SURPRISE, Ariz. Royals pitcher Ian Kennedy and left fielder Alex Gordon arent ready to sit back in rocking chairs and have nostalgic conversations that included phrases like we were something werent we.
They each feel like they can still be premier players, and the Royals certainly need more out of them than moral support and words of wisdom.
Kennedy, 34, and Gordon, 35, are the elder statesmen of the Royals roster as well as the teams highest-paid players, checking in with salaries of $16.5 million and $20 million, respectively. Each debuted in the majors in 2007, and they each recognize that significantly more of their career is behind them than ahead of them.
Theyre trying to wring as many ounces of baseball out of their bodies as possible. While they share that goal and have discussed with one another the challenges they face as older players, theyve taken different approaches to their fights against Father Time.
When I hurt my oblique it was like all right, Ive got to start looking at things now because Im not 26 like some of these guys, Kennedy said. Im 34. I talked to Gordo about it, and theres some things youve got to change just because your body is a lot different than it was almost 2,000 innings ago.
Kennedys oblique strain limited him to 22 starts last season, and he spent the better part of two months on the disabled list and pitched just three innings from the start of July through the first week of September. His 22 starts marked his fewest of any of his full seasons in the majors.
The fact that the oblique injury came on the heels of the previous seasons hamstring/groin ailments in 2017 made Kennedy seek answers from the teams physical therapist, Jeff Blum.
Theres always a constant adjustment, whether it be pitching this, for me, was more of an off-field adjustment, Kennedy said. I feel like if you want to play a long time, youve got to make adjustments every three or four years.
Blum and Kennedy changed the volume of Kennedys exercises in the weight room in the offseason, regularly having him do sets of as many as 30 reps when he used to go no higher than 10 or 12. They aimed to build endurance in the muscles.
Once he stopped running out of breath, Kennedy feels that he saw results in his workouts that gave him indication he was getting stronger in the right ways.
It wasnt like powerlifting, squat 400 pounds, Kennedy said. I cant squat very much, but I can do it for a longer period of time.
The Royals tossed around the possibility of using Kennedy in the bullpen this season. That seems like a longer shot now that the team has added veteran options such as Brad Boxberger, Jake Diekman and Drew Storen along with returning players such as Wily Peralta, Kevin McCarthy, Brian Flynn, Tim Hill and Rule 5 acquisitions Sam McWilliams and Chris Willis.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore said the clubs faith in Kennedys ability to hold up physically was factored into the thinking that he could potentially handle a bullpen role.
Ian Kennedy is capable of making adjustments, Moore said. Hes very, very smart. Hes healthy. Hes somebody who prepares. He spends a lot of time analyzing things. He works with our training staff and our strength and conditioning coaches very well. Ian is capable of making all those adjustments and continuing to pitch and pitch well.
While Kennedys strength and conditioning adjustment included doing more, Gordon decided to take his foot off the gas pedal after his injury issues last season.
