Zimmer likely out of Royals' second-half plan

KANSAS CITY -- The lat injury that has put No. 1 prospect Kyle Zimmer on the shelf did have reverberations in Kansas City.

"We were looking down the road at maybe after the All-Star break, if Kyle was really throwing good and there was a need, he might be a guy that we could bring up to help us," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "And even as deep as into September if he was throwing good, come up to the big league club and help us win some games."

Now, Zimmer, a right-hander, will be fortunate if he's even playing catch by the All-Star break.

Yost said he knows of other pitchers who have overcome the same injury to compete well.

"Ben Sheets had an injury like that, it was a little more substantial than his and Ben came back. He tore his lat completely off the bone and recovered. Jake Peavy did the same thing," the skipper said. "So, they've got a good history of guys coming back strong after it."