JACK: Royals putting Sanchez on DL is a cop-out

It looks like the Royals are starting to shake things up at Kauffman Stadium.

We know the starting pitching is just horrible.

The starters, as a group, are averaging only four innings with each outing.

This bullpen, the most-used bunch in baseball, will not be able to make it to June at this rate.

Jonathan Sanchez, who has yet to pitch five innings in a game this season, was put on the disabled list
Wednesday.

That’s a cop-out.

The Royals say he has tendinitis in his bicep – in other words, he has a sore arm. Most pitchers do.

Funny how he can start six times, but nothing's mentioned until now because he can't get anybody out. So they bury the problem and put Sanchez on the DL.

That’s how they get the guy out of the rotation.

And that’s probably a good idea.

Look, Sanchez hasn't been right since he pitched that no-hitter two years ago with the Giants.

He was injured most of last season, pitched right at 100 innings and that was it.

He was the big off-season acquisition of the Royals.

They gave the guy a one-year $5.6 million contract to pitch this year.

Good luck on getting a return on this deal.

And remember, royals traded away Melky Cabrera and his .305 batting average with 18 home runs and 200 hits, so they could get Sanchez.

The pitching staff is already hurting and the Royals call up a position player in Johnny Giavotella to take Sanchez’s roster spot.

We got an early glimpse of the lineup card at the ball park before Wednesday’s game and noticed that Giavotella will be the DH.

I don't know about you, but that kind of leaves me scratching my head.

Johnny Giavotella the DH. Let’s see, he hit two home runs in 180 AB's last year with the Royals.

One other move, the manager chose to sit Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas for the home stand finale.

Hosmer is hitting less than a buck-80, and Moose was scratched before the game, with a hamstring problem.

There's just one thing after another with this baseball team right now.

As they like to say.

Sit tight. It's a long season.

But of course, as Royals fans, we already know that.
That’s Jack’s Smack.