Daily Clips
March 16, 2018
LOCAL
Hammel finding feel for two-seam fastball
Moustakas could DH on Friday; O'Hearn, Schwindel each club 2 HRs vs. LA
March 15, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Revisiting Royals' projected Opening Day roster
Goins, Torres among those battling to make 25-man
March 15, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals tab Duffy for opener vs. White Sox
March 15, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals 14, Dodgers 8: 'Everybody had two hits' as Hammel gets some ground-ball outs
March 15, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
For the second year in a row, Danny Duffy will be the Royals' Opening Day starter
March 15, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
'Person of Interest' fills in for coach Dale Sveum during Royals team photo
March 15, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Q&A: Jason Hammel on his 2017 season, the 'juiced ball' and the cold free-agent market
March 15, 2018By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Mitch Maier: one good turn deserves another
March 15, 2018By Lee Judge/LeeJudgeKC.wordpress.com
MLB TRANSACTIONS
March 16, 2018 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Hammel finding feel for two-seam fastball
Moustakas could DH on Friday; O'Hearn, Schwindel each club 2 HRs vs. LA
March 15, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals right-hander Jason Hammel's primary mission this spring was to command his two-seam fastball and get more ground balls.
After Thursday's start against the Dodgers, a 14-8 win by the Royals, Hammel believes he's getting really close.
The results don't tell the true story of Hammel's day. He went four innings and gave up five hits, including two home runs, and four earned runs in dry and windy conditions. Winds gusted up to 23 mph.
"That was an Arizona day for sure," Hammel said. "But I felt really good today. A lot of ground balls, good sinkers. Good execution there. Good sliders. Left a couple balls up into the jet stream, but I'm going to walk away from this feeling pretty good.
"I don't know how many ground balls I got, but it was a lot."
Moustakas hits in Minor League game
Third baseman Mike Moustakas, who signed a one-year deal last weekend, went 0-for-4 with a walk in a Minor League intrasquad game Thursday. He may DH in the Royals' game against the Padres on Friday.
Big day for O'Hearn
First baseman Ryan O'Hearn, likely headed for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, gave the coaching staff something to think about as he registered three hits, including two home runs, and drove in five runs. Frank Schwindel, another first baseman, also hit two home runs and had four RBIs.
Who will play center field?
Royals manager Ned Yost said a week ago that he thought Jon Jay's best outfield positions were at the corners. But Yost hasn't ruled out Jay playing center field, and the veteran started in center on Thursday. He went 2-for-3, with both hits coming in the first inning, while walking and scoring a run.
Alex Gordon and Paulo Orlando are the other candidates to play center.
"We're still evaluating," Yost said. "I haven't made any final decisions on the alignment in the outfield. We'll see how it goes."
Camp battles
• Infielder Ryan Goins, in a battle for the utility role with Ramon Torres, had another good game Thursday, with two hits and an RBI. He also made multiple fine plays at shortstop.
• Left-hander Brian Flynn, who is out of options but still not a lock to make the bullpen, strengthened his case with two scoreless innings against the Dodgers.
Injury update
• Orlando remains out because of a Grade 1 hamstring strain that occurred while lunging for a line drive on Saturday. He could return in a day or two.
• Infielder Adalberto Mondesi remains on a non-throwing program because of a shoulder impingement. He may start throwing Friday.
• Outfielder Bubba Starling is battling an oblique injury to his left side. Starling said Thursday he will be shut down for close to a month and likely will remain in Arizona for extended spring training after camp breaks. He's a candidate for the 60-day disabled list.
Up next: Right-hander Nate Karns, the team's projected No. 4 starter, will make his third spring start as the Royals travel to Peoria to take on the Padres. Game time is 3:10 p.m. CT, and the game can be viewed on MLB.TV.
Revisiting Royals' projected Opening Day roster
Goins, Torres among those battling to make 25-man
March 15, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
The Royals break camp in less than two weeks, and they still have several key roster decisions to make.
Do they keep four or five outfielders? Five or six infielders? Seven or eight bullpen arms?
We'll know the answers soon enough. But let's take a stab at what those decisions will be and forecast the Royals' Opening Day roster. Let's also compare it to our pre-camp predictions.
Catchers: Salvador Perez, Drew Butera
No changes here compared to the pre-camp projection.
Infield: Alcides Escobar, Whit Merrifield, Lucas Duda, Mike Moustakas, Cheslor Cuthbert, Ryan Goins
Our original prediction was that Eric Hosmer would be manning first base. The Royals made an offer but lost out to the Padres in the Hosmer sweepstakes. No way we could have forecasted the return of Moustakas (and we didn't) on a one-year deal. We also had Ramon Torres on the previous projected roster as the utility infielder, and he very well could be. But it seems it would make sense to have Torres continue to develop with regular at-bats at Triple-A Omaha, considering he does have options. If Goins makes it instead, the Royals will have to clear space on their 40-man roster for him.
Outfield: Alex Gordon, Jorge Soler, Paulo Orlando, Jon Jay
Our previous forecast had Jorge Bonifacio, who is now suspended 80 games for a performance-enhancing substance violation, and Billy Burns, who is out of options. However, Burns cleared waivers and likely will head for Omaha. Jay was a Spring Training addition.
The Royals could carry five outfielders and squeeze Michael Saunders or Tyler Collins, both non-roster invitees, on the 25-man. But it will be tough enough to divide the at-bats among Gordon, Soler, Orlando and Jay. And Merrifield can play outfield in a pinch.
Rotation: Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jason Hammel, Nate Karns, Jakob Junis
No changes.
Bullpen: Kelvin Herrera, Wily Peralta, Brandon Maurer, Kevin McCarthy, Brad Keller, Burch Smith, Brian Flynn, Blaine Boyer
The original forecast had Jesse Hahn, who is out of options. But Hahn has landed on the 60-day disabled list (UCL sprain). Boyer, a veteran who hasn't allowed a run in five outings this spring, would seem to be a logical replacement, though the Royals would have to make room on the 40-man roster for him. Flynn is out of options, which may give him the edge over left-hander Tim Hill, who has impressed the coaching staff. The toughest call is Smith, who, like Keller, was selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Smith has walked eight and given up seven earned runs in eight innings this spring. But Smith and his plus fastball have a high ceiling, and the Royals are in somewhat of a rebuild, so the nod could go to Smith.
Royals tab Duffy for opener vs. White Sox
March 15, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
As expected, left-hander Danny Duffy will start for the Royals on Opening Day.
Royals manager Ned Yost on Thursday named Duffy as the starting pitcher for the team's 2018 season opener against the White Sox. It will be Duffy's second straight year as Kansas City's Opening Day starter, but his first in front of the home crowd. The Royals will host Chicago at Kauffman Stadium on March 29 at 3:15 p.m. CT.
"It's awesome. It's my second one, and I'm really looking forward to it," Duffy said. "There are five dudes in there capable of it, if not more than me. But to be tabbed as the Opening Day starter is a huge honor.
"Playing in front of our fans is great. They bring a different dynamic. First one at home and hopefully the first of many."
Duffy's starts this spring have aligned him with starting on Opening Day, so the news came as little surprise.
"We had a lot of good candidates to do it," Yost said. "It could easily have been [Ian] Kennedy. But we just felt Danny has been throwing the ball well and has experience, and he's the right guy."
Duffy is 1-1 with a 9.35 ERA through three Spring Training starts, though seven of his nine earned runs allowed came in his most recent outing Tuesday against the A's.
The 29-year-old left-hander went 9-10 with a 3.81 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 146 1/3 innings last season, despite dealing with oblique and elbow injuries that limited him to 24 starts. Duffy missed more than a month after a right oblique strain sent him to the disabled list in late May, and was out for nearly another month after a left elbow impingement sidelined him in late August.
Last season, Duffy was excellent on Opening Day, pitching six innings of one-run ball against the Twins in Minnesota. He allowed only three hits and struck out eight.
Yost also said Thursday that Kennedy would follow Duffy and pitch the Royals' second game against the White Sox on March 31.
Royals 14, Dodgers 8: 'Everybody had two hits' as Hammel gets some ground-ball outs
March 15, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
On a blustery day in the Cactus League, the Royals scored six times in the first inning and beat the Dodgers 14-8 at Camelback Ranch. It was their 10th win in 21 spring games.
The game
With the wind working in their favor, the Royals chased Dodgers starter Rich Hill out of the game with one out in the first inning. Alex Gordon, who struck out in his first at-bat, was the only hitter Hill retired before Hill gave up six consecutive hits, including an opposite-field home run to Royals first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.
The Royals sent 12 hitters to the plate in the inning and scored six runs and then did not relinquish the lead. Every starter but second baseman Ramon Torres reached base in the game. Gordon was the only other one held hitless, but he has now walked once in each of his last two games and is 0 for 22 in his last 24 plate appearances.
Frank Schwindel and O’Hearn, who went 3 for 3 with five RBIs, each clubbed a pair of home runs.
The Royals logged 19 hits in the wind-blown affair.
Royals pitchers gave up 12 hits. Reliever Kevin McCarthy, who pitched the ninth, gave up five hits and four runs.
“It was a tough day to be a pitcher today,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Wind blowing straight out. Anything you got up in the air, it was gonna go out of the ballpark or off the wall. You kinda take that in account.”
The starter …
At several junctures on the mound, Jason Hammel almost lost his balance. The wind in Glendale was gusting up to 29 mph near the end of the game — and it messed with everyone.
Of the four runs Hammel allowed in four innings, two of them scored when Yasmani Grandal drilled a homer more than 380 feet to left-center field. Another scored on Corey Seager’s leadoff home run in the third inning.
“A few got up in the jet stream,” Yost said.
Those fly balls aside, 9 of the 18 batters Hammel faced kept the ball on the ground.
“I was pretty happy with that,” said Hammel, who registered a career-low ground-ball rate of 38 percent and gave up a career-high 26 homers in 2017.
Moose sighting
The Royals planned for third baseman Mike Moustakas, who returned to the Royals on a one-year contract on Saturday, to be their designated hitter in Friday’s game against the San Diego Padres. The decision, Yost said Wednesday, hinged on how Moustakas performed in minor-league action.
In a minor-league intrasquad game on Thursday, Moustakas drew a walk and was 0 for 4.
If Yost sticks to the plan, Moustakas will also play in the field during the Royals’ split doubleheader with the Rangers on Saturday. Both of those games will be televised.
A look at the new guys
With two singles in the first, new Royals outfielder Jon Jay is now 3 for 4 with two walks in his last four at-bats.
Non-roster invitee Ryan Goins, who is fighting for a chance to win a spot as a backup infielder, went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
And first baseman Lucas Duda logged a two-run single and a double in his four at-bats Wednesday.
“Everybody had two hits,” Yost said. “There were a lot of two-hit games today.”
Up next
The Royals (10-10-1) travel to Peoria Stadium on Friday to face the Padres at 3 p.m.
For the second year in a row, Danny Duffy will be the Royals' Opening Day starter
March 15, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Two weeks from Thursday, on March 29, the Royals will return to Kauffman Stadium for their season opener.
And for the second year in a row, left-hander Danny Duffy will make the first start of the season. James Shields is the only other pitcher to make consecutive season-opening starts for the Royals since 2010.
Duffy, 29, will take the bump for the Opening Day tilt against the White Sox, a mid-afternoon affair on March 29 that is scheduled to start at 3:15.
After being named the Royals' Opening Day starter last year, Duffy posted a 3.81 ERA and recorded 130 strikeouts in 24 starts. He missed more than a month of the season when he landed on the disabled list with an oblique strain at the end of May. He also was sidelined with elbow soreness from Aug. 26 to Sept. 17.
"We just like Danny," manager Ned Yost said. "We just felt like Danny was in line. We like the way that our rotation sets up in the first two. It was a hard decision between Ian (Kennedy) and Danny."
Kennedy, instead, will start the second game of the season. In nine innings spanning three Cactus League starts, the 33-year-old has allowed three earned runs and tied for the team lead with 10 strikeouts.
A hamstring strain in May derailed Kennedy's season last year. He finished with a career-worst ERA of 5.38 and pitched the fewest innings (154) in his career, dating to his first major-league season in 2010. Still, Kennedy made 30 starts and extended his streak of 30 or more starts in a season to eight.
This spring, Duffy's allowed nine runs on 10 hits spanning 8 2/3 innings in three starts. He's struck out seven batters and issued four walks.
'Person of Interest' fills in for coach Dale Sveum during Royals team photo
March 15, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
It's not all baseball for the Royals while they're in Surprise, Ariz., for spring training.
The Royals had a private screening of the new movie, "Paul, Apostle Of Christ" on Wednesday night.
The star of the movie is Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus Christ in the movie,"The Passion of the Christ" and was on the television show, "Person of Interest."
Earlier on Wednesday, Caviezel visited Royals camp. According to former Star writer Rustin Dodd of The Athletic, Royals manager Ned Yost quipped, "Jesus is over there taking selfies."
Caviezel also took batting practice at Surprise Stadium, and then helped the Royals for a team photo.
Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com said Caviezel took bench coach Dale Sveum's place while he was at a doctor's appointment.
"(Caviezel) put on Dale's uniform and did a good job filling in," Yost told Flanagan. "We'll just photoshop Dale's head for his later on."
The Associated Press noted that Emily Penning, who is executive assistant to general manager Dayton Moore, was giving instructions during the photo shoot.
"And Emily was going, 'Jesus, you need to move back a little bit. Jesus, we're glad you're here,'" Yost said. "(Caviezel replied), 'Yeah, you're really going to need me this year.'"
Caviezel has obviously seen the predictions about the Royals' chances this season. Despite being in movies and on television, he was excited for his visit to camp.
"I think it's more humbling for me to pop into a picture and impersonate some guy," Caviezel told the Associated Press. "I enjoyed it, just getting into a team photo. How many times would you ever be on a MLB field?"
Q&A: Jason Hammel on his 2017 season, the 'juiced ball' and the cold free-agent market
March 15, 2018By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
If you ask Royals starter Jason Hammel to describe his 2017 season, he will settle on three words.