Reclamation projects abound at MLB spring training

GLENDALE, ARIZ. >> Kyle Zimmer remembers the feeling of failure and frustration that washed over him while standing on the mound in spring training, his fastball topping out at 82 mph and his arm feeling as if it was flying to home plate right along with the ball. The fifth pick of the Kansas City Royals in the 2012 draft had gone through elbow surgery. Biceps tendinitis. Shoulder surgery. Thoracic outlet surgery. More shoulder soreness and fatigue. Standing on a mound? He might as well have been standing in a hospital. He’d seen plenty of them. The strapping righthander’s career had crashed so hard that when the Royals finally designated him for assignment, then requested outright waivers, nobody wanted him. So he signed a minor league deal to return to the only club he’d ever known, then began the long and arduous road to recovery one more time, unwilling or unable to give up on his big league dreams. “You’re just trying to ride it out,” Zimmer said, “each setback.” There are always stories to watch at spring training, whether it’s the hot shot prospect or the aging star or the high-priced free agent. But often overlooked are the reclamation projects, guys like Zimmer and Royals teammate Bubba Starling who have been through the wringer. You see, just like it’s hard for them to give up on their dreams, it is often just as hard for an organization to give up on them. In most cases they were once-prized prospects, high draft picks that were expected to be the building blocks of a championship team. But whether it was injuries or ineffectiveness — often both — things never really panned out. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the raw talent that so enamored scouts was merely a mirage. So in the case of Zimmer, the Royals kept an eye on him throughout last summer, watching him toil away at the new-age Driveline Baseball academy in Seattle. He threw weighted balls, went through unique stretching routines, and slowly he rebuilt his bionic arm into something worthwhile. He was impressive enough that the Royals gave him a major league contract with an invite to spring training, where he’s so far allowed three hits and no runs in three appearances. “We did lose faith in his ability to stay healthy,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore admitted. “It’s not personal. We love Kyle. Then he rededicated himself in a way that’s been well-documented. We evaluated him and felt that he deserved an opportunity to be back on the 40-man roster.” That’s also why Moore signed Starling, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft, to a minor league deal.