SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Kansas City Royals had hoped to build
future pitching staffs around 22-year-old Zack Greinke, but they
are not planning on him being in the rotation when this season
starts on April 3.
Greinke left camp on Sunday with the club's permission to return
to his home in Orlando, Fla., but it is unknown when he will
return.
"We're going about it, quite frankly, that Zack is not going to
be here in time to get ready for the rotation," Royals manager
Buddy Bell said Monday. "We pretty much are preparing for the
worst right now. That could change. I don't think it will."
General manager Allard Baird said there "is no timetable" for
Greinke's return, which could jeopardize his chances of making the
staff out of spring training.
"It affects it a lot, depending when he can comeback," Bell
said. "If he would come back tomorrow, which isn't going to be the
case, there's no issue."
Bell said Greinke, who led the American League with 17 losses in
2005, would need to get back here "in time to get in shape and
show he can get people out" to start on April 14, when the Royals
would first need a fifth starter.
"Quite honestly, I think that is a long shot," Bell said.
Baird said there could still be time for Greinke to make the
rotation.
"If he left March 15, that would be a different story," Baird
said. "We haven't played a game yet. No pitcher has pitched a
pitch yet in a game, so to me that does not factor in. The most
important thing for us right now really is for him to take care of
the personal matter. Everything else is secondary."
Baird would not disclose the reason.
"I will tell you that right now, it is not drugs," Baird said.
"He didn't get kicked out of camp or anything like that. ... To
me, it is a personal matter."
Greinke was the sixth overall pick in the 2002 draft out of
Apopka (Fla.) High and was selected the national baseball player of
the year. He made his major league debut on May 22, 2004 at the age
of 20 years, 7 months, 1 day. Only Bret Saberhagen and Mark Littell
were younger when they made their first Royals' starts.
With a 95-mph fastball and a 55-mph breaking ball, he often drew
comparisons to Saberhagen. He went 8-11 with a 3.97 ERA in 2004.
But he had a rough 2005, going 5-17 with a 5.80 ERA.