Wacha returns to Royals after memorable Team USA stint at Classic

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- It’s been over a week since most of the Royals’ stars and biggest personalities left camp to play for their respective teams in the World Baseball Classic, but on Wednesday, a familiar face and very tall Texan right-hander was spotted roaming the clubhouse again.

Michael Wacha returned to the Royals’ Spring Training facility after his stint with Team USA, ready to get back to work with his Kansas City teammates in anticipation of Opening Day just over two weeks away. Wacha threw off the mound Wednesday and is scheduled for three innings in his next Cactus League start on Friday night against the D-backs.

“It was all around just a great experience,” Wacha said. “From being in the clubhouse with those guys to the atmosphere out there playing in those games, getting those juices flowing again. It really did just create a lot of excitement for myself getting this season started up. It’s a couple of weeks away now, and just fired up to be back here and get this season rolling.”

While Team USA is still alive in the tournament (as of Wednesday morning), it was always the plan for Wacha to return now after he made one appearance in the first game against Brazil. On Friday, he piggybacked off of Logan Webb’s start and threw three innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts. The two-run homer Wacha allowed to Victor Mascai in the seventh inning left a sour taste in his mouth, but overall, he was happy with how the ball was coming out of his hand while contributing to a Team USA win.

Because Team USA wanted Wacha to pitch out of the bullpen and those innings would start to shrink now due to other starters being built up, Wacha thought it was best to get his three-inning outing in last week and return to the Royals to keep his season ramp-up on track. Wacha has logged 339 1/3 innings in the past two seasons with the Royals, and they need him to be ready for another 30-plus starts again in 2026 as a key member of their rotation.

“I would have loved to have a couple of starts there, but they chose other guys to make those starts,” Wacha said. “I would have loved to have another outing where I could throw multiple innings to get that pitch count up, but in reality, those starters that they have now will be throwing those innings -- those five, six innings -- and then going into the bullpen for some of those nasty guys in the back end of that bullpen.

“... I would have loved to stay. But my allegiance is obviously here with the Royals and getting ready for this regular season. Got to keep going for us.”

Wacha stuck around in Houston for a few days after his outing because he wanted to keep soaking up the atmosphere of the WBC, from being around some of the best players in the world in the Team USA clubhouse to the environment of a packed Daikin Park.

Even as a 13-year veteran of the game who has pitched in big moments and experienced it all, Wacha still tried to learn as much as he could from the teammates he was surrounded by and the coaching staff full of “legends,” as Wacha put it. And he tried to make himself available to those who wanted to talk about baseball, too, but there was really only one question everyone had for him.

About that shortstop you play with …

“They couldn’t care less about what I’m doing,” Wacha said, laughing. “They’re just like, ‘What’s it like playing with Bobby?’ I’m like, ‘It’s pretty, well, it’s pretty awesome. He’s my favorite baseball player in the game.’

“I told them: It’s pretty great knowing that he’s playing shortstop behind you every day. … What he did [on Monday], that’s routine for him now. We almost expect it. That’s kind of weird and unfair for him, but it’s what he does. He’s my favorite player.”

Whenever Witt and his other teammates who are participating in the WBC return, Wacha will be here in Surprise to welcome them back. Then it’ll be full steam ahead for the 2026 season. After experiencing what he did over the past week in Houston, Wacha couldn’t be more ready.

“I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but it lived up to everything I could have imagined,” Wacha said. “It only got me more fired up, more excited to get this season rolling and get to Atlanta for that opening series.”