Daily Clips
June 28, 2018
LOCAL
Royals' Moore: Heimlich situation 'very complex'
June 28, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals solve Hader, ride 5-run 7th to win
Moose crushes No. 15; Peralta survives Brewers' late rally
June 27, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Salvy 'OK' after being struck by foul tip
June 27, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Moose ignoring trade talk as Deadline draws nearer
June 27, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals' Danny Duffy took a mighty swing and ... his bat flew into Brewers' dugout
June 28, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals' Mondesi is playing with confidence. A connection to a lost friend has helped
June 27, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Adalberto Mondesi sparks offense as Royals score five runs in an inning, beat Brewers
June 27, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Disney-Fox merger gets antitrust approval, but FSKC's future is now in question
June 27, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
How do the Royals stay positive during 'another day, another loss' season?
June 27, 2018By Lee Judge/KC Star
Fans, national media rebuke Royals for potential interest in signing Luke Heimlich
June 27, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals' Adalberto Mondesi showed off five-tool ability in loss to Brewers
June 27, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Across two days in Milwaukee, Adalberto Mondesi shows why he’s so important to Royals’ future
June 27, 2018By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic
Royals' challenges at the gate mirror struggles on the field
June 27, 2018By James Dornbrook/Kansas City Business Journal
KC woman allegedly breaks into Danny Duffy’s home claims she was looking for fiancé Elon Musk
June 26, 2018By Stephanie Graflage/FOX 4 KC
MINORS
Royals promote one of their most dynamic prospects to Class AA
June 27, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Chasers Drop 3rd Straight in Round Rock, 6-4
Wild 7th inning sends Express to 6th straight win
June 27, 2018By Omaha Storm Chasers
Another Big Inning Hurts Blue Rocks
Rocks Drop Back-to-Back to Hillcats
June 27, 2018By Wilmington Blue Rocks
Legends Drop Game One to Intimidators
June 27, 2018By Lex18.com
Great Pitching leads to 5-1 Wednesday Win For Idaho Falls
June 28, 2018By Tyson Whiting/Idaho Falls Chukars
NATIONAL
UF’s Singer ready to embark on pro career
June 27, 2018By Frank Jolley/Gainesville Sun
Examining Brad Keller’s Success
June 26, 2018By Paul Sporer/FanGraphs.com
Dayton Moore invoked Jarrod Dyson’s name when talking about Luke Heimlich. Dyson wishes he hadn’t
June 28, 2018By Zach Buchanen/The Athletic
York girls take away 'powerful' message from sit-down with KC Royals general manager
June 27, 2018By Clark Grell/Lincoln Journal Star
Six trades NL contenders should make before the deadline
June 27, 2018By Jim Bowden/The Athletic
Tigers dismiss pitching coach Bosio
June 27, 2018By Jason Beck/MLB.com
Cozart to have season-ending shoulder surgery
June 27, 2018By Maria Guardado/MLB.com
‘It looks like Uranus is off tonight’: An oral history of the Mariners’ Turn Ahead the Clock Night
June 27, 2018By Corey Brock/The Athletic
MLB TRANSACTIONS
June 28, 2018 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Royals' Moore: Heimlich situation 'very complex'
June 28, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
While the Royals continue to have internal discussions about potentially signing Oregon State pitcher Luke Heimlich, general manager Dayton Moore said he does not intend to comment on the situation any further publicly.
Heimlich, whose Oregon State Beavers will play a deciding Game 3 of the College World Series on Thursday night and is not eligible to be signed until its conclusion, pleaded guilty in 2012 of molesting his then 6-year-old niece when he was 15.
The Royals have known Heimlich and his family for several years, well before the incident was made public in a newspaper story in 2017. The Royals also have been close to the Oregon State baseball program, which spends a few weeks each year training in Surprise, Ariz., where the Royals train.
News of the Royals' possible interest in signing Heimlich became known when Moore discussed the matter in a pregame interview on Fox Sports Kansas City last week. Moore discussed it briefly again in The Kansas City Star over the weekend.
Moore described the Heimlich situation as "very complex."
"But I just don't feel the need to go into it any further right now," Moore told MLB.com.
But Moore did indicate the Royals were continuing to seek information on the matter.
According to scouts, Heimlich likely had first- or second-round talent, though he went undrafted earlier this month. He is 16-2 with a 2.80 ERA this season.
Royals manager Ned Yost was asked about Heimlich on Monday.
"I truly believe in second chances," Yost said. "But I think it's important that you go through the process like Dayton's going through the process, where you get all your facts straight on exactly what's going on, exactly what happened. Before you get all your facts straight, it's hard to make a judgment, or it's hard to make a decision or give a educated opinion on anything without doing it.
"Of course, I haven't done it. But I guarantee you this: Dayton's in the process of doing it, and there will be no stone unturned when he gets to his decision."
Royals solve Hader, ride 5-run 7th to win
Moose crushes No. 15; Peralta survives Brewers' late rally
June 27, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Of all pitchers for the Royals to come to life against, it turned out to be sensational Brewers reliever Josh Hader.
Kansas City got two key run-scoring hits and a sacrifice fly against Hader in a five-run seventh inning and grabbed a 5-4 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday afternoon at Miller Park. The Royals survived a three-run home run off Tim Hill by Brad Miller in the ninth before former Brewer Wily Peralta came in to register his second Major League save.
The game ended when Kansas City challenged a safe call at first base, and it was overturned. Royals review specialist Bill Duplissea is now a Major League-best 19-for-23 in challenges.
"For me, I thought he was safe," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He looked safe off the naked eye. We check it all, of course. When [bench coach] Dale [Sveum] said to challenge, I said, 'Challenge? What's Billy thinking?' And Dale said, 'We normally don't challenge unless [we're sure] he's out.' So I said, 'Oooh, good.'"
Hill came into the game with a 5-1 lead to face a series of lefties. But a walk, a single and Miller's home run made it a game again.
"It was set up perfectly for Timmy," Yost said. "Unfortunately Timmy couldn't get anyone out. After the home run by Miller, I just had to go get Wily."
Peralta, who spent six seasons with the Brewers, was all smiles afterword.
"It's one of the best feelings I've ever had in my career, especially in that situation," Peralta said. "Close game, one-run game, top of the lineup, and that's something when you really have to make good pitches. It feels great to face them.
"I spent 12 years with the organization. I feel part of the family in a way. When you spend that much time with one organization, you know a lot of people there. I'm glad and feel happy to have seen them again."
Mike Moustakas opened the seventh inning with his 15th home run of the season against starter Brent Suter, who left with the bases loaded and no outs in a 1-1 game. Jeremy Jeffress worked an out before ceding the mound to Hader.
With one out, Adalberto Mondesi greeted Hader with a first-pitch rocket off the wall in left field, just missing a grand slam by a few feet. But the two-run single gave the Royals the lead. Lucas Duda followed with a sacrifice fly, and Whit Merrifield added an RBI single off Hader, who came into the game with a 1.13 ERA. It was the first time this season Hader gave up two hits in an inning.
"I know he's pretty good," Mondesi said of Hader. "Lefty, throws hard. I need to be ready for that first pitch. He gave me a good pitch, I put a good swing on it and got a good result."
The Royals had not scored more than four runs in a game since June 4. The five-run seventh was Kansas City's biggest inning since it scored seven in an inning on May 30 against the Twins.
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy was sharp again, throwing six innings of one-run ball. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out seven.
Duffy's lone mistake was a 2-0 slider left up to Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar, who smashed a home run to left, his 18th of the season.
Duffy appeared to tweak his left leg as he faced his final hitter, Manny Pina, who lined out to end the sixth. Afterward, Duffy said he simply had a cramp.
"I feel like I got my feet under me again and starting to pitch the way I know how," Duffy said. "Everyone goes through ruts, and it won't be the last time. But I feel like I have a good feel for what I'm doing right now."
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Royals Gold Glove Award-winning left fielder Alex Gordon has been making incredible catches in the month of June, and none finer than when he robbed the Brewers' Christian Yelich in the sixth inning. Gordon raced back and grabbed Yelich's liner before then smashing into the wall. Statcast™ determined it was a four-star catch with a 33-percent catch probability -- he went 68 feet in 4.6 seconds. Later in the inning, Gordon made a three-star catch on a liner by Hernan Perez.
UP NEXT
After an off-day Thursday, the Royals open a three-game set against the Mariners at Safeco Field on Friday at 9:10 p.m. CT. Right-hander Ian Kennedy (1-7, 5.09 ERA) takes the mound for Kansas City, and left-hander Marco Gonzales (7-5, 4.04) will start for Seattle. Kennedy gave up two runs and four hits over seven innings last Saturday in Houston, but he is winless in his past 14 starts.
Salvy 'OK' after being struck by foul tip
June 27, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals All-Star and Gold Glove Award-winning catcher Salvador Perez left Wednesday afternoon's 5-4 win over the Brewers at Miller Park in the bottom of the ninth inning with an injury.
With Brad Miller at bat and reliever Tim Hill on the mound, Perez took a foul tip off his lower left arm. Perez said after the game he was fine.
"It just went numb for a while, and I couldn't feel my hand," Perez said. "It hit on the nerve. But it's OK now. I can feel it again."
Drew Butera replaced Perez to finish out the ninth.
Moose ignoring trade talk as Deadline draws nearer
June 27, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
First it was Jon Jay on June 6. Then it was Kelvin Herrera on June 18.
Certainly most players in the Royals' clubhouse can't help but wonder who is next to be traded as Kansas City continues its quest to restock its farm system and rebuild for the future.
At the top of the list of players who could be dealt is third baseman Mike Moustakas, who signed a one-year deal during Spring Training. Moustakas has been around long enough to understand the big picture.
"Watching [Lorenzo Cain] and [Eric Hosmer] go, and the guys we won a World Series with go, is tough," Moustakas said Wednesday. "But at the end of the day, this is a business. We get that. I get that. And the Royals have to do what's best for the Royals. We all understand that."
Moustakas certainly understands his situation. With the team more than 30 games under .500, he knows more deals are coming, and he knows he is a valuable asset in trade talks.
Moustakas, who set the franchise record with 38 home runs last season, leads the team with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs this season.
"But coming out here every day, you can't think of that," he said. "You have to perform at a high level. If you start wondering where you'll end up, it just gets in the way. You can't let it get into your head."
And Moustakas swears he isn't checking his cell phone every five minutes chasing down every rumor.
"Not really," he said, smiling. "I'm pretty sure someone will come in and tell me if something happens to me. If I do have questions, I just call my agent.
"I honestly have no idea [when he might get dealt]. What [general manager Dayton Moore] wants to do, he's in charge. My job isn't to worry about that."
Does Moustakas think he'll get a heads up from the organization if a deal is in the works?
"I think Dayton still has a job to do, and whatever is best for the organization, he has to do," Moustakas said. "He has done a lot for me and my family over these past 10 or 11 years. I couldn't ask him to do more. If he did [talk to me first], that would be cool. If he didn't, that would be cool, too. His job is to look after this organization."
Grimm to DL
On Wednesday, The Royals placed right-hander Justin Grimm on the 10-day disabled list and recalled right-hander Jason Adam. Grimm began suffering from a right shoulder impingement last weekend in Houston, manager Ned Yost said.
Royals' Danny Duffy took a mighty swing and ... his bat flew into Brewers' dugout
June 28, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy carried a modest two-game hitting streak into Wednesday's game in Milwaukee, so maybe that's why he wasn't wearing batting gloves when he stepped to the plate in the third inning.
Duffy had a hit in his only game last season in a National League park, and he also singled when the Royals played in Philadelphia in 2016. So it was a two-game hitting streak that dated back to the Obama administration.
On Wednesday, Duffy almost did some damage with his bat in Milwaukee. Unfortunately, it was to the Brewers dugout.
Duffy swung through a third strike from Milwaukee starter Brent Suter in the third inning of the Royals' 5-4 victory. It was a mighty hack, and Duffy lost control of the bat, which flew into Milwaukee's dugout.
The game was being broadcast on Facebook and Royals pitcher Brad Keller was being interviewed at the time. Everyone noted the lack of batting gloves:
In the sixth inning, Duffy struck out, so the hit streak came to an end. He was wearing batting gloves that time.
Royals' Mondesi is playing with confidence. A connection to a lost friend has helped
June 27, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Five months ago, the Royals signaled to former top prospect Adalberto Mondesi they weren’t ready to hand him the starting job at shortstop. They signed Alcides Escobar to a one-year contract, assured by the 31-year-old’s durability and Gold Glove-caliber defense.
Plans have changed. The Royals’ offense has under-performed. There’s little point letting Mondesi, who turns 23 next month, continue his development in the minor leagues when he’ll be out of options next year.
As such, Mondesi has made three major-league starts at his natural position — one he handles with dexterity and nimbleness — since being recalled from Class AAA Omaha on June 17. He will continue to get more chances there throughout the second half.
And in the middle of a woeful season, Mondesi’s meager contributions have been significant. In Tuesday’s loss at Miller Park, he kept the Royals from being shut out, and on Wednesday he sparked a late rally in a 5-4 win over the Brewers.
“I feel more confident,” Mondesi told The Star. “I’m playing baseball my way.”
There are two people the Royals can thank for the strides in Mondesi’s development: Reliever Wily Peralta and late Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura.
Mondesi has honored the latter for more than a year. He has dangled a silver pendant around his neck, a baseball-shaped disc with stitches etched around the outside and Ventura’s number 30 in the center. He’s worn T-shirts sporting images of Ventura and gotten tattoos in Ventura’s memory. Mondesi posts often on his Instagram account photos and videos of the two of them together.
So when Mondesi found out his 29-year-old fellow countryman was born in Ventura’s native province of Samana, Dominican Republic, he gravitated to Peralta.
“When I heard he signed with the Royals, I immediately got close to him because I knew he was from there,” Mondesi said. “He’s a great person and he’s helped me a lot because he’s been in the big leagues a long time. He’s given me a lot of advice.”
Their blooming friendship is unintentional. The Royals acquired Peralta, who Mondesi said briefly met Ventura, for his lively arm and an arsenal that in his last three major-league outings has played up out of the backend of the bullpen.
They also received a man who had an instant impact on the clubhouse in Omaha, where he accepted an assignment to begin the season in the minor leagues.