Daily Clips
March 22, 2017
LOCAL
O'Brien belts 7th HR, Soler connects for 1st
March 21, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan & Steve Gilbert/MLB.com
Vargas continues to build for regular season
March 21, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Strahm shakes off rough outing against Reds
March 21, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Esky likely back in Royals' lineup on Friday
March 21, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals hoping Jorge Soler can get on track after first spring home run
March 21, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Danny Duffy ‘It’s a bear suit’ T-shirts will benefit pediatric cancer research
March 21, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
MINORS
5 Assigned To MiLB Camp By Royals
2016 Chasers C Parker Morin, #8 KC prospect O'Hearn among group
March 21, 2017By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
MLB TRANSACTIONS
March 22, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
O'Brien belts 7th HR, Soler connects for 1st
March 21, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan & Steve Gilbert/MLB.com
D-backs left-hander Robbie Ray turned in another impressive outing in a 4-2 win over the Royals on Tuesday in front of 10,131 fans at Salt River Fields.
Ray allowed a pair of runs over five innings while striking out six and walking one. Both of the runs came on homers.
Former D-backs farmhand Peter O'Brien hit his seventh home run of the spring in the second inning while outfielder Jorge Soler, who has struggled at the plate, hit his first in the fifth inning.
"Hopefully that gets [Soler] going a little bit," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He went down to the Minor League camp the last few days and got about 16 [at-bats] just to work on his timing. He's getting there."
"The home run to Peter, that's a good curveball 0-0," Ray said. "Not mad about it. The home run to Soler to start off an inning, cheating on a fastball, you're going to have guys doing that. I'm not really worried about those."
The D-backs got a solo homer from Chris Herrmann in the second and added three runs in the fifth as they capitalized on a throwing error by reliever Scott Alexander. Gregor Blanco had an RBI triple in the frame, while Jake Lamb drove home one with a double.
Royals left-hander Jason Vargas, likely the No. 3 or No. 4 starter, went 4 1/3 innings and gave up three hits and two runs.
Up next for Royals: Watch live on MLB.TV as right-hander Nathan Karns, just named the Royals' No. 5 starter, takes the mound on Wednesday at 3:05 p.m. CT against the Padres at Surprise Stadium. Chris Young and Travis Wood, the two other contenders for the No. 5 spot, also will pitch behind Karns.
Up next for D-backs: After a scheduled off-day on Wednesday, right-hander Zack Greinke will make his next-to-last start before Opening Day on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. MST when the D-backs take on the Cubs at Salt River Fields.
Vargas continues to build for regular season
March 21, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
As Royals' camp draws closer to the end, left-hander Jason Vargas looks more and more like the pitcher he was in 2014 and '15 before he underwent Tommy John surgery.
Vargas continued to build his pitch count up on Tuesday, throwing 72 pitches and tossing a strong 4 1/3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the D-backs at Salt River Fields.
"I felt like I was able to go out there and execute pitches," Vargas said. "We built it to a point where we could exceed last time out so that's always good.
"We'll try to build it to 90-95 pitches next time and keep moving forward."
Vargas gave up three hits and two runs while striking out three. His best moment clearly came in the first inning when the D-backs got a single and a bloop double to put runners on second and third with one out.
With the infield in, Vargas promptly struck out the next two hitters to get out of the jam.
"I wasn't really working on anything specific today," Vargas said. "Just trying to go out there and compete, and work on situations like I did in the first inning. I was able to execute pitches there so that's a plus.
"This is about where I want to be this time of spring."
Added manager Ned Yost, "He was the highlight of the day for me. I thought Vargy pitched really well."
Strahm shakes off rough outing against Reds
March 21, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
For five straight outings this spring, Royals left-hander Matt Strahm looked just like he did during his sensational rookie debut last season -- virtually unhittable.
Strahm had given up two hits and no runs in 8 1/3 innings, walked none and struck out nine.
And then Monday happened. The Reds suddenly began floating in jam shot after jam shot after jam shot. Six hits total. And six runs were plated against a shell-shocked Strahm.
"I don't think I've ever given up six runs in an inning in my life," Strahm said.
But Royals manager Ned Yost maintained a sense of humor about it all. In fact, when Yost mercifully came out of the dugout to pull Strahm, Yost smiled and said to Strahm, "Look at the bright side: You got one out."
Even Strahm had to chuckle a little.
"It's nice to make a funny in that situation," Strahm said.
Yost, of course, wasn't the least bit concerned about the outing.
"It means absolutely nothing down here," Yost said. "Just a bunch of jam shots, broken-bat hits. It happens."
Strahm, too, conceded the unluckiness of the inning.
"But that's baseball," Strahm said. "Sometimes they hit a seed to the center fielder and you get an out.
"But I think I was just getting the ball up too much. That's why they fell in. If you keep it down, better things happen. But the good news is that it's down here and not in the regular season when it matters."
Esky likely back in Royals' lineup on Friday
March 21, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Shortstop Alcides Escobar was back in Royals camp on Tuesday morning, happy to be with his teammates again.
Manager Ned Yost said Escobar likely won't play until Friday.
"More than anything, he needs a little break," Yost said. "He'll be ready to go for the season."
Escobar agreed.
"I'm ready now," he said. "I feel good."
Escobar returned after Team Venezuela was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic last week. The team finished 2-5 in the tournament.
"It was a lot of fun in the WBC," Escobar said. "I enjoyed my time there.
"We had a great team. But we got beat and that happens in baseball. But it's great to be back with my teammates and get ready for the regular season."
Escobar was playing in the Clasic for the first time, an honor he said he'd gladly do again.
"If they tell me again to go, I will go," he said. "It's great for any player to play for his country."
Decision time
Yost indicated the final two roster decisions in camp -- the final bullpen spot and the battle for the second-base job -- likely will go right down to the end next week.
"There's no advantage to making a decision early," Yost said. "It's close. And there's still time for guys to do some things."
Roster cuts
The Royals released veteran right-hander Brandon League over the weekend, and then released veteran left-hander Jonathan Sanchez on Monday.
Sanchez had caught the eyes of Royals scouts in winter ball when he was hitting 92-95 mph with his fastball. But that velocity never showed up in camp.
Sanchez had an 18.69 ERA in five outings.
"There were just too many left-handers in front of him," Yost said.
Royals hoping Jorge Soler can get on track after first spring home run
March 21, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
When the Royals acquired outfielder Jorge Soler in an offseason trade that sent closer Wade Davis to Chicago, the industry consensus went something like this: In Soler, the club had landed a 25-year-old with premium offensive potential, a player who still needed to refine his average defensive skillset and smooth out some rough edges.
If this is the book on Soler, then Tuesday afternoon offered something close to the Full Soler Experience in a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields.
Soler roped his first homer of the spring into the grass berm beyond the 390-foot sign in left-center field. He started in left field and lost a fly ball in the afternoon sun, failing to complete what would have been a difficult catch in the deep corner. He also drew a walk and grounded into a double play on a slow chopper to shortstop, laboring slowly down the first-base line.
In the moments after the loss, Royals manager Ned Yost expressed hope that the homer would help spark Soler. He revealed that the outfielder had recently escaped to minor-league camp for two days, hoping to find his swing with extra at-bats.
“He’s been working hard,” Yost said. “We didn’t really say much about it. But a couple of days ago, he went down to the minor leagues for two days in a row and got 16 at-bats. Just trying to get himself going, trying to get himself comfortable and his timing down.”
Soler, who is expected to begin the season as the Royals’ starting right fielder, entered Tuesday batting .122 (5 for 41) in his first spring away from the Cubs. The Royals believe his defense has improved, yet it can be difficult to gauge the progress in the small-sample-size world of spring training. On Tuesday, Yost said Soler’s defensive misplay was a classic “Arizona sun ball.”
The early returns come on the heels of a 2016 season in which Soler was limited to just 86 games because of injuries and a crowded outfield in Chicago. In his final season with the Cubs, he batted .238 with a .333 on-base percentage and 12 homers, securing a World Series ring in the process. In three years in Chicago, he batted .258 with a .328 on-base percentage and 27 homers in 765 plate appearances.
Yet, the Royals saw promise in Soler, once viewed as one the top prospects in the game. His spring performance has been disappointing, of course, but the Royals have tried to put the struggles in the proper context. In the end, spring numbers do not matter once the regular season begins. For now, the Royals are hopeful Soler will find more comfort in the final two weeks before opening day.
“It was good to see him center one up and hit one over the fence,” Yost said.
The arms
Starting pitcher Jason Vargas continued his preparation for the regular season, allowing two earned runs while striking out three in 4 1/3 innings against the Diamondbacks.
Vargas surrendered a solo homer to Arizona’s Chris Herrmann and also walked two while throwing 72 pitches. He will increase his pitch count to somewhere between 90 and 95 pitches in his next start.
“I was able to go out there and execute pitches and get past the point that we did last time out,” Vargas said.
Reliever Scott Alexander, who had allowed just one earned run in eight appearances this spring, gave up two runs (one earned) after replacing Vargas with one out in the fifth.
Joakim Soria pitched around some shaky defense in the sixth, recording a scoreless inning after right-fielder Billy Burns turned a single into a triple. Soria shook off the misplay and induced two ground-outs.
The regular guys
Still fighting for a spot on the roster, second baseman Christian Colon saved a run with a diving catch to his right on a line drive in the eighth inning.
Reliever Peter Moylan had allowed a double off the left-field wall and moved the runner to third with a balk. The terrific defense allowed Moylan to escape the inning unscathed.
The young guys
Peter O’Brien continued his push for Cactus League MVP honors, clubbing his seventh homer of the spring. The no-doubt shot came in the top of the second against O’Brien’s old team.
O’Brien is 15 for 45 this spring with seven homers and three doubles. He is still likely ticketed for Class AAA Omaha as the Royals sort through a looming roster crunch.
The team enters the final weeks of camp with only the starting second base job and two bench spots in flux. Those roster spots will likely belong to some combination of Whit Merrifield, Cheslor Cuthbert, Christian Colon and Raul Mondesi.
Danny Duffy ‘It’s a bear suit’ T-shirts will benefit pediatric cancer research
March 21, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
There were so many incredible plays from the Royals’ consecutive American League pennant winning seasons that it would be tough to pick one.
But one off-the-field moment that still resonates for fans is left-hander Danny Duffy’s interview with Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City after the Royals won the American League Central Division title in 2015.
Duffy was wearing a bear suit, and although it doesn’t seem that he actually said “It’s a bear suit, Joel,” that phrase has been used on a coffee mug and now a T-shirt.
Alicia Blair created the Danny Duffy bear suit T-shirts, and she said the proceeds will go to Noah’s Bandage Project, which raises money for pediatric cancer research.
Blair has made the shirts for adults and kids and she tweeted on Monday that 325 have been ordered, which has raised $3,191 for the charity.
And, yes, the T-shirts are Duffy approved.
@Duff805: This tee is soo dope. Very kind gesture too! No question this will make an impact. You have a new fan, Alicia! #MoreThan4 @NBP_Bandages
Noah’s Bandage Project is a cause that is dear to Duffy’s heart. Earlier this year, he announced he will give $500 for each strikeout he records this season to the cause.
If you’re curious, Duffy still has the bear suit.
MINORS
5 Assigned To MiLB Camp By Royals
2016 Chasers C Parker Morin, #8 KC prospect O'Hearn among group
March 21, 2017By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
The Kansas City Royals announced on Monday evening they have sent five players to minor league camp. Among that group are pitchers Bobby Parnell and Chris Withrow, catcher Parker Morin, as well as infielders Ryan O'Hearn and Garin Cecchini. Most, if not all, of that group are likely to begin 2017 in Omaha. In addition, the club announced they have released southpaw Jonathan Sanchez from his contract.
Morin, 25, was the only player from the group of five to have previously played for Omaha, including 76 contests with the Storm Chasers in 2016. He struggled at the plate in his first full year at the Triple-A level, batting .184 (43-234) with 21 runs, eight doubles, one triple, one homer and 22 RBI.
The Utah native has been invited to Major League camp as a non-roster invitee in each of the past three seasons. He was selected by the Royals in the 14th round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of the University of Utah. He appeared in nine Cactus League contests, collecting one hit in 14 at-bats, in addition to one walk.
O'Hearn, 23, is rated the eighth-best prospect in the Royals system by Baseball America coming into this season, in addition to being tabbed the "Best Power Hitter" in the organization. Between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2016 he posted a .275 average (138-502) with 62 runs, 32 doubles, two triples, 22 homers and 78 RBI in 134 contests.
The left-handed slugger was selected by the Royals in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Sam Houston State University. In 17 Cactus League matchups this year he batted .233 (7-30) along with seven runs, four doubles, two homers and five RBI.
Cecchini, 25, spent the entire 2016 season in the Pacific Coast League with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. In 126 games he recorded a .271 clip (115-424), adding 50 runs, 21 doubles, five triples, five homers and 52 RBI, along with 13 steals. In 15 matchups against Omaha last year he accumulated a .308 mark (16-52) with seven runs, four doubles, one homer and six RBI.
The Louisiana native was signed by the Royals as a minor league free agent on December 15, 2016 with an invitation to Spring Training. He was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft out of Barbe High School (La.), and made his Major League debut with the Red Sox on June 1, 2014 versus Tampa. In 15 Spring Training games with the Royals this year he hit .150 (3-20) with three runs, one double and two RBI.
Parnell, 32, and Withrow, 27, combine for 12 years of Major League experience. Parnell has accrued a 20-28 record and 3.82 ERA (143 ER/336.2 IP) over 335 career Big League outings between the New York Mets (2008-15) and Detroit Tigers (2016). He spent the majority of last year with Triple-A Toledo, recording a 2-1 mark and 3.95 ERA (19 ER/43.1 IP) with 12 saves in 44 appearances.