KANSAS CITY -- The Kansas City Royals made one of the most unusual roster moves in World Series history, adding 20-year-old prospect Raul A. Mondesi to the roster in place of pinch-running specialist Terrance Gore. Mondesi has never appeared in a major league game, so he could become the first player to make his major league debut in the World Series.

Oddly enough, Matt Reynolds of the New York Mets would have been in the same position. Reynolds was on the Mets' NLCS roster, but Juan Uribe, who missed the first two rounds of the postseason with a chest injury, is back on the World Series roster.

So why did the Royals add Mondesi to the roster? After all, the 20-year-old shortstop hit just .243/.279/.372 in 81 games at Double-A. While he's a prized prospect, the son of the former major leaguer is not exactly big league ready.

The major reason is that second baseman Ben Zobrist's wife, Julianna, is due Nov. 10 with the couple's third child. If Zobrist has to leave the club, Mondesi provides added infield insurance, although the club is already carrying backups Omar Infante and Christian Colon. There is no paternity leave allowance for the postseason like there is in the regular season, when a player can temporarily be replaced on the roster. "We're doing everything we can to make sure the baby doesn't come out just yet," Zobrist joked on Monday. His wife is in Kansas City and will be attending the games here.

The Royals are already carrying two backup outfielders in speedster Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando. Gore, while he's been on the Royals' postseason roster the past two years, has just six major plate appearances and has only been used in the postseason as a pinch-runner. So the Royals do lose that second pinch-running option behind Dyson, although Orlando and Mondesi both have plus speed as well. Mondesi is also a better candidate than Gore to be double-switched into the game when the series shifts to New York.

Still, he's unlikely to see any action except in an emergency. But if he does get called upon: No pressure. It's only the World Series, kid.