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After making 19 relief appearances this season, the Royals have shunted Chen back into the rotation when the Luis Mendoza experiment came to an end. The odd thing is that, barring strikeout rates, Chen's rate stats have actually been better in his eight starts: walks per nine, hits per nine, WHIP all favor him as a starter. How's that for unexpected?
The good news is that the league might be catching up to him again. Over his last two starts he's thrown a combined nine innings, allowing 14 hits and 13 runs.
Brian Dozier has logged a double and a triple against Chen in six at-bats. Plouffe has homered three times in 20 at-bats. Willingham has a 1.021 OPS is 16 at-bats. Here's hoping they all see him well again today.
Deduno is trying very hard to make himself one of the few known quantities for the rotation in 2014, and is coming off of a one-run, six-inning performance against the Indians. As a team, these Royals are hitting just .281/.316/.382 against him,
Reason for hope: right-handed hitters are batting .331 against Deduno this season, while lefties are hitting just .200. In spite of this, the Royals are starting five left-handed hitters.