Q&A with former Royals top pick Asa Lacy

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Kansas City Royals’ 2020 4th overall pick Asa Lacy was one of the top pitchers in the nation in his college days, finishing the 2019 season 11th in the country in strikeouts. This is Lacy’s second season in the minors, starting the year in AA Northwest Arkansas, but a sidelining back injury and some control issues have plagued Lacy in most of his appearances. We caught up with Lacy to check how he is adjusting to the AA level, how he is managing his injury and what he feels his game needs improvement on.

Q: After playing at Texas A&M and now venturing into pro ball, how has the level of play compared?

A: “Of course AA has been a big adjustment. It’s been good for me. I’ve learned a lot so far, just from my teammates and opposing hitters. I’m still playing against a lot of guys I played against in college, so it’s cool.”

Q: You’ve been coming out of the bullpen more recently. How has that adjustment been for you? Is that something they are looking at having you do a little bit more?

A: “I’m not sure. It gives me the opportunity to get off the mound a little bit more frequently. Just with small injuries this year, to be able to get back in the swing of things. It’s been good for me so I’m not complaining. Give me the ball as much as possible.”

Q: You were sidelined for a bit earlier this season with some back issues and had a little bit of a rehab stint in single-A. How is it feeling now?

A: “It’s better. We’re still taking it day by day. I’m able to do all the day-to-day activities: lifting, running, throwing. So I’m extremely thankful to our training staff down in Arizona and Dr. Watkins out in California.”

Q: How was the rehab stint?

A: “It was interesting. It kind of really changed my mindset on a lot of things. I’m much more conscious of things that I do versus things that I used to be able to do. It really wasn’t too long before I started progressing throwing again. But it’s definitely something we have to manage going forward.”

Q: Were there ever any mechanical changes you had to make after the injury in your rehab?

A: “No, not really. There’s been some uncomfortable moments just losing mobility here and there. But it seems to have come back recently. So I’m just gonna stick with it.”

Q: Since you have been back healthy, is there anything in specific you have been working on, especially with potentially more opportunity out of the bullpen?

A: “Really, just repeatability and consistency. That’s all us pitchers want to do. And, you know, I’ve got to get back to where I was beforehand.”

Q: This season has had a bit of ups and downs for you, especially after coming back from the injured list, how are you handling this all mentally?

A: “I’d say I’m doing good. I have a really good support staff. My teammates are all really supportive and I just come to the ballpark with the same mindset every day: just get better each and every day and take what the game gives you.”

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