It was a curious sight.
Just one year after overpowering hitters in his first stint in the majors, reliever Matt Strahm could not throw strikes.
He issued six walks, including two intentional base on balls, in his first 1 1/3 innings. He allowed seven earned runs. He earned a demotion to Class AAA Omaha after just three appearances.
For a talented pitcher expected to serve as one of the Royals’ primary setup men for closer Kelvin Herrera, it was a bizarre start. Something had to be up, right?
In fact, we may have our answer.