wild card spot— their biggest deficit since August 25. They’ve lost the first two games of a pivotal series against the Cleveland Guardians, with a 2-0 shutout defeat on Tuesday, putting them in a difficult position.
A win on Wednesday is crucial for their slim playoff chances, but the team has now lost the reliable veteran they were counting on to take the mound for the game.
Michael Wacha Hits 7-Day Concussion IL
Royals beat writer Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported on Tuesday that right-hander Michael Wacha will not be making his scheduled start on Wednesday due to a concussion and has been placed on the seven-day injured list. Manager Matt Quatraro shared that Wacha suffered the injury in an off-field accident but didn’t provide further details on the incident.
“(Wacha) had an off-field accident that resulted in a concussion,” Quatraro said, per Rogers. “Nothing overly serious, we don’t think, but it’s enough to keep him out for a minimum of seven days. He’ll head back to Kansas City for evaluation by the doctors.”
Wacha, who has a 9-11 record and a 3.45 ERA in 28 starts this season, has delivered exactly what the Royals hoped for when they signed him to a three-year extension. The good news is that he is eligible to return in time for the team’s critical series against the Seattle Mariners next week.
In Wacha’s absence, reliever Jonathan Bowlan will take the mound for Wednesday’s game, likely indicating a bullpen day for the Royals. With two more games to play in this series against the Guardians, who now lead the Royals by 1.5 games in the wild card race, every game becomes even more important.
Unfortunately, the Royals’ rotation has been hit hard by injuries this season, with every member of the original five-man rotation (Wacha, Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, Michael Lorenzen) having spent time on the injured list at some point. While Kansas City has shown resilience in staying in the playoff race, their chances are rapidly fading as they fight to stay relevant.
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