Kansas City Royals: Will Paulo Orlando ever play for Royals again
The Kansas City Royals have plenty of answers in the outfield and that’s beginning to paint a clear picture of the future of Paulo Orlando. Will he appear in a game for the Royals again this season?
Two years ago, Alex Rios (yes, he played here) went down with an injury and the Kansas City Royals had to find a bench player to bring up to the big leagues in his place. They settled on a 29-year old Brazilian outfielder by the name of Paulo Orlando to come up while Rios was hurt.
Orlando captured the hearts of Kansas City right away, recording his first ever hit during his MLB debut that went for a triple. The Royals won that game and Orlando was an instant star.
Three days later, Orlando legged out two more triples, showcasing his clutch hitting and speed on the base paths. He made history after he had five total triples in just seven games and became a fan favorite because of it.
Orlando was apart of some big moments during his time with the Royals, so hopefully this isn’t the end of his career in Kansas City.
As the season went on, Rios eventually rejoined the team and Orlando’s role was lessened as a result. He did spend most of that 2015 season in the big leagues, however, and played a pivotal role for them during their World Series run. Orlando would typically be a defensive replacement for Rios in the late innings and was put in as a pinch runner as well when the time called for it.
In 2016, Paulo Orlando was on fire. Due to long-term injuries to Jarrod Dyson and Alex Gordon, Orlando had a maximized role with the Royals that season and reaped the benefits. He slashed .302/.329/.405 with five home runs and stole 14 bases that season. He was one of the best players on the team and at one point had a crazy 14-game hitting streak to go along with a .444 batting average.
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Many thought that Orlando would be a contributor for the Royals in 2017, but he disappeared from the spotlight pretty quickly. He only appeared in 14 games this season, slashing a disappointing .149/.184/.149 in 47 at bats.
Orlando was demoted to the minor leagues in late April and has not resurfaced for the Kansas City Royals since then. Not only that, but the speedster was actually injured in early May.
With how well Jorge Bonifacio is playing in right field and the outfield depth that the team has at the moment, have Royals fans seen the last of Paulo Orlando in Kansas City? It’s possible that he could get a call-up in September, but it’s tough to imagine former “Mr. Triple” getting another big chance to prove himself with this team. He’s 31 years old and has been injured for the last two months.
I think that Paulo Orlando’s best days are behind him. At least he got a ring during his short stint in the major leagues! Also, who could forget that incredible grand slam he hit during 2015 against the Rays?
Orlando was apart of some big moments during his time with the Royals, so hopefully this isn’t the end of his career in Kansas City. It’s just looking more and more like that though.