KANSAS CITY -- Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy appeared to be headed for a career year in 2017, posting a 2.30 ERA through the first month of the season, as opponents slugged just .262 against him in April.
But in early May, Kennedy suffered a right hamstring strain, and his season was never the same.
Kennedy finished the year with a 5.38 ERA, his worst since 2008. And the righty believes he knows why: After coming back in late May, his hamstring injury never fully healed, and it robbed him of perhaps his most effective pitch, his changeup.