Daily Clips
March 14, 2017
LOCAL
KC prospects Bonifacio, Dozier homer in win
March 13, 2017By Thomas Harding/MLB.com
Young escapes jams in scoreless appearance
Veteran righty allowed four hits, one walk in three-plus innings
March 13, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Junis, Almonte, McCarthy, Duenez reassigned
March 13, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Salvy expected back in Royals camp soon
Signs positive regarding catcher's knee; club doles out Minors awards
March 13, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
College hero Merrifield living out baseball dream
Royals infielder played key role in South Carolina's 2010 championship
March 13, 2017By Fabian Ardaya/MLB.com
Jorge Bonifacio home run breaks tie in Royals’ 4-2 win over the Rockies
March 13, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals catcher Salvador Perez’s return to camp pushed back as a precaution
March 13, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals lefty Scott Alexander feeling much better after diabetes diagnosis last year
March 13, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
The Butera-Perez collision: Don’t blame Butera. Blame Perez’ teammates
March 13, 2017By Lee Judge/KC Star
MINORS
Dozier, Junis Earn Top Royals MiLB Honors
Dozier named Brett Hitter of the Year, Junis gets Paul Splittorff honor
March 13, 2017By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
Royals Option 3 Pitchers To Omaha
Almonte, Junis & McCarthy optioned to Chasers roster by Royals
March 13, 2017By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
Seven Naturals Claim Minor League Awards from Royals
General Manager Justin Cole and Manager Vance Wilson among those that were honored by Kansas City
March 13, 2017Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Former Demon Nick Heath honored by Royals organization
March 13, 2017By Jason Pugh/Northwestern State
MLB TRANSACTIONS
March 14, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
KC prospects Bonifacio, Dozier homer in win
March 13, 2017By Thomas Harding/MLB.com
Jorge Bonifacio broke a tie with an eighth-inning leadoff homer and Hunter Dozier added a solo shot in the ninth to lift the Royals to a 4-2 victory over the Rockies in a Cactus League game Monday afternoon at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
Bonifacio, No. 12 on MLBPipeline's top Royals prospects list, homered off Rockies righty reliever Luis Ramirez, while Dozier's homer, his second this spring, came off Scott Oberg.
The game featured three hits -- including two doubles -- from Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon and stingy starting pitching from the Rockies' Antonio Senzatela and the Royals' Chris Young.
"Lot of things to like," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "I liked the way C.Y. threw. I liked Boni hitting that game-winner. And I liked the fact that for the first time in a week, we played a clean game defensively."
Senzatela put himself squarely in the running for one of the two open rotation spots with 4 1/3 scoreless innings, during which he fanned four and gave up three hits. Senzatela has fanned eight in 7 1/3 innings over his past two outings.
"My fastball command was very good," Senzatela said. "When I have my fastball command, I have confidence."
Young, competing for the Royals' fifth rotation spot with right-hander Nathan Karns and lefty Travis Wood, escaped trouble and held the Rockies scoreless on four scattered hits, with one strikeout and one walk in 3 2/3 innings.
The Rockies' DJ LeMahieu knocked his second homer this spring -- the first was in a World Baseball Classic exhibition with Puerto Rico and therefore doesn't count in the Cactus League totals -- in the fifth off Wood.
Ramon Torres tied it in the seventh with a two-run single off Rockies reliever Adam Ottavino. Rockies bullpen prospect Rayan Gonzalez replaced Ottavino with two out and the bases loaded and got Peter O'Brien to fly out to right field.
Royals Up Next: Right-hander Ian Kennedy, likely the Royals' No. 2 starter, will take the mound as the Royals return to Surprise Stadium on Tuesday for a 3:05 p.m. CT game against the Angels on MLB.TV. Right-hander Peter Moylan will make his first appearance in the bullpen since returning from the World Baseball Classic after pitching for Australia.
Rockies Up Next: Righty Jon Gray, a prime candidate for the Opening Day start (manager Bud Black has not announced), will start against the Athletics at HoHoKam Park at 2:05 p.m. MT. Rotation hopeful Jeff Hoffman and bullpen competitor Carlos Estevez also are expected to pitch.
Young escapes jams in scoreless appearance
Veteran righty allowed four hits, one walk in three-plus innings
March 13, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
The battle for the Royals' No. 5 spot in the rotation marched on Monday as two of the contestants -- right-hander Chris Young and left-hander Travis Wood -- made their third appearances of the spring.
Young had the upper hand this time, throwing 3 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out one in the Royals' 4-2 win over the Rockies.
"I think my fastball command was better," Young said. "I threw some good pitches. Slider wasn't as sharp but that's what Spring Training is for, to try and get a feel for certain pitches and building up arm strength."
Young worked out of two tough spots. He had a runner on third and one out in the first but escaped further trouble, then worked around a leadoff double in the third.
"I made some good pitches in the first to get out of that and did the same thing in the third," Young said. "Fortunate that our guys made some good plays behind me."
Young doesn't view getting out of jams in Spring Training as anything necessary leading into the regular season.
"It's great to not be in those situations, too," Young said. "At this point, it just comes down to pitch selection and execution. You just try to make the best pitches you can. If you do that, you should have decent success."
Wood also threw 3 2/3 innings but gave up six hits and two runs.
Junis, Almonte, McCarthy, Duenez reassigned
March 13, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
The Royals made more reassignments on Monday, sending four prospects to their Minor League camp and thus reducing their number of players in Major League camp to 51.
Royals manager Ned Yost said of those who were moved -- pitchers Jake Junis, Kevin McCarthy and Miguel Almonte, who were optioned to Triple-A Omaha, and first baseman Samir Duenez, who was optioned to Double-A -- he believes Junis and McCarthy could possibly help the big league team this season.
"Innings are getting short," Yost said. "I want guys who can possibly help us this year to get more innings right now. We're losing innings [as fewer Spring Training games remain]."
Yost got a good look at McCarthy last season, when McCarthy appeared in 10 games for the Royals and posted a 6.48 ERA. Yost liked what he saw this spring from him.
"Like I said, he can help us," Yost said.
This was Yost's first extended look at Junis, a right-hander who gave up 10 hits and nine runs in four appearances. He is ranked No. 6 among Royals prospects by MLBPipeline.com.
"He just needs to work on consistency," Yost said. "Pitches are good, stuff is good. Just a young guy who is developing."
Almonte, once considered an ascending prospect, had a rough year in 2016 and was demoted from Triple-A to Double-A, posting a combined 5.92 ERA. But Almonte, ranked No. 17 in the organization, is only 23 and has time, as Yost pointed out, to figure things out.
"Good stuff. Same stuff," Yost said. "He just needs to continue to develop as a pitcher, get a little more on the attack."
Duenez, 20, is an ascending prospect (ranked No. 19) who was protected on the 40-man roster in the offseason. He was promoted twice last season and wound up at Double-A Northwest Arkansas -- combined he hit .284 with 13 homers and 100 RBIs.
"He was really impressive," Yost said. "Had a heck of a year last year and you can see why. His bat stays in the zone a long time. Needs to work on his defense."
Salvy expected back in Royals camp soon
Signs positive regarding catcher's knee; club doles out Minors awards
March 13, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
All-Star catcher Salvador Perez, who injured his left knee in a collision with Royals teammate Drew Butera in a World Baseball Classic game Saturday, was expected to return to Arizona sometime late Monday.
Perez had to be helped off the field Saturday, but an MRI that night revealed only inflammation in the knee and no structural damage.
Perez, who will not play for Venezuela any more in the Classic this spring, originally was scheduled to be back at Royals camp Sunday night.
"The doctors didn't want him flying right away," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "There might be a little fluid on his knee. They wanted to give him a day for that to settle down."
Perez is expected to have a second MRI on Tuesday. The Royals' medical staff wants the second MRI as confirmation there are no lingering issues with Perez's knee.
"They're very cautious until they get their hands on him," Yost said. "It's all 95 percent positive, but they want to get their hands on him before they release that other five percent [that he's OK]."
Minor league awards
The Royals issued their annual Minor League awards Monday morning in a ceremony on the practice fields.
Right-hander Jake Junis won the Paul Splittorff Award as the top Minor League pitcher in the organization. He went 9-7 at Double-A Northwest Arkansas with a 3.25 ERA.
Outfielder Nick Heath, a 16th-round pick in the 2016 Draft, won the Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year Award. He had 36 steals in the Pioneer League.
Right-hander Yender Caramo won the Carlos Fortuna Award as the player who most improved his English. Caramo, 25, remains in the Royals' big league camp and has impressed Royals coaches with a 0.00 ERA in five appearances.
Outfielder Logan Moon won the Mike Sweeney Award as the player who best represents the organization on and off the field.
Infielder/outfielder Hunter Dozier won the George Brett Hitter of the Year Award. Dozier, 25, slashed a .296/.366/.533 line between Omaha (Triple-A) and Northwest Arkansas (Double-A), setting career highs in runs (79), hits (144), doubles (44), home runs (23) and RBIs (75) in 2016.
Catcher Cameron Gallagher won the Frank White Defensive Player of the Year Award. Gallagher, 24, led Texas League catchers in total chances (713), putouts (648), assists (62), double plays (nine) and caught-stealing percentage (.476, 30 of 63 would-be basestealers).
Northwest Arkansas general manager Justin Cole won the Matt Minker Award as the outstanding Minor League affiliate employee.
Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson won the Dick Howser Award as the organization's most outstanding player development person.
And finally, Special Assignment scout Mitch Webster won the Art Stewart Award as the organization's most outstanding scout.
College hero Merrifield living out baseball dream
Royals infielder played key role in South Carolina's 2010 championship
March 13, 2017By Fabian Ardaya/MLB.com
It would be hard to script a better end to a college baseball career than Whit Merrifield's.
It was Merrifield who, as an infielder at South Carolina, laced a 2-0 fastball to right field in the 11th inning for a walk-off RBI single against UCLA in the final of the 2010 College World Series. That hit at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium delivered the Gamecocks' first national championship in baseball.
Merrifield and his team had a flair for the dramatic, leading to a wild title run even before the walk-off moment against the Bruins.
"It was a crazy run," Merrifield said. "We lost our very first game of the regional, so we had to fight back from that. We had two down-to-the-wire games in [the super regionals], and we lost the first game of the [College] World Series, so we had to win six in a row to win it. It was a crazy run, and that last at-bat just capped it off for me."
Nine players at Rosenblatt Stadium that night, including Jackie Bradley Jr., Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, made it to the big leagues before Merrifield made his Major League debut with the Royals on May 18 of last year.
At 27 years old, he was older than most rookies breaking through, but he made an immediate impact, hitting .356 over his first 11 games in May. Then he belted a couple of home runs in his second month in the big leagues.
"It was definitely rewarding," Merrifield said. "For a lot of years, I thought that I could play in the big leagues. To finally get the opportunity, and to capitalize on it, it was huge for me. It gave me a lot of confidence."
His success tailed off in July, as he hit .170 in 53 at-bats before being optioned to Triple-A Omaha. However, his second stint in the Minors wouldn't last six years like his first. He was a September call-up, and hit .307 over his final 101 at-bats.
"It was pretty surreal," Merrifield said. "It was great to finally get a shot and come up with a team who is as close as this team and as good as this team is. The goal every day is to come and help the team win, and I hope to continue to do that."
This time, he's determined to stick around. Merrifield is mired in a four-man race during Spring Training for the starting job at second base, along with Christian Colon, Cheslor Cuthbert and Raul Mondesi. Of the three, only Merrifield posted an OPS above .700 last season.
Merrifield said he has benefitted greatly from having an experienced group of veterans surrounding him in the infield, including first baseman Eric Hosmer, shortstop Alcides Escobar and third baseman Mike Moustakas. Becoming a regular with that group, he said, will depend on him cleaning up his game and making big league plays look routine. "Spring is always a time to work on things and make every part of my game better," Merrifield said. "Whether it is jumps on the bases, double-play turns, driving the ball to the opposite field, just different things I work on each spring to become a complete player."
Jorge Bonifacio home run breaks tie in Royals’ 4-2 win over the Rockies
March 13, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio is likely targeted to open the season at Class AAA Omaha, but he’s certainly made an impression on Royals manager Ned Yost in spring training.
“I thought last year he made big strides in spring training, had a really good year in Triple-A and showed up this year even better,” Yost said over the weekend. “He’s progressing quite nicely.”
On Monday, Bonifacio showed why he’s caught Yost’s eye when his home run against Luis Rivera in the eighth inning broke a tie and helped the Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2.
Bonifacio, 23, is batting .455 (10 for 22) with three doubles, two home runs and six RBIs this spring. Last year at Class AAA Omaha, Bonifacio hit 19 homers with 22 doubles and 86 RBIs in 134 games.
“He’s a kid that has progressed well,” Yost said. “Is he a guy who could play in the big leagues right now? Absolutely. He just needs opportunity. It’s nice to have guys like that that we feel if something happened, we’re well-covered.”
Chris Young started for the Royals and allowed four hits and a walk in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
“I threw some good pitches,” Young said. “Fastball command was better than my last two outings. Slider wasn’t as sharp, but that’s part of spring training. Pitches come and go and you try and get the feel for it and working through situations and building up arm strength. I like that I got through it.”
The Royals, 8-8, were down 2-0 when they tied it in the seventh against Adam Ottavino.
Cheslor Cuthbert hit a nubber in front of the plate and catcher Jan Vazquez’s throw to first was wild, allowing him to take second base. Cuthbert moved to third on a single by Whit Merrifield, who stole second. Both scored on a single by shortstop Ramon Torres.
Bonifacio opened the eighth inning with a homer, and Hunter Dozier cracked a solo shot with two outs in the ninth.
“I liked our pitching, I thought C.Y. was great, I thought Woody (Travis Wood) was good, Matt Strahm, a four-out save,” Yost said. “I liked the offense. I like the fact that for the first time in a week, we played a clean game defensively. That was good. There was a lot to like today.”
The regulars
Brandon Moss started in left field and was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.
Right fielder Jorge Soler was 0 for 2 with a walk.
Mike Moustakas was the designated hitter and went 2 for 3 with a double.
The arms
Yender Caramo got one out in the fourth inning when he took over for Young. Caramo has made seven appearances this spring without allowing a run in 6 1/3 innings.