O'BRIEN EXPLAINED THE DISAPPOINTING SECOND SEASON OF FOREMAN'S CAREER
O'Brien: Foreman issues not injury related
Feb 27, 2019, 4:02 pm
D'Onta Foreman. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Bill O'Brien revealed Wednesday the lackluster return from an Achilles injury by second-year running back D'Onta Foreman was due to rust and a late-season return to the team, not lingering effects from injury.
"I think anytime you get injured your rookie year I think that's hard," O'Brien said. He characterized Foreman's rehab as a "tough" one coming back from the torn Achilles. He also said there were "ups and downs" with Foreman's rehab.
"He worked at the rehab but at the end of the day he just wasn't on schedule until the end of the year," O'Brien said. "So when he came on in the end of the year it was almost too late. He was rusty, hadn't played a lot of football."
There was serious concern about Foreman's ability to bounce back from the injury. A study in Foot and Ankle International deduced running backs see significant drop-off in their abilities and talent after an Achilles injury.
O'Brien didn't see that in Foreman. He said when Foreman returned, despite the poor production, he didn't see the big rollback in his skills.
"All of that was there," O'Brien said.
Despite the body being right Foreman managed to see action in just one game in the regular season rushing for negative one yards and catching two passes for 28 yards and one touchdown.
Foreman is heading into his third season with the team and O'Brien said it is a "big year" for Foreman and "he knows that" when it comes to the expectations for him. O'Brien had faith his third-year back would meet the challenge.
"I think he'll be ready to go."
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Michael Wacha scattered four hits over six innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 2-0 for the second straight night Saturday to run their winning streak to six.
Wacha (1-3) once again received little run support, but the veteran right-hander made the meager production stand up on chilly evening at Kauffman Stadium. He struck out six while walking two and never allowed a runner past second base.
Steven Cruz worked the seventh for Kansas City, his seventh appearance this season without allowing a run. John Schreiber left runners on the corners in the eighth, and Carlos Estévez had a perfect ninth for his seventh save.
Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and scored in the first inning for the Royals, extending his career-best hitting streak to 18 games.
Framber Valdez (1-3) gave up a sacrifice fly to Mark Canha in the first inning and Pasquantino's shot down the right-field line in the fifth. Otherwise, the Astros left-hander kept Kansas City in check, allowing three hits and two walks over eight innings.
Valdez had tossed seven shutout innings against the Royals last August in a 3-2 victory.
The Astros, who have lost five straight at the K, have managed just nine hits while getting shut out over the first two games of the series. They had rolled into Kansas City having won three straight and five of their last six games.
Key moment
Isaac Parades hit a two-out double and Jeremy Peña followed with a single to give Houston runners on the corners in the eighth inning. Schreiber bounced back to strike out Christian Walker with a four-seam fastball to end the threat.
Key stat
The Royals have only scored seven runs in the 32 innings that Wacha has pitched this season.
Up next
RHP Hunter Brown (3-1, 1.16) tries to extend a 24-inning scoreless streak for Houston in the series finale Sunday. LHP Kris Bubic (2-1, 1.45) gets the start for Kansas City after tossing seven shutout innings against the Rockies his last time out.