Daily Clips
March 23, 2018
LOCAL
Karns ready to go after final spring outing
Royals righty battles, displays good stuff against Brewers
March 22, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Schwindel keeps 'cooking' at plate for Royals
March 22, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Brewers 1, Royals 0: Offense goes dormant in Nate Karns' last outing of spring
March 22, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Frank Scwhindel's 'dummy pop' no longer flying under radar at Royals' spring training
March 22, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
What will we snack on at the K this season? The Royals roll out the new 2018 menu
March 22, 2018By Joyce Smith/KC Star
Royals' promotions for 2018 include deals at McDonald's, Subway
March 22, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
After near-death fall, Ned Yost's gusto is what the Royals need in time of flux
March 22, 2018By Vahe Gregorian/KC Star
Why not over-extending for Eric Hosmer will help the Royals now and later
March 22, 2018By Vahe Gregorian/KC Star
What became of the nine top-100 Royals prospects from iconic 2011 photo?
March 22, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals' late signings, including Moustakas, made them worse to Baseball Prospectus
March 22, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals' Salvador Perez keeps smiling, even when he's hit by a pitch
March 22, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Frank the Tank: Meet Frank Schwindel, the cult hero of Royals spring training
March 22, 2018By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic KC
Three bats, three arms: Kansas City Royals
March 22, 2018By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic KC
Kansas City Zoo animals celebrate Opening Day in Royals style
March 22, 2018By Chris Oberholtz/KCTV5.com
Kansas City’s Urban Youth Academy opens to the community
March 22, 2018By Katrina E. Williams/Northeast News
Whoops: Royals might be contenders this season after all
March 22, 2018FSKC.com (via AP)
NATIONAL
Postcard from Arizona: Lucas Duda and a sensitive subject
March 22, 2018By Jim Alexander/The Press-Enterprise
MLB TRANSACTIONS
March 23, 2018 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Karns ready to go after final spring outing
Royals righty battles, displays good stuff against Brewers
March 22, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Right-hander Nathan Karns, the Royals' No. 4 starter, pronounced himself ready to go for the regular season after his final Spring Training start on Thursday.
Karns gave up one run and seven hits over five innings and struck out seven in the club's 1-0 loss to the Brewers. He threw 75 pitches.
"I was able to battle, extend my workload," Karns said. "I played a little more with my two-seam cutter. But we still had success, and when I needed to get out of a situation, I was able to do that."
Karns finished the Cactus League season with a 1.98 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings.
"My stuff is playing," Karns said. "I think we're filling the zone. I think we're being able to stay ahead. From first pitch of each at-bat, we were able to get ahead. I think with that it's going to allow me to create that type of swing and miss stuff."
Grimm debuts
Right-hander Justin Grimm, who signed on Sunday, made his first appearance in a Cactus League game for the Royals in the eighth inning. Grimm gave up two hits and a walk, but he escaped without allowing a run by striking out Weston Wilson and retiring Corey Ray on a flyout to right to end the frame.
"He was a little rusty, you could tell," manager Ned Yost said. "But he got his way through it."
O'Hearn to outfield
With Hunter Dozier, Ryan O'Hearn and Frank Schwindel all expected to play at Triple-A Omaha this season, there could be a logjam at first base/designated hitter.
Yost said Dozier will play first quite a bit there, as well as outfield and third base. Yost also said O'Hearn will play some outfield, too.
Camp battles
Right-hander Burch Smith, a Rule 5 Draft pick who is perhaps on the border of making the 25-man roster, helped his cause with two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and struck out two. "He looked good," Yost said.
Outfielder Michael Saunders, who likely only makes the 25-man roster if the Royals opt to carry five outfielders, went 1-for-3 with an opposite-field single.
Injury update
Outfielder Paulo Orlando, recovering from a hamstring strain, was back in the lineup on Wednesday night and said he felt fine on Thursday morning.
Infielder Adalberto Mondesi, battling right shoulder impingement, continues to throw long toss (90 feet). He was the DH on Thursday and had two hits.
Outfielder Bubba Starling is still out with a strained oblique. He is likely a 60-day disabled list candidate.
Up next
Watch live on MLB.TV as right-hander Jakob Junis, likely the No. 5 starter in the rotation, starts at 3:05 p.m. CT on Friday in a split-squad game against the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Left-hander Brian Flynn, and right-handers Seth Maness and Mike Broadway also are expected to throw.
In the other split-squad game on Friday at Surprise Stadium, right-hander Ricky Nolasco, a non-roster invite, will start against the Dodgers at 3:05 p.m. CT. Left-handers Eric Skoglund and Tim Hill, and right-hander Wily Peralta also are expected to throw for K.C.
Schwindel keeps 'cooking' at plate for Royals
March 22, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Earlier this month, Mike Sweeney and George Brett hosted an invitation-only cookout at Brett's condo here.
You had to be a Royals first baseman to get an invite.
For young players such as Frank Schwindel, Ryan O'Hearn, Hunter Dozier and Samir Duenez, and even for veteran Lucas Duda, it was a night to remember.
"Just to be in that group for a night was pretty cool," Schwindel said.
And the cookout had another effect: Almost every player soon after started raking the ball.
Well for Schwindel, it was more of a delayed effect. He immediately went into an 0-for-18 funk.
"I think it took a little while for the Kansas City steaks to kick in," Schwindel said, smiling.
They have now in a big fashion. Schwindel, 25, is perhaps the hottest hitter in Spring Training. He entered Thursday in a 13-for-17 stretch with six homers and 16 RBIs, raising his average to .378.
Schwindel's first Spring Training invite has become a memorable one.
"Most new spots I'll start a little slow," he said. "That's been the pattern. But I just try to stick to the same approach -- get a good pitch to hit until you start heating up."
Schwindel's hot streak has caught everyone's eyes, from fans to the coaching staff.
Royals manager Ned Yost knew of Schwindel mostly from his Minor League statistics. Schwindel won the organization's George Brett Hitter of the Year Award in 2017 when he combined to hit .329 between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha with 43 doubles, 23 home runs and 97 RBIs.
"You look at him now and you say, 'It's just Spring Training,'" Yost said. "But this looks legit. It really does."
Schwindel has been teeing up all levels of pitching. On Wednesday night, he went deep against the Indians' Carlos Carrasco.
Schwindel described it as a confidence builder.
"I feel like I can hit anybody," Schwindel said. "I shouldn't be scared of anyone honestly, but it's good to know you can hit the Major League guys."
Schwindel remains a long shot to crack the 25-man roster, especially with Duda on the team. And Schwindel isn't even on the 40-man roster yet.
But Yost believes Schwindel isn't that far away.
"There's room for growth defensively," Yost said. "But I've seen improvement."
Schwindel also knows he has work to do at the plate. He walked just 16 times last season in over 500 plate appearances. "Yeah, mix in a walk or two here and there [would be good]," he said.
But Schwindel is confident with his swing, unorthodox as it is. In an age when many players are using a top-hand release method in their swings to generate more loft, Schwindel remains top-hand heavy. But it works for him.
"It's all about comfort for me," he said. "I don't like watching a lot of video of me because sometimes I don't even like how it looks. But it doesn't have to be pretty. It just has to be effective."
Brewers 1, Royals 0: Offense goes dormant in Nate Karns' last outing of spring
March 22, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
The Royals’ recent offensive fire was extinguished Thursday, as they lost 1-0 to the Brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park.
The starter
In his final outing of the spring, starter Nate Karns fell victim to one fourth-inning mistake: a two-out homer by Brewers outfielder Brett Phillips.
Karns tried to stun Phillips with an 0-1 curveball. But Phillips pulled the pitch into the berm beyond right-center field for the only run of the game.
“He did a great job,” Karns said. “It was a good pitch. I just got beat. It’s part of the game.”
The hit was one of seven Karns allowed in five innings on Thursday. The performance wasn’t his best of the spring — but Karns’ best this spring has spanned all four of his starts. Cactus League numbers suggest the right-hander isn’t feeling any lingering effects from the season-ending surgery he underwent last July to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome.
This spring, Karns has allowed three earned runs in 13 2/3 innings for a 1.98 ERA. With seven more strikeouts Thursday, he increased his total to 18.
“I feel like I’m tapping into what I’m capable of doing,” Karns said. “I think I just kind of picked the ball up where we left off and continued to progress.”
The bullpen
Rule-5 acquisition Burch Smith got through two innings without allowing a run. He’d struggled of late, allowing three earned runs in his last appearance Sunday and four runs (two earned) in an outing on March 12.
But in facing nine batters Thursday, he gave up just one hit, issued two walks and struck out two batters.
Recently signed reliever Justin Grimm made his debut for the Royals in the eighth inning and scattered two hits and a walk. He also had one strikeout.
“Grimm looked a little bit rusty, a little layoff here for a week or eight days, but got through the inning fine, which was good to see,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Liked his stuff, liked his breaking ball, but just finding that little extra bit of command on it.”
At the plate
It doesn’t appear that shoulder impingement is bothering Adalberto Mondesi in the batter’s box.
The middle infielder has been slow to return to the field since experiencing arm soreness early in Cactus League competition. But he played as a designated hitter and batted 2 for 13 during March 12-18.
After a few days off, Mondesi returned to the lineup and was one of two Royals to register a two-hit game — Lucas Duda went 2 for 3 with a double. Mondesi also stole a base.
After a nine-game power surge in which they scored 86 runs, the Royals tallied just six hits on Thursday.
Up next
The Royals (15-11-2) will play a pair of split-squad games on Friday. Jakob Junis will travel with one squad to Scottsdale, Ariz., to face the San Francisco Giants. Ricky Nolasco, who joined Royals camp on a minor-league contract earlier this month, will start the home game at Surprise Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both games are scheduled for 3:05 p.m.
Frank Scwhindel's 'dummy pop' no longer flying under radar at Royals' spring training
March 22, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
In the moments after Danny Duffy finished dissecting his latest start, the Royals' left-handed pitcher spared six words on Sunday afternoon to lavish praise on Frank Schwindel.
“He’s got some dummy pop, man,” Duffy said.
Like many around the Royals the last 10 days, Duffy was awestruck by the work Schwindel, recently named the winner of the Royals’ George Brett Award given to the best minor-league hitter in the organization, has done with his bat. For a handful of games, Schwindel was overshadowed by Mike Moustakas’ return to the lineup and an overall power surge that saw the Royals club 24 homers in eight games from March 13-20.
But after logging four hits, including his sixth homer since March 12, against the Indians on Wednesday night, Schwindel’s name stood out on the scorecard.
The first baseman ended the night on a 13-for-17 tear, during which he amassed a slugging percentage of 2.059 and 15 RBIs. He went from being mired in a 1-for-20 slump to totaling 35 bases and tying Salvador Perez and Jorge Soler’s majors-leading home run total — six players in all of baseball have hit six — in 17 at-bats.
Dummy pop.
“They’re legit (homers),” manager Ned Yost. “It’s not fluky-type stuff.”
And it’s not a bad way for the 25-year-old minor-leaguer, who has always flown under the radar, to make himself known in the big leagues.
For the first time since being selected in the 18th round of the 2013 draft, Schwindel received a non-roster invite to major-league camp this spring. He’d earned it after a 2017 season in which he hit 23 home runs, doubled 43 times and drove in 97 runs between stops at Class AA Northwest Arkansas and Class AAA Omaha. When he finished the season in Omaha, he looked up to find he had hit .321 with a .340 on-base percentage and .528 slugging percentage in his first foray into the Pacific Coast League.
It was his best campaign since he hit .280 with 75 RBIs and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .809 in 118 games in 2014.
And the hot streak didn’t stop in the offseason. Schwindel traveled to the Dominican Republic and slugged .463 with 21 RBIs, nine doubles and three home runs in 30 winter-league games.
In fact, it wasn’t until after his first Cactus League at-bat this spring that Schwindel fell into a prolonged slump. Even as he worked with coaches, he was held hitless for 19 straight at-bats.
Schwindel felt pressured. Surrounded regularly by accomplished hitters, he wanted to prove he belonged. He observed how Perez and Alex Gordon approached their work in the weight room and made mental notes. He picked up tricks in the batting cage and started swinging more relaxed during practice to leave energy in the tank for games.
The more he worked, the more comfortable he felt. He started seeing the ball better. He focused on using the whole field, not just yanking the ball to the left side.
Then he led off the seventh inning of last Monday’s doubleheader and cranked a 1-2 offering from Rangers pitcher David Hurlburt into the concourse at Surprise Stadium for a homer.
He’s hardly been stopped since.
Not even Carlos Carrasco, the Indians pitcher Schwindel took yard on Wednesday, could beat the streak.
“It’s been a lot of fun this past week, showing some people that I can hit,” Schwindel said, pausing to chuckle. “But I've just got to keep it going and just have fun with it.”
As spring training comes to a close, Schwindel finally feels some relief.
Now it's on to next thing.
“Just make it to the big leagues no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes or how long I’m up there,” he said. “Just get there and get a taste of it.”
What will we snack on at the K this season? The Royals roll out the new 2018 menu
March 22, 2018By Joyce Smith/KC Star
After 2017's introduction of a hot dog with gravy and fried egg and a pork sandwich with funnel cake buns, Kauffman Stadium is going with a more "elevated" menu this year as opposed to "over-the-top."
Last year's menu newbies grabbed early attention on social media but not necessarily repeated orders from fans.
This year's additions are "just over-the-top in flavor," said John Woychick, who is now executive chef at Kauffman Stadium for Aramark, which oversees the food operations.
He said the new menu items include high-quality ingredients, meats marinated four to eight hours, and fresh tortillas. While prices weren't available, Aramark said no menu item will be more than $15.
So what's for dinner at the K? Here are some of the new Kauffman Stadium items:
▪ DogFather Specialty Hot Dogs (a portable grill at Gate D):
"It's a New England-style hot dog bun toasted with garlic butter and then they have four different versions all with different toppings," Woychick said.
The "Made Man" with yellow mustard, sweet relish and chopped onions; the Teflon Don with yellow mustard, Don Carlo's slow roasted chili, jalapenos, chopped onions and parsley; Sweet Tooth Lucky with yellow mustard, Lucky's Park Avenue sweet beans, maple pepper bacon, chopped onion and parsley; and the KC Boss with mac-n-cheese, sweet barbecue sauce, maple pepper bacon and parsley.
▪ Kansas City CHZ Steak (section 250): Classic Philly and chicken Philly sandwiches topped with a choice of cheeses.