The frustrating sophomore season of Yordano Ventura has reached its nadir: The Royals have optioned Ventura, their opening day starter, to Class AAA Omaha to make room on the roster for Jason Vargas.
The Royals agreed to a $23 million contract with Ventura before the season began, and expected him to build off his impressive rookie campaign. Little has gone right for Ventura, who has been hampered by injuries, emotional outbursts and dispirited pitching.
The maneuver came a day after Ventura delivered yet another unproductive performance. He allowed a season-high six runs and exited with no outs in the fifth inning.