An excavation of the Royals’ 2016 season begins with body parts, a list of scars and strains that defined a season. Start with Mike Moustakas’ right knee, which gave out on a May afternoon in Chicago. And then move to Wade Davis’ right forearm, which sidelined the All-Star closer for more than a month. And, yes, there was Lorenzo Cain’s left wrist, which ended his season in September — and, in some ways, ended the club’s long-shot playoff hopes.
There were more, of course. But as the calendar pushes toward November — and the playoffs continue without the defending World Series champions — the Royals can find a measure of relief in one fact: An extra month of rest and healing could help a veteran team re-charge heading into 2017.