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The Royals had a rain delay with no rain
The Royals had a rain delay with no rain
The start of Thursday afternoon’s game between the Royals and Rangers was delayed for over two hours while the skies remained sunny in most of the Kansas City area.
Kansas City was under a severe thunderstorm watch this afternoon, and some parts of the metro saw brief showers, although it doesn’t appear the stadium was affected.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSo why was there a delay?
The Royals may have had another reason to be cautious – a heavily taxed bullpen. Stephen Kolek departed after five innings on Tuesday, forcing the Royals to cover four innings with relievers. On Wednesday, Seth Lugo exited early after being struck in the head by a line drive, and an extra-inning game required the Royals to use seven relievers.
The Royals wanted to avoid a situation where the game starts and is then delayed after a few innings. That could cause starting pitcher Michael Wacha to stiffen up and exit the game, requiring the Royals to go to their bullpen early again.
On game day, if weather becomes an issue before first pitch, the home club is usually the primary decision-maker on whether to delay the start, move up the start, or postpone the game. Teams consult with the league with input from the visiting team, but usually the home team gets final call. MLB rules state:
The home team shall be the sole judge as to whether a game shall not be started because of unsuitable weather conditions or the unfit condition of the playing field, except for the second game of a conventional or split doubleheader.
Once the game starts, the decision is made by the umpiring crew. A Royals rain delay with no rain previously happened in April of 2025, for a game with the Rockies.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTeams have become more aggressive about moving around game times to avoid inclement weather. But this may have been a case of excessive caution. It’s difficult to imagine the Rangers were thrilled about a two-hour delay before a flight to Boston for a series that begins tomorrow night.
The Royals began the game at 3:30, two hours after the original 1:10 start time. Baseball teams spend a lot of time trying to outsmart the weather. On Thursday, the Royals avoided the risk of a mid-game rain delay. They also left plenty of people wondering whether there was ever enough weather to justify delaying the game in the first place.