The Royals traded Melky Cabrera to the Giants during the offseason with the idea that Lorenzo Cain would be their starting center fielder moving forward. That trade obviously hasn’t worked out so well for the Royals, as Cabrera is hitting .364 this season and leads the majors in hits while Jonathan Sanchez has been terrible in eight starts.
Making matters worse, Cain landed on the disabled list in mid-April with a groin injury and then suffered a torn hip flexor muscle during a minor league rehab assignment. However, it appears he is finally making some progress.
Cain restarted his rehab assignment last night with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and went 1-for-3 with a single and a strikeout while playing five innings in center field. It was his first game action since April 24. The 26-year-old will likely need most of his 20-day rehab window given the lengthy absence, but he should be back with the Royals around the All-Star if all goes well.
Jarrod Dyson has filled in during Cain’s absence and is hitting just .263/.331/.306 over 183 plate appearances. If healthy, Cain should still get a long look as the team’s starting center fielder, but it’s worth noting that top prospect Wil Myers has started 18 games in center field this season with Triple-A Omaha. Still, most see the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Myers as a corner outfielder in the long-term, though he is blocked by Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur at the moment.
