— BY ANNE ROGERS, ROYALS.COM —
CHICAGO (Royals.com) – The Royals acquired righty pitcher Michael Lorenzen from the Rangers on Monday, a day ahead of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline, in exchange for lefty reliever Walter Pennington.
Lorenzen, 32, is 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) with the Rangers this season after signing a one-year, $4.5 million contract during Spring Training, making his season debut on April 15.
He was a first-time All-Star last season when he made 29 appearances (25 starts) with Detroit and Philadelphia, setting career highs in starts, innings (153), wins (nine) and strikeouts (111). Lorenzen has performed especially well against lefty batters, holding them to a .144 average this season.
The Royals have been searching for pitching depth, especially with concerns about injuries to their bullpen after both John Schreiber and Hunter Harvey left Sunday’s game early. Lorenzen has pitched in relief throughout his career, with 269 of his 295 career appearances coming out of the bullpen, mainly with the Reds. In the past three seasons with the Angels, Tigers and Phillies, he’s become a starter. That experience gives the Royals some versatility and flexibility with their staff.
Pennington, 26, made his Major League debut earlier this month after he was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the Colorado School of Mines in 2020. He made 37 appearances (two starts) with Triple-A Omaha this season and posted a 2.26 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings. The Royals have several lefties in their bullpen already with Kris Bubic, Sam Long, Angel Zerpa and Will Smith, making Pennington a good trade chip.
