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Kansas City Royals: Injuries have held Adalberto Mondesi back

By Leigh Oleszczak

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 16: Adalberto Mondesi #27 of the Kansas City Royals is helped off the field by a team trainers after he was injured while trying to catch a foul ball hit by Yolmer Sanchez #5 of the Chicago White Sox in the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 16, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 16: Adalberto Mondesi #27 of the Kansas City Royals is helped off the field by a team trainers after he was injured while trying to catch a foul ball hit by Yolmer Sanchez #5 of the Chicago White Sox in the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 16, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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While Adalberto Mondesi has risen to stardom for the Kansas City Royals over the past season and a half, injuries are always on the back of fans’ minds when it comes to the speedy shortstop.

Kansas City Royals fans have hope for the future. Adalberto Mondesi is one of the many players that fans point to when it comes to the rebuild this team is currently going through and how he could be a big part of the team when the wins start to pile up again.

The one glaring problem with Mondesi during his career has been that the guy can’t seem to stay healthy. He missed two weeks in June while he was dealing with a groin injury and now he’ll be missing an extended period of time for the second time this season.

It could even be late enough in the season where the Royals decide to keep him off the diamond for the duration of the year. That’d be a bummer, as the Royals have been fun to watch coming out of the All-Star break and Mondesi was playing a huge part in that.

Looking at Mondesi’s career to this point, it’s hard not to like what we’ve seen from him. He was slashing .266/.294/.433 with 52 RBI while also stealing 31 bases, one shy of his career high that he set in 2018.

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Mondesi’s speed and defense was what made him an attractive part of the future for the Royals. After he hit .276 last year, however, it was clear that the kid could also make plays at the plate as well.

He’s almost 24 years old and won’t hit the free agent market until 2024, so obviously he’s a major part of this rebuild. Dayton Moore even mentioned that he, along with third baseman Hunter Dozier, was off limits during the trade deadline, which is a big deal considering just about anyone else is available to be dealt this month.

The most worrisome part of Mondesi being a long-term answer moving forward, however, is can he stay healthy? The other big shortstop names in the minors are obviously Bobby Witt Jr., the second overall pick this year, and Brady McConnell, the second round selection. Witt won’t be MLB ready for several years and who knows if McConnell will end up being a shortstop in the future.

While Mondesi is out, the Royals will have to shift players around. Nicky Lopez or Humberto Arteaga can take turns at shortstop while Whit Merrifield mans second base (replacing Lopez). It’ll take some adjustments, but the Royals will get through it.

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Hopefully Adalberto Mondesi can kick this injury bug that has plagued him throughout his career. Imagine how much more of an impact he could make if he were consistently healthy. Can he be a mainstay with the organization in the contending years or will injuries continue to limit him?

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