KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With baseball season still on hold, players try to stay game-ready and prepare for a return — even if plans aren’t yet finalized.
Although no one wants to be in this situation, the extra time has proven to be helpful, according to Royals pitcher Brad Keller.
"I honestly I think it has helped,” he said from Arizona.
The Royals should be home at Kauffman Stadium this weekend hosting the Detroit Tigers in a weekend series, but that isn’t the case with the season suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With the unplanned downtime, Keller is working to prepare his body for the season.
"Now, every single day we can get out there and try something new,” Keller said. “I really try to focus in on pitches — spinning the ball and getting really comfortable with certain grips, tweaking our deliveries. No better time than to do it than now, since we’re not in a competitive nature right now."
Royals players are scattered across the country, but Keller decided to stay in Arizona along with a few other teammates.
When allowed, they utilize the team’s spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona, to stay ready. It's not a true spring-training environment, but it's at least something.
“Obviously, it's not the situation we all want to be in, but right now I think it is helpful,” Keller said.
