PAPILLION, Neb. — Andy Hawkins is the first and only San Diego Padres pitcher to ever win a World Series game. Another fun fact: He is currently the pitching coach at Triple-A Omaha.



This year marks Hawkins’ fourth with the Omaha Storm Chasers. Before 2016, he worked as the bullpen coach for the Texas Rangers. His pitching experience is self-explanatory, which might be why he’s been so easy for Kyle Zimmer to trust.



“I’m working on making some mechanical changes right now,” Zimmer told The Athletic on Thursday before a Friday outing. “It’s not easy to make adjustments midseason, but you just gotta commit to it.”



Zimmer chose to make the changes after the Royals optioned him on April 8. The biggest adjustment: Zimmer is now pitching exclusively out of the stretch at the request of Royals manager Ned Yost, according to Hawkins. The reason for the changes? In three appearances with the Royals to begin the...