Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2020 MLB STANDINGS UPDATE

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

SEATTLE MARINERS (4-5) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (6-2)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/13: LHP James Paxton (0-0, 2.13) vs RHP Jake Junis (1-0, 2.57)
04/14: RHP Mike Leake (0-1, 9.64) vs RHP Ben Lively (1-0, 0.00)
04/15: RHP Andrew Cashner (0-2. 2.08) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (1-0, 3.29)
04/16: LHP Clayton Richard (0-2, 8.38) vs LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 3.75)

GAME RECAPS

Monday, April 13th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Seattle (4-6) 4, Kansas City (7-2) 10
Winner: Jake Junis (2-0) Loser: James Paxton (0-1) Save: None
HR-SEA: Edwin Rios (1), Jean Segura (1) HR-KC: Yoenis Cespedes (5)

CESPEDES LEADS CHARGE IN DRUBBING OF M'S

Despite a low average, Yoenis Cespedes has made a huge impact in the middle of the order so far this season, and continued that trend Monday with six RBI, including four in one swing on a grand slam in the fourth off James Paxton, as the Royals moved to 7-2 with a 10-4 victory on Monday night. Cespedes also collected RBI's on a single and a walk, and finished 2-for-4 overall on the night. Brian Goodwin was 2-for-4 with three runs scored; and Peter Alonso also scored three times despite going 0-for-1 officially, walking four times in five plate appearances. Jake Junis picked up the victory, his second on the season, by allowing four earned runs over seven innings. He fanned six while scattering six hits, including a pair of solo homeruns. Paxton had a perfect game through three innings, but ended up being charged with eight earned runs (nine total) over five and two-third innings, before Tyler Bashlor and former Royal Brad Keller cleaned up over the final two and one-third frames.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (5-5) 0, Houston (6-5) 3
Seattle (4-6) 4, Kansas City (7-2) 10
Milwaukee (5-6) 1, LA Angels (6-5) 5
Tampa Bay (5-6) 8, Chi. Sox (2-7) 0
Oakland (5-7) 2, Baltimore (4-6) 1 (Final/10)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (5-5) 7, Chi. Cubs (7-3) 4
LA Dodgers (6-5) 2, St. Louis (5-5) 3
San Diego (4-7) 3, San Francisco (6-5) 2 (Final/10)
Washington (4-5) 6, Philadelphia (2-7) 3
Atlanta (3-7) 1, Colorado (8-3) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff out four to five months with tricep injury; placed on 60-day disabled list retro to 04/12/2020
White Sox RHP Zack Burdi out three to five months with elbow tendinitis; placed on 60-day disabled list retro to 04/12/2020

Tuesday, April 14th, 2020 - First pitch, 2:35 CST
Seattle (4-7) 3, Kansas City (8-2) 12
Winner: Ben Lively (2-0) Loser: Mike Leake (0-2) Save: None
HR-SEA: None HR-KC: Peter Alonso (2)

ALONSO KEYS BIG ROYALS VICTORY

With a pair of doubles and a homerun, Peter Alonso led the Royals' offensive charge as they thumped Seattle 12-3 to earn at least a split of the four-game series. Alonso also drove in three, while scoring three times himself. Cheslor Cuthbert and Nick Castellanos each had two RBI, and five others drove in at least one run. Ben Lively has been the most impressive starting pitcher through the first two rotations, as he tossed seven innings of one-hit ball, walking three with five strikeouts, and allowing just one earned run to pick up his second victory. Kevin Pillar left the game after the top half of the sixth inning with an undisclosed injury, as Brett Phillips replaced him in the lineup in the bottom half of the inning.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Toronto (7-5) 6, Boston (7-5) 5
Cleveland (7-3) 15, Detroit (4-7) 3
NY Yankees (6-5) 11, Houston (6-6) 1
Seattle (4-7) 3, Kansas City (8-2) 12
Milwaukee (6-6) 5, LA Angels (6-6) 3 (Final/11)
Tampa Bay (5-7) 1, Chi. Sox (3-7) 4
Oakland (5-8) 1, Baltimore (5-6) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Texas (4-7) 2, Arizona (6-5) 4
Minnesota (4-5) 1, NY Mets (7-3) 6
Miami (6-5) 1, Cincinnati (6-5) 6
LA Dodgers (7-5) 6, St. Louis (5-6) 0
San Diego (4-8) 4, San Francisco (7-5) 7
Washington (4-6) 2, Philadelphia (3-7) 3
Atlanta (3-8) 6, Colorado (9-3) 8

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Nats RHP Stephen Strasburg (back) lands on 10-day disabled list; retro to 04/11/2020
St. Louis RHP Alex Reyes (shoulder) placed on 10-day disabled list; retro to 04/11/2020

Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 - First pitch, 8:05 CST
Seattle (4-8) 3, Kansas City (9-2) 8
Winner: Trevor Oaks (2-0) Loser: Andrew Cashner (0-3) Save: None
HR-SEA: None HR-KC: Brian Goodwin (2)

OFFENSE CONTINUES TO ROLL IN VICTORY

Seattle led briefly, 2-0 after the top of the third, but the Royals scored two in the bottom of the frame, and then three more each in the fifth and sixth as they eventually won by an 8-3 verdict. Yoenis Cespedes went 3-for-4 with four RBI, while Cheslor Cuthbert and Peter Alonso each collected two hits and two runs scored apiece. Brian Goodwin also hit his second homerun of the season, a two-run blast to right in the fifth inning. Trevor Oaks moved to 2-0 on the season, tossing seven innings of two-run ball, striking out five with two walks. Hisayoshi Chono was 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Mariners, driving in both third-inning runs. Victor Caratini doubled home a run in the eighth off Nathan Karns, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch that double into a triple.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (8-3) 7, Detroit (4-8) 2
NY Yankees (6-6) 4, Houston (7-6) 7
Seattle (4-8) 3, Kansas City (9-2) 8
Milwaukee (6-7) 3, LA Angels (7-6) 5
Tampa Bay (6-7) 9, Chi. Sox (3-8) 4
Oakland (5-9) 0, Baltimore (6-6) 14

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (5-6) 0, Chi. Cubs (8-3) 1
Texas (4-8) 6, Arizona (7-5) 11
Minnesota (4-6) 0, NY Mets (8-3) 2
Miami (6-6) 2, Cincinnati (7-5) 9
LA Dodgers (8-5) 7, St. Louis (5-7) 6
San Diego (4-9) 3, San Francisco (8-5) 6
Washington (4-7) 4, Philadelphia (4-7) 5
Atlanta (4-8) 10, Colorado (9-4) 5 (Final/11)

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
LHP Tony Cingrani released by the Detroit Tigers
Braves place 1B Freddie Freeman (back) on 10-day disabled list; retro to 04/14/2020

Thursday, April 16th, 2020 - First pitch, 8:10 CST
Seattle (5-8) 6, Kansas City (9-3) 4
Winner: Clayton Richard (1-2) Loser: Danny Duffy (0-2) Save: Edwin Diaz (3)
HR-SEA: Aaron Hicks (2), Jean Segura (2) HR-KC: Brian Goodwin 2 (4)

MARINERS HAND ROYALS FIRST HOME LOSS OF 2020

Kansas City threatened in the late innings, but ultimately couldn't complete the comeback as they fell 6-4 to the Mariners for their first home loss of the season. Brian Goodwin hit a pair of solo homeruns to lead the offense, and Cheslor Cuthbert and Adalberto Mondesi both had RBI hits for the Royals. Danny Duffy found the sailing a bit rough, allowing five earned runs in five innings, fanning just three with two walks to fall to 0-2 on the season. Veteran southpaw Clayton Richard picked up the win, his first of the season. Richard wasn't dominant, striking out just a pair in six-and-two-third innings, but scattered seven hits and three runs. The Royals continue their homestand tomorrow night as they face off against their most likely competitor for the American League Central title, the Indians.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Toronto (8-5) 4, Boston (7-6) 2
Cleveland (9-3) 3, Detroit (4-9) 0
Seattle (5-8) 6, Kansas City (9-3) 4
Oakland (5-10) 0, Baltimore (7-6) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (5-7) 2, Chi. Cubs (9-3) 6
San Diego (4-10) 1, Arizona (8-5) 4
NY Mets (9-3) 3, Atlanta (4-9) 2 (Final/13)
Miami (6-7) 3, Cincinnati (8-5) 5
LA Dodgers (9-5) 7, St. Louis (5-8) 3
Colorado (9-5) 1, San Francisco (9-5) 8

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Rays release former All-Star 1B Ryan Zimmermann
RHP Yovani Gallardo designated for assignment by Milwaukee

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PILLAR HEADED TO DISABLED LIST
Veteran outfielder to miss several weeks with shoulder ailment
By artoodeetoo
04/17/2020

Kevin Pillar was placed on the disabled list prior to last night's game with the Mariners with shoulder inflammation, and is expected to miss two to three weeks. Braden Bishop was re-called to take his spot, and made a pinch-running appearance in the eighth inning, but did not score.

In the sixth inning of Tuesday's game with the Mariners, Pillar felt a twinge in his shoulder as he tossed the ball back into the infield on a single. He played the rest of the inning with the pain, but was removed for Brett Phillips in the bottom of the sixth as a pinch-hitter.

"We're going to monitor him, and if he needs to go to Omaha, we'll send him there," said manager Ned Yost. "That'll be more up to the training staff, but they do well with this kind of stuff."

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In other roster news, Jay Bruce was signed early yesterday morning by the organization, reporting to Triple-A Omaha immediately. They are playing their road series in New Orleans this week.

Bruce arrived late last night in New Orleans, but was able to get to the park in time to play as a pinch-hitter in the Storm Chasers' 5-4 loss to the Baby Cakes. However, manager Bip Roberts says that the former All-Star is going to play a pretty big role with the team going forward.

He was released Monday by the Giants, after playing a handful of games with their Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento last season. Before that, he was released by the Mets on August 5th of last season, after seeing his role reduced to that of a lefty pinch-hit bat.

"I'm just happy to still get some opportunities," he said. "Hopefully, I can contribute on the big club sometime this year, but I understand that may not happen."

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Big rule changes could be coming soon
By MLB.com Staff
04/17/2020

DEAL TO ALTER ROSTER SIZES NEARING COMPLETION

Major League Baseball and the MLBPA are nearing an agreement to adjust roster sizes beginning in the 2021 season, according to a report from USA Today. The active roster size would increase to twenty-six for the regular season and the postseason, but would also see a considerable shortening of the max active roster size from September 1st on, as that would go from forty to twenty-eight. The 40-man roster size overall would remain the same.

The minor leagues are already experimenting with a pitch clock in Double-A and Triple-A, with generally positive feedback.

The maximums for pitchers on the active roster pre-September would be thirteen; which would be unchanged from the current rules in place, but the maximum amount of pitchers would increase to fourteen after September 1st with the new roster limit. This is thought to help shorten game times after the current waiver deadline; as teams generally hold twenty or more pitchers on the active roster late in the year, and pitching changes tend to be more plentiful around this time.

This new agreement would also include extending the disabled list time back to fifteen days from ten, while keeping the 60-day disabled list in place. The option time, which is the amount of service days an optioned player must spend before being re-called, would also go back to fifteen.

The minor leagues would also keep their seven-day disabled list intact, with the exception of players on the 40-man roster that are eligible for MLB rules. Also, there would be considerations to increase the size of minor league rosters, but it is unknown exactly what the new limits would be there.

The current CBA expires on December 1st, 2021, and these changes would be considered as part of an amended current CBA. Other items potentially on the table that would be subject to the CBA are merging the two trade deadlines into one; which would effectively eliminate the waiver deadline, limiting the number of pitching changes per game, and adjusting downward the amount of team off-days during the season. --David LoPietro

PIRATES' BELTRE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

In what is sure to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame career, Adrian Beltre has decided to call it a career at season's end, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He was signed to a one-year, $4.48M deal in the offseason and intends to honor it, also according to the article.

Beltre is the oldest active player in the majors, at forty-one years and nine days. He's been in professional baseball since 1994, when the was signed by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic as a 15-year-old.

It wasn't long before he was in the majors, making his debut in 1998 with the Dodgers at nineteen. Over two decades later, he has hit 462 homeruns, scored 1,600 runs, and collected 1,767 RBI. He also has career marks of 117+ OPS, and has accounted for 66.1 WAR playing for six different teams, which are well within HOF standards.

In addition, with four Silver Sluggers, four All-Star appearances, and five Gold Gloves, his Hall-of-Fame resume is extensive when you throw in his considerable statistical overlay. --Evan Smith

MAJORITY STAKE IN THE PIRATES UP FOR SALE?

Pittsburgh Pirates principal owner Robert Nutting has been trying to sell his majority stake in the franchise for several years now, and he appears to finally have a possible taker -- however, the potential buyer is remaining anonymous for now, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Rooney family, who owns the NFL's Steelers franchise, has been interested in purchasing the Pirates outright in the past, but multiple negotiations have fallen through.

Forbes values the Pirates at $1.25 billion as of the end of the 2019 season. Mr. Nutting presides over Ogden Publishing, a newspaper company that circulates roughly forty local papers in small and mid-size markets in Appalachia. He also is the CEO of Seven Springs Mountain Resort, about fifty miles southeast of Pittsburgh. --Jason Frampton

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CLEVELAND INDIANS (9-3) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (9-3)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/17: RHP Trevor Bauer (1-0, 1.93) vs RHP Luis Cessa (0-1, 11.17)
04/18: RHP Josh Tomlin (1-1, 3.60) vs RHP Jake Junis (2-0, 3.86)
04/19: RHP Danny Salazar (1-0, 6.20) vs RHP Ben Lively (2-0, 0.60)

GAME RECAPS

Friday, April 17th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Cleveland (9-4) 4, Kansas City (10-3) 8
Winner: Luis Cessa (1-1) Loser: Trevor Bauer (1-1) Save: None
HR-CLE: Yan Gomes (1) HR-KC: Cheslor Cuthbert (3)

ROYALS DOUBLE UP CLEVELAND

The Royals jumped out to a 5-2 lead after three innings, and they pulled away in the late innings for an 8-4 victory against the Indians. Cheslor Cuthbert fell a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Nicky Lopez also collected three hits, adding a walk and two runs scored. It wasn't an outstanding performance by any means, but Luis Cessa picked up his first victory on the mound by allowing four runs over six innings, walking three and fanning five. Drew Smith, Brad Hand, and Corey Knebel combined to toss two scoreless innings. Adalberto Mondesi was 2-for-5, doubling home two runs and scoring once himself.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (4-9) @ Minnesota (4-6) -- PPD
Cleveland (9-4) 4, Kansas City (10-3) 8
Baltimore (7-7) 5, Boston (8-6) 6
Chi. Sox (3-9) 4, NY Yankees (7-6)
Oakland (5-11) 5, Texas (5-8) 12
Tampa Bay (7-7) 9, Toronto (8-6) 2
Houston (8-6) 14, Seattle (5-9) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (5-8) 4, Washington (5-7) 7
Milwaukee (6-8) 5, LA Dodgers (10-5) 6
LA Angels (7-7) 1, Chi. Cubs (10-3) 10
Colorado (10-5) 5, San Francisco (9-6) 2
Philadelphia (5-7) 11, Miami (6-8) 3
San Diego (5-10) 5, Arizona (8-6) 2
NY Mets (10-3) 9, Atlanta (4-10) 3

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Rockies place RHP Jeff Hoffman (finger blister) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 04/15/2020

Saturday, April 18th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:10 CST
Cleveland (10-4) 4, Kansas City (10-4) 1
Winner: Josh Tomlin (2-1) Loser: Jake Junis (2-1) Save: James Hoyt (1)
HR-CLE: Matt Beaty (1), Derek Dietrich (2) HR-KC: None

TOMLIN STIFLES ROYALS OFFENSE

All the Royals could muster was an RBI double from Adalberto Mondesi in the third inning, as they fell to Cleveland 4-1 to even the series at one game apiece. Over six innings, Josh Tomlin held the Royals to just one run, walking two with one strikeout. After Mondesi's RBI in the third, Cleveland stormed ahead with three runs in the next half-inning, thanks to a pair of homeruns. Matt Beaty hit his first career homerun; a solo shot, before Derek Dietrich went deep with a man on three hitters later, both of them off Royals starter Jake Junis. It was the first loss for Junis, who allowed just those three runs, walking two and striking out two while scattering six hits. Cheslor Cuthbert's hitting streak, dating back to last year, was snapped at nineteen games after going 0-for-3.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (4-10) 4, Minnesota (5-6) 5 (G1)
Detroit (4-11) 2, Minnesota (6-6) 3 (G2, Final/13)
Cleveland (10-4) 4, Kansas City (10-4) 1
Baltimore (7-8) 0, Boston (9-6) 6
Chi. Sox (3-10) 0, NY Yankees (8-6) 6
Oakland (6-11) 11, Texas (5-9) 1
Tampa Bay (8-7) 4, Toronto (8-7) 2
Houston (8-7) 7, Seattle (6-9) 8 (Final/14)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Colorado (10-5) @ San Francisco (9-6) -- PPD
St. Louis (5-9) 5, Cincinnati (9-5) 13
Pittsburgh (6-8) 4, Washington (5-8) 1
Milwaukee (6-9) 1, LA Dodgers (11-5) 2
LA Angels (7-8) 3, Chi. Cubs (11-3) 4
Philadelphia (5-8) 2, Miami (7-8) 4
San Diego (6-10) 8, Arizona (8-7) 2
NY Mets (10-4) 2, Atlanta (5-10) 7

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
White Sox sign veteran reliever Shawn Armstrong to one-year contract
Twins activate RHP Jose Berrios from the 10-day disabled list

Sunday, April 19th, 2020 - First pitch, 1:10 CST
Cleveland (11-4) 8, Kansas City (10-5) 5
Winner: Danny Salazar (2-0) Loser: Ben Lively (2-1) Save: Tony Zych (3)
HR-CLE: Bobby Bradley (1), Derek Dietrich (3) HR-KC: Blaine Bishop (1)

ROYALS DROP SERIES FINALE TO TRIBE

Derek Dietrich and Bobby Bradley hit homeruns in consecutive innings against Royals starter Ben Lively, helping the Indians get out to a 6-1 lead after three innings before coasting to an 8-5 victory over the Royals, handing Kansas City their first home series loss of the season. Down 8-4 in the bottom of the ninth, the Royals collected four straight singles to cut the deficit to three, but closer Tony Zych got Yoenis Cespedes to pop out to catcher Roberto Perez before coaxing a double-play ball out of Cheslor Cuthbert to notch his third save. Patrick Mazeika collected three hits and an RBI for the Royals, and rookie outfielder Blaine Bishop hit his first MLB homerun, a two-run shot in the fourth off Danny Salazar. Lively went just four and two-third innings, allowing seven runs after allowing just one earned run through his first two starts, covering fifteen innings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (4-12) 7, Minnesota (7-6) 15
Cleveland (11-4) 8, Kansas City (10-5) 5
Baltimore (7-9) 0, Boston (10-6) 2
Chi. Sox (3-11) 3, NY Yankees (9-6) 5
Oakland (6-12) 5, Texas (6-9) 9
Tampa Bay (8-8) 4, Toronto (9-7) 5
Houston (9-7) 9, Seattle (6-10) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Colorado (11-5) 4, San Francisco (9-7) 0 (G1)
Colorado (11-6) 4, San Francisco (10-7) 5 (G2, Final/10)
St. Louis (5-10) 7, Cincinnati (10-5) 10
Pittsburgh (7-8) 5, Washington (5-9) 4 (Final/12)
Milwaukee (6-10) 1, LA Dodgers (12-5) 3
LA Angels (8-8) 5, Chi. Cubs (11-4) 3
Philadelphia (5-9) 5, Miami (8-8) 7
San Diego (6-11) 0, Arizona (9-7) 4
NY Mets (11-4) 3, Atlanta (5-11) 2

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Washington RHP Michael Wacha (elbow) placed on 60-day disabled list, could miss up to three months
Arizona's Robbie Ray throws first no-hitter of the season, faces the minimum
Colorado RHP Jon Gray throws shutout, hits homerun in 4-0 win over San Francisco

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

DEWEES FLIPPED BACK TO CHICAGO
Veteran outfielder to miss several weeks with shoulder ailment
By artoodeetoo
04/20/2020

Well, Donnie Dewees is on his way back to the Cubs, roughly three-and-a-quarter years after the Royals acquired him from Chicago. Dewees could never find a footing in the Royals' upper minors, never reaching the majors, and struggling in several stints with the Triple-A Omaha squad.

This time, the Royals nabbed six-foot-seven right-hander Stephen Ridings, a 24-year-old finesse hurler that hasn't pitched above Double-A to date since being drafted in the eighth round in 2016. He's mainly been a relief arm throughout his pro career to date, but Kansas City appears willing to move him to a rotation slot.

"He's not a hard thrower, but he's extraordinarily tough on left-handed batters throughout his career even as a right-handed guy," said Scott Sharp, who oversees the Royals' scouting arm. "His long frame and arms allow his fastball to look a lot faster than it really is, and his already good changeup gets on you quick."

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2019 second-round pick Derek West is also making another jump, this time after just three starts with the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks. Through three starts, his numbers don't jump out at you (4.63 ERA, 8.1 K/9), but has a heavy-sinking two-seam fastball that gets tons of groundball outs, as evidenced by his 77.1% groundball rate so far this season.

He also had a subpar initial start, allowing seven earned runs in seven and two-third innings, although he had thirteen groundball outs to just two flyball outs in that one, and struck out eight. In his next two starts, covering 15 2/3 innings, West allowed just five earned runs; striking out thirteen with just four walks and sixteen hits scattered.

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Nearly ten months after surgery to correct a torn rotator cuff, veteran Ian Kennedy will be back on a mound in a game situation. He's beginning his rehab assignment with the Wilmington Blue Rocks, where he'll spend ten days before getting ten days with the Double-A NW Arkansas squad.

From there, he'll finish out with the Omaha Storm Chasers, and then a decision will apparently be made on his future with the club. Kennedy is owed $16.5M this season, and will be a free agent next winter.

He's going to pitch primarily out of the bullpen in his minor-league assignment, and scuttlebutt has been that he could have a bullpen role with the Royals if his shoulder holds up.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Arizona hurler throws first no-hitter of the season
By MLB.com Staff
04/20/2020

ARIZONA'S RAY TOSSES FIRST NO-HITTER OF 2020

Arizona southpaw Robbie Ray threw the season's (and the decade's) first no-hitter last night against San Diego, as he walked just one and faced the minimum in the D-Backs' 4-0 win. Ray walked Wil Myers to begin the top of the second inning, but retired the next twenty-three hitters straight to clinch the historic feat.

Ray said he was standing behind the mound late in the game, when the scoreboard confirmed what he already -- he was one out from a no-hitter. He also noted that he froze for several moments before gathering himself to face Austin Hedges, the game's final hitter.

"I took a breath, and told myself 'this is it'," he said, before fanning Hedges on three pitches for his 13th strikeout and the no-hitter.

It's the first no-hitter for the 28-year-old Ray, who was originally drafted by the Nationals in the 12th round back in 2010. He has spent the last five-plus seasons with Arizona, going 55-48 in games through last night. --Evan Smith

WACHA PLACED ON 60-DAY DL

The prize of the 2020 free-agent class, right-hander Michael Wacha, left his start on Friday night against Pittsburgh with tightness in his elbow. Two days later, he was placed on the 60-day disabled list with ulnar nerve entrapment, a condition that is not as serious as other common pitching elbow injuries, but will require non-TJ surgery and several months' rehabilitation.

His velocity was strong through the first three innings of Friday night's game, but Wacha noted he felt a twinge as he was warming up for the fourth. He couldn't finish the inning, and was removed from the game.

He signed a six-year, $108M contract on January 28th, with an opt-out clause after the 2023 season. --David LoPietro

COLORADO'S GRAY MAKES HISTORY

Forget about just throwing a shutout. With a solo homerun in the seventh inning, Rockies righty Jon Gray became the 25th pitcher in big-league history to throw a shutout and hit a homerun in the same game, as he blanked the Giants 4-0 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader yesterday.

The last pitcher to accomplish the feat was Stephen Strasburg back in 2017, as he shut Miami out by an identical score of 4-0 on August 30th of that year. In his outing yesterday, Gray faced just two over the minimum, and struck out four with no walks. --Evan Smith

PARKER TO MISS SEASON WITH TORN UCL

Former Nats and Angels reliever Blake Parker is set to have Tommy John surgery this week, after picking up the save in a Triple-A matchup playing for the Nats' Triple-A affiliate, Syracuse, against the Toledo Mud Hens.

The 34-year-old stopper struggled after being traded from the Angels to the nation's capital last season, as his ERA ballooned from 2.92 in Los Angeles, to 6.61 with Washington. He signed a $2.96M tender to avoid arbitration in the offseason, but was designated for assignment just prior to the breaking of major league camp last month despite a 2.70 ERA in five spring appearances.

Parker turns thirty-five on June 19th, and says that his focus is returning and rehabbing for the 2021 season. He has a career 3.66 ERA in 253 1/3 innings, and has thirty-nine saves over his nearly six-year career. --Jason Frampton

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (10-5) @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX (3-11)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/20: RHP Trevor Oaks (2-0, 3.05) vs RHP Reynaldo Lopez (0-2, 8.71)
04/21: LHP Danny Duffy (0-2, 5.29) vs RHP Drew Hutchison (1-1, 4.80)
04/22: RHP Luis Cessa (1-1, 9.19) vs LHP Amir Garrett (1-1, 4.26)

GAME RECAPS

Monday, April 20th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Kansas City (11-5) 5, Chi. Sox (3-12) 4
Winner: Jorge Lopez (2-0) Loser: Thyago Vieira (0-2) Save: Brad Hand (1)
HR-KC: None HR-CHW: Mike Ford (3)

LATE RALLY PUSHES ROYALS OVER THE PALE HOSE

Kansas City did all their damage after the eighth inning, scoring three runs in the eighth, and two more in the ninth as the Royals came from behind in a 5-4 victory at Chicago. Brad Hand worked around a two-out single to pick up the save, his first of the season. The Royals were down to their final out against closer Thyago Vieira, but back-to-back-to-back singles from Patrick Mazeika, Brett Phillips, and Nicky Lopez tied the score at four. Vieira then issued back-to-back walks to Adalberto Mondesi and Peter Alonso to push Phillips home to put the Royals on top for the first time. The blown save sullied an otherwise solid performance from the White Sox' Reynaldo Lopez, who blanked the Royals through seven-and-one-third innings, leaving a man on base that Ryan Burr eventually allowed to score. Lopez scattered five hits and two walks, striking out four. Trevor Oaks went six innings for the Royals, surrendering nine hits and two walks, while striking out one. Jorge Lopez picked up his second victory out of the bullpen.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (7-10) 5, Boston (11-6) 7
Kansas City (11-5) 5, Chi. Sox (3-12) 4
LA Angels (9-8) 10, Texas (6-10) 2
Toronto (9-8) 3, Minnesota (8-6) 4
Cleveland (12-4) 7, Seattle (6-11) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Colorado (11-7) 3, San Diego (7-11) 6
Cincinnati (10-6) 2, LA Dodgers (13-5) 11
NY Mets (11-5) 3, Philadelphia (6-9) 4 (Final/12)
St. Louis (6-10) 3, Milwaukee (6-11) 2 (Final/10)
Chi. Cubs (11-5) 5, Miami (9-8) 9

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Rangers' Gallo, D-Backs' Ray named Players of the Week
Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (knee) listed day-to-day after base collision
Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (foot) out three to four weeks; placed on 10-day disabled list

Tuesday, April 21st, 2020 - First pitch, 2:10 CST
Kansas City (11-6) 1, Chi. Sox (4-12) 2 (Final/11)
Winner: Adam Morgan (1-1) Loser: Nathan Karns (0-1) Save: None
HR-KC: None HR-CHW: Tim Anderson (2)

ANDERSON WALKS ROYALS OFF WITH HOMERUN

It took just two pitches in the bottom-half of the 11th, but Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson dashed the Royals' hopes of clinching their first road series of the season as he drilled a solo bomb off Nathan Karns to send the Royals to a 2-1 defeat. Anderson fell just a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a stolen base. Danny Duffy didn't factor into the decision, allowing just one earned run over seven innings, fanning a season-high nine with just one walk and eight hits. Kansas City's only run came in the very first inning, as Peter Alonso scored on an error by Yoan Moncada. The Royals had just six hits the entire game; and nearly lost the game in the ninth with two errors, but Corey Knebel was able to get out of the jam that he helped create with one of the errors. Knebel, Richard Lovelady, and Jake Diekman combined for three scoreless bullpen innings before Karns allowed Anderson's blast.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (8-8) 6, Detroit (4-13) 4
Houston (9-8) 0, Oakland (7-12) 3
Boston (12-6) 6, NY Yankees (9-7) 4
Baltimore (7-11) 3, Tampa Bay (9-8) 8
Kansas City (11-6) 1, Chi. Sox (4-12) 2 (Final/11)
LA Angels (10-8) 13, Texas (6-11) 1
Toronto (10-8) 9, Minnesota (8-7) 6
Cleveland (12-5) 0, Seattle (7-11) 1 (Final/13)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (9-8) 7, Atlanta (6-11) 8 (Final/11)
San Francisco (11-7) 5, Washington (5-10) 4
Colorado (12-7) 10, San Diego (7-12) 6
Cincinnati (11-6) 7, LA Dodgers (13-6) 5
NY Mets (11-6) 4, Philadelphia (7-9) 11
St. Louis (7-10) 1, Milwaukee (6-12) 0
Chi. Cubs (12-5) 6, Miami (9-9) 1

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Cubs' Yu Darvish strikes out fifteen Marlins in 6-1 victory over Miami
Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (wrist) out two to three weeks; placed on 10-day disabled list

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020 - First pitch, 6:30 CST
Kansas City (11-7) 0, Chi. Sox (5-12) 4
Winner: Amir Garrett (2-1) Loser: Luis Cessa (1-2) Save: None
HR: None

BATS STAY COLD AS WHITE SOX TAKE SERIES

Southpaws Amir Garrett and Robbie Ross, Jr., combined to shut the Royals out in Chicago by a 4-0 count. The Royals threatened in the eighth, loading the bases for Peter Alonso with one out, but the big first baseman bounced into a double play against Ross, ending the threat. Over seven and one-third inning, Garrett fanned seven with just one walk, scattering five hits. Luis Cessa could only muster five innings, but allowed just three runs (two earned), with seven hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Brian Goodwin was the only player to do much in this game (and the series as a whole), going 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. Aside from a five-run outburst in the eighth and ninth innings of Monday night's victory, the Royals' offense scored exactly one run in the other twenty-five innings of this series.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (9-8) 7, Detroit (4-14) 4 (Final/12)
Houston (10-8) 2, Oakland (7-13) 0
Boston (13-6) 11, NY Yankees (9-8) 7
Baltimore (7-12) 4, Tampa Bay (10-8) 5
Kansas City (11-7) 0, Chi. Sox (5-12) 4
LA Angels (10-9) 2, Texas (7-11) 5
Toronto (10-9) 8, Minnesota (9-7) 9
Cleveland (12-6) 1, Seattle (8-11) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (9-8) @ Atlanta (6-11) -- PPD
San Francisco (11-8) 3, Washington (6-10) 4
Cincinnati (12-6) 11, LA Dodgers (13-7) 6
NY Mets (11-7) 1, Philadelphia (8-9) 2
St. Louis (8-10) 14, Milwaukee (6-13) 10
Chi. Cubs (12-6) 8, Miami (10-9) 9

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Blue Jays place RHP Ryan Tepera (oblique) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 04/21/2020
Dodgers place RHP Alec Mills (shoulder) on 60-day disabled list
Baltimore activates third baseman Mike Moustakas from the disabled list, will not undergo rehab assignment

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

YOST HINTING AT EXPANDED ROLE FOR SMITH
Second-year right-hander leads all AL relievers in strikeouts
By artoodeetoo
04/23/2020

Drew Smith isn't a big guy, nor is he good for a sound bite; he just "puts his head down", according to pitching coach Cal Eldred. However, he does appear to be pretty good at baseball. The twenty-six year old reliever ranks amongst the best relief pitchers in baseball through the season's first weeks, mainly in a mop-up role.

Manager Ned Yost, who has always spoken highly of Smith, has dropped some hints in recent days he may be ready to move Smith up the bullpen hierarchy with the struggles of some veterans, such as Nate Jones and Jorge Lopez, although he didn't commit to any change.

"He's certainly earned the chance to pitch in some higher-leverage situations," Yost mused in a recent post-game press conference. "Now, we have some guys that are fighting it a little bit, but relievers all go through ups and downs, and Drew certainly will too. But it's hard to ignore what he's done, for sure."

Smith has fanned twenty-two hitters in thirteen innings, which covers five appearances. He was not the headline pickup in the Whit Merrifield deal after the 2018 season, but he may approach Peter Alonso's impact all the same.

"It's pretty rare to find a guy like him that has four quality pitches out of the bullpen," Yost went on to say about Smith. "Usually, you have relievers with two, and maybe a third average pitch. He has three plus-offerings, and then his cutter seemingly comes along a little more every couple of weeks. His curveball is just absolutely dominant, and when it's working, he's next-to-unhittable, because you're always aware of it."

There was one thing that Yost was sure about though -- there were no plans to move Smith back into the rotation -- yet. Smith's ERA as a starter in 2019 was over 6.00, but the struggles of Luis Cessa might be inviting speculation.

"If it's not broken, there's no need to fix it," he said. "Things change, absolutely, but Drew has done well, very well, where he's at. As it stands, there are no plans to move him into the rotation at all."

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Former All-Star Harvey headed back to Cubs' farm system
By MLB.com Staff
04/23/2020

WHITE SOX SHOPPING MONCADA?

Chicago general manager Rick Hahn has been one of the busiest executives of the past handful of months, trading away talents such as Welington Castillo and Jose Adolis Garcia to pick up young, potential-laden prospects.

Lately, it's been floated that Hahn might also be shopping one of the most integral players on the roster in second baseman Yoan Moncada. Moncada was acquired from the Red Sox in the Chris Sale deal; and while he's shown flashes, he has not been the star envisioned by the front office, posting a career 84 OPS+ and just 3.3 WAR since the beginning of 2017.

He did have a WAR of 2.1 in 2019, but that was on the strength of career-highs in steals (28) and OPS (.715); neither of which jump out at you, relatively speaking.

Hahn denied the rumor in an interview with a Chicago-area radio station, but sources from around the league have said that Hahn is looking into possibly putting the 24-year-old up on the block.

The idea doesn't sound as ludicrous when you have Nick Madrigal waiting in the wings. Although he's off to a tough start in his first stint in Triple-A, Madrigal is considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and might eventually be too good to keep out, regardless of what the White Sox do with Moncada. --Evan Smith

RED SOX EXPECTED TO PLACE RODRIGUEZ ON DL

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez left his start early on Monday after just two and one-third innings against the Orioles, complaining of tightness in his arm. He was later diagnosed with a torn tricep muscle, and is expected to go on the 60-day disabled list today, according to the Boston Globe. He could miss up to four months, as the injury was serious enough to require surgery to repair.

Right-hander Travis Lakins was re-called from Triple-A Pawtucket to replace him on the active roster. Lakins struggled for the Paw Sox in 2019, pitching to a 5.88 ERA in 101 innings of work. That covered twenty-one games, including seventeen starts. He was a 6th-rounder in 2015 out of Ohio State. --David LoPietro

DETROIT RELEASES MATT HARVEY; RETURNS TO THE CUBS

The Matt Harvey era in Detroit was short-lived, as the Tigers released the Rule 5 pick back to the Cubs earlier this morning. Detroit called up top prospect Alex Faedo to take his spot on the roster, and will likely get every opportunity to start games throughout the 2020 season.

Harvey was taken with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft this past December by the Tigers (Cincinnati elected not to use their pick). In addition to having to pay the remainder of Harvey's salary, the Tigers also paid a $25K return fee to the Cubs.

With a 9.30 ERA in 20 1/3 innings, he probably doesn't have much of a case to make for a spot on the Cubs' roster, and will likely head back to Triple-A Iowa, where he pitched last year. --Evan Smith

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (11-7) @ NEW YORK YANKEES (9-8)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/23: RHP Jake Junis (2-1, 4.05) vs RHP Masahiro Tanaka (3-0, 4.30)
04/24: RHP Ben Lively (2-1, 3.66) vs RHP Albert Abreu (0-0, 4.15)
04/25: RHP Trevor Oaks (2-0, 3.71) vs LHP Jordan Montgomery (1-2, 5.21)
04/26: LHP Danny Duffy (0-2, 4.13) vs RHP Luis Severino (2-0, 2.27)

GAME RECAPS

Thursday, April 23rd, 2020 - First pitch, 4:10 CST
Kansas City (12-7) 8, NY Yankees (9-9) 4
Winner: Jake Junis (3-1) Loser: Masahiro Tanaka (3-1) Save: None
HR-KC: Cheslor Cuthbert 2 (5), Brett Phillips (1) HR-NYY: Giancarlo Stanton (11), Didi Gregorius 2 (6)

CUTHBERT'S BIG DAY LIFTS K.C. OVER N.Y.

Cheslor Cuthbert hit a pair of homeruns as part of a 4-for-5 day; including a double and a single to break out of a 1-for-16 mini-slump, and to help the Royals to an 8-4 victory over the host Yankees to open a four-game set. The Royals scored two runs each in the second, third, and fourth innings, and then single tallies in the fifth and ninth. Jake Junis went seven innings; allowing two runs, with both runs on solo homeruns. Didi Gregorius hit one of those homeruns, and later added one against Drew Smith in the ninth. Brett Phillips also added a homerun, his first of the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Seattle (9-11) 3, LA Angels (10-10) 1
Baltimore (7-13) 2, Tampa Bay (11-8) 7
Chi. Sox (5-13) 1, Detroit (5-14) 8
Kansas City (12-7) 8, NY Yankees (9-9) 4
Toronto (11-9) 2, Minnesota (9-8) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (10-8) 5, Atlanta (6-12) 2 (G1)
Arizona (11-8) 4, Atlanta (6-13) 3 (G2)
Cincinnati (13-6) 7, San Diego (7-13) 3
San Francisco (12-8) 4, Washington (6-11) 3
Philadelphia (8-10) 2, Colorado (13-7) 6
LA Dodgers (13-8) 2, Milwaukee (7-13) 11

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Phillies place OF Jabari Blash (oblique) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 04/22/2020

Friday, April 24th - First pitch, 2:35 CST
Kansas City (12-8) 3, NY Yankees (10-9) 4
Winner: Craig Kimbrel (1-1) Loser: Ben Lively (2-2) Save: Tommy Kahnle (3)
HR-KC: Yoenis Cespedes (6) HR-NYY: Giancarlo Stanton (12), Gary Sanchez (4)

LATE STANTON HOMERUN SINKS K.C.

Ned Yost elected to leave Ben Lively in the game going into the eighth inning with just seventy-eight pitches and a 3-2 lead, but it didn't pay off as Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees in front for good with a two-run homerun as the Royals fell 4-3. Adalberto Mondesi and Brian Goodwin each went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, and Yoenis Cespedes hit his sixth homerun of the season for Kansas City. Stanton's homerun was his 12th, further extending his lead in the homerun race. Lively otherwise pitched a strong game, allowing four earned runs over seven and two-third innings of work. Richard Lovelady got the final out of the bottom-half of the eighth, before Tommy Kahnle wrapped it up in the top of the ninth to even the series.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Seattle (9-11) @ LA Angels (10-10) -- PPD
Atlanta (7-13) 8, Cleveland (12-7) 7
Minnesota (10-8) 8, Baltimore (7-14) 7
Boston (13-7) 5, Tampa Bay (12-8) 8
Chi. Sox (5-14) 1, Detroit (6-14) 2
Houston (10-9) 5, Texas (8-11) 12
Kansas City (12-8) 3, NY Yankees (10-9) 4
Toronto (12-9) 4, Oakland (7-14) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (6-12) 1, Miami (11-9) 4
NY Mets (12-7) 6, St. Louis (8-11) 4
Arizona (11-9) 1, Chi. Cubs (13-6) 2
Cincinnati (14-6) 4, San Diego (7-14) 1
San Francisco (13-8) 5, Pittsburgh (9-9) 1
Philadelphia (9-10) 10, Colorado (13-8) 8
LA Dodgers (13-9) 0, Milwaukee (8-13) 3

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (elbow) placed on 10-day disabled list, retro to 04/23/2020
Rays activate OF Jake Bauers from disabled list
Nationals activate RHP Stephen Strasburg from disabled list

Saturday, April 25th, 2020 - First pitch, 5:35 CST
Kansas City (12-9) 0, NY Yankees (11-9) 10
Winner: Jordan Montgomery (2-2) Loser: Trevor Oaks (2-1) Save: None
HR-KC: None HR-NYY: Justin Turner (3), Greg Bird (4), Clint Frazier (1)

YANKS POUNCE EARLY; BLANK ROYALS

With five runs in the first, and three in the second, New York jumped out to an 8-0 lead before Kansas City knew what hit them as the Bombers coasted to a 10-0 victory over the Royals. Trevor Oaks put up one of his worst statlines as a big-leaguer -- nine earned runs on nine hits in three and one-third innings, fanning two and walking two. On the flipside of the ledger, Jordan Montgomery tossed a 105-pitch shutout, throwing seventy-three strikes and getting ahead of nearly every hitter he faced. He walked just one and scattered six hits, while striking out eight Royal hitters. Cheslor Cuthbert was the only Royal with more than one hit, going 2-for-4. Justin Turner was 3-for-4 for the Yankees, driving in four runs, and falling just a triple short of the cycle.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Seattle (9-12) 1, LA Angels (11-10) 4 (G1)
Seattle (10-12) 3, LA Angels (11-11) 0 (G2)
Atlanta (8-13) 13, Cleveland (12-8) 5
Minnesota (10-9) 3, Baltimore (8-14) 6
Boston (14-7) 8, Tampa Bay (12-9) 3
Chi. Sox (5-15) 3, Detroit (7-14) 4
Houston (11-9) 6, Texas (8-12) 5
Kansas City (12-9) 0, NY Yankees (11-9) 10
Toronto (12-10) 7, Oakland (8-14) 8

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (7-12) 7, Miami (11-10) 6
NY Mets (12-8) 5, St. Louis (9-11) 6
Arizona (11-10) 5, Chi. Cubs (14-6) 9
Cincinnati (14-7) 2, San Diego (8-14) 3
San Francisco (13-9) 1, Pittsburgh (10-9) 7
Philadelphia (9-11) 1, Colorado (14-8) 2
LA Dodgers (14-9) 16, Milwaukee (8-14) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Braves activate 1B Freddie Freeman from disabled list; designate IF Tyler White for assignment

Sunday, April 26th, 2020 - First pitch, 6:30 CST
Kansas City (13-9) 2, NY Yankees (11-10) 0
Winner: Danny Duffy (1-2) Loser: Luis Severino (2-1) Save: Corey Knebel (3)
HR-KC: Yoenis Cespedes (7) HR-NYY: None

DUFFY OUTDUELS SEVERINO TO PICK UP FIRST "W"

With six shutout innings, Danny Duffy finally got off the schneid in a 2-0 win for the Royals to salvage the series split at New York. Duffy scattered three hits and a walk, striking out five to pick up the victory in a tidy ninety-two pitches. Richard Lovelady tossed two scoreless innings before Corey Knebel fanned the side in the ninth to pick up his third save. Luis Severino was cruising along until the seventh, when Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-out solo homerun to break the 0-0 stalemate. Peter Alonso drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, with the run being charged to Severino. In seven and two-third innings, the Yankee right-hander fanned ten with with no walks, scattering five hits as he was handed his first loss of 2020. Severino has only walked one hitter in thirty-nine innings so far, striking out forty-six.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Seattle (10-13) 1, LA Angels (12-11) 7
Atlanta (9-13) 7, Cleveland (12-9) 5
Minnesota (10-10) 3, Baltimore (9-14) 5
Boston (14-8) 3, Tampa Bay (13-9) 6
Chi. Sox (5-16) 1, Detroit (8-14) 11
Houston (12-9) 10, Texas (8-13) 8
Kansas City (13-9) 2, NY Yankees (11-10) 0
Toronto (13-10) 11, Oakland (8-15) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (7-13) 1, Miami (12-10) 2 (Final/10)
NY Mets (13-8) 11, St. Louis (9-12) 2
Arizona (12-10) 10, Chi. Cubs (14-7) 9
Cincinnati (14-8) 5, San Diego (9-14) 9
San Francisco (13-10) 8, Pittsburgh (11-9) 9
Philadelphia (10-11) 10, Colorado (14-9) 6
LA Dodgers (15-9) 17, Milwaukee (8-15) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Yankees place OF Aaron Judge (elbow) on 60-day disabled list, retro to 04/23/2020
Rockies place LHP Jake McGee (elbow) on 60-day disabled list, retro to 04/23/2020
Reds place 1B Joey Votto (hamstring) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 04/23/2020

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

TOP PROSPECT WEST IMPRESSES IN FIRST AA START
Former second-rounder has battled injuries throughout career
By artoodeetoo
04/27/2020

The pitching class in the 2018 draft received a lot of ink in the local media, but the fastest-rising pitcher in the system is a Class of 2019 guy -- right-hander Derek West out of Pittsburgh.

He wasn't drafted out of high school before moving on to Pittsburgh as a walk-on; and after a solid freshman season with the Panthers, landed on the radar of MLB teams with his projectable six-foot-five frame.

Unfortunately, injuries forced West to miss parts of the next two seasons, and was drafted in the 28th round by the Braves in the 2018 draft as a junior. As a senior, he finally stayed healthy for a full year, and showed why he was on the radar of many an MLB franchise after his first year, racking up a 2.33 ERA in 104 1/3 innings of work, striking out 116 with just twenty-six walks.

West wasn't projected to go in the first round last year, as he had injury question marks. But the Royals jumped all over him with the 47th-overall pick, and received a $170,000 bonus from the club even though the Royals had all the leverage.

"It kinda showed what they thought of me," he said in an interview a few weeks after signing. "I mean, I was a senior, and I pretty much had to sign. But they were one of the first teams that showed up at my games in college, and they've stayed in touch with the coaching staff at Pitt. I couldn't be more thrilled I ended up with the Royals' organization."

He made three starts with High-A Wilmington earlier in the season before getting the call-up to Double-A, and looked like a polished pitcher in his first outing with the Naturals on Saturday night. He struck out seven while scattering eight hits and one walk to pick up the victory.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Roster size changes go into effect for 2021 season; trade deadline this season
By MLB.com Staff
04/27/2020

MLB, MLBPA AGREE TO RULE CHANGES

The game of baseball, at least mostly behind the scenes in the front office, is about to look much different than it has in the past.

Major League Baseball and the Players' Association have agreed to a number of rule changes that will go into effect for next season, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The big changes will be to roster construction and the trade deadline, and a host of changes meant to speed games up and improve fan experience.

During the regular season, the maximum active roster size will increase by one, with a thirteen pitcher maximum. After September 1st, the active roster size only goes up by two, to twenty-eight. The 40-man roster will stay at that size, but only two extra players may be called up to the team's active roster after September 1st. In addition, you can carry a maximum of fourteen pitchers after September 1st.

These changes are aimed at limiting the amount of pitching changes during games, especially games late in the season between non-contending clubs.

The other major stipulation agreed to was the combining of the two trading deadlines. There will no longer be a trade waiver period in the month of August, as teams will now be prohibited from making any trades from August 1st through the end of the World Series. However, this change will actually take effect for this season going forward.

Teams won't get that extra month to determine if they're going to stay in the race, or sell off assets. They'll have to make those decisions much earlier, perhaps earlier than they would like.

That said, perhaps the biggest news out of this agreement is that this date marks the official beginning of CBA negotations. The current CBA expires on December 1st of next year, and MLBPA President Tony Clark noted that these adjustments are a great start, but that "more needs to be done".

"We're still trying to get some movement on free agency," he said. "There's no reason why it should drag on like it has the last few offseasons."

Other notable changes for the beginning of the 2021 season are:

--Increasing the allotted time on the short-term disabled list from ten days back to fifteen days, while the 60-day disabled list remains intact. They also removed the seven-day concussion list.

--An optioned player may not return to their parent club until fifteen league days have passed.

--The winner of the Home Run Derby will now win $1M.

--All-Star voting will now take place in one 24-hour period, prior to the roster announcements. Also, managers are no longer allowed to select pitchers for the game; that is now up to the fans as well.

--Mound visits will be reduced to five beginning next season, with that limit dropping to four in 2022 and beyond. --Jason Frampton

JUDGE SIDELINED WITH ELBOW INJURY

Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge has been out since Friday with an elbow injury, but was only listed day-to-day until earlier this morning, when the Yankees abruptly placed him on the 60-day disabled list with an elbow fracture, retroactive to the 23rd.

He dove for a sinking line drive in the fifth inning of their loss to the Royals on Thursday night, and came up holding his elbow. Manager Aaron Boone initially dismissed it as a minor, day-to-day elbow contusion, but the decision was made to shelve Judge when an MRI revealed not one, but two tiny fractures in his left elbow.a

"His pain level and condition didn't seem to improve with just some standard treatment over the past few days," Boone noted in last night's press conference after falling 2-0 to Kansas City. "We made the decision after getting the MRI results back, and it's devastating that we might be without him that long, but we'll have to move forward and hope for a speedy recovery."

They are expected to use a combination of Jacoby Ellsbury and Ronald Torreyes in right field going forward, but Boone didn't rule out a move by the front office to bring in a veteran bat.--David LoPietro

ROCKIES' MCGEE HAS ELBOW SURGERY

Rockies closer Jake McGee underwent Tommy John surgery on Sunday afternoon in Denver, just a few days after suffering a torn UCL in Thursday's game with Philadelphia. He felt a pop in his elbow during warm-ups as he prepared to pitch the ninth inning, but stayed in to face Rio Ruiz, who hit his first pitch over the fence for a leadoff homerun. He was replaced by Scott Oberg, who finished out the game.

Rockies manager Bud Black says that he'll go with a closer-by-committee approach to start out, and then make a decision on who to go with the rest of the season. Oberg figures to get the first crack at the job, but expect general manager Jeff Bridich and the Rockies to be in the market for relief help at the deadline if they are in the race. --Evan Smith

CINCINNATI'S VOTTO TO MISS FIVE TO SIX WEEKS

Joey Votto was rounding first base on a double in the first inning of the Reds' eventual 7-3 win on Thursday over the Padres, but pulled up lame as he was going into second base. He was lifted for a pinch-runner; and didn't play the remainder of the week, with manager Sandy Alomar citing a day-to-day leg injury.

He was eventually diagnosed with a strained hamstring after an MRI, and will miss four to six weeks with the injury. Alomar also noted that Joe McCarthy would move from the outfield to fill in at first base while Votto sits, with top prospect Taylor Trammell being promoted to play every day in the outfield.

Votto hit a career-low .244 last season, with a career-worst mark in SO% (19.7). He did, however, lead the NL in walks for a seventh time with 118. --Evan Smith

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2020 MLB STANDINGS UPDATE

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (13-9) @ TAMPA BAY RAYS (13-9)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/27: RHP Luis Cessa (1-2, 7.84) vs RHP Yonny Chirinos (2-1, 6.00)
04/28: RHP Jake Junis (3-1, 3.67) vs LHP Brandon Finnegan (4-0, 1.40)
04/29: RHP Ben Lively (2-2, 3.95) vs RHP Jacob Faria (1-1, 2.32)

GAME RECAPS

Monday, April 27th, 2020 - First pitch, 3:30 CST
Kansas City (13-10) 4, Tampa Bay (14-9) 9
Winner: Yonny Chirinos (3-1) Loser: Luis Cessa (1-3) Save: None
HR-KC: Cheslor Cuthbert 2 (7), Adalberto Mondesi (3) HR-TB: Jesus Sucre (2), Christian Arroyo (3)

BULLPEN HAS RARE MISFIRE IN DEFEAT

The host Rays took a 5-1 lead after the first four innings, and eventually coasted to a 9-4 victory over the Royals to open the final series of this ten-game road trip. After a couple of decent starts, Luis Cessa allowed five earned runs in four innings; and the normally-steady bullpen couldn't keep the Rays in check, surrendering four earned runs in the final four innings. Cheslor Cuthbert was 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homeruns, one off Yonny Chirinos in the sixth, and again off former teammate Kelvin Herrera in the eighth. Chirinos went seven innings, allowing just three earned runs with no walks and eight strikeouts. Jake Bauers was 5-for-5 for Tampa Bay, with a pair of doubles and two RBI.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (8-15) 1, Boston (15-8) 5
NY Yankees (11-11) 6, LA Angels (13-11) 7
Texas (8-14) 6, Oakland (9-15) 11
Chi. Sox (5-17) 1, Baltimore (10-14) 4
Kansas City (13-10) 4, Tampa Bay (14-9) 9
Minnesota (11-10) 10, Houston (12-10) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (9-15) 2, St. Louis (9-13) 0
Arizona (12-11) 1, Pittsburgh (12-9) 7
Philadelphia (11-11) 8, NY Mets (13-9) 6
Washington (7-14) 2, Colorado (15-9) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
San Francisco releases RHP Johnny Cueto
Toronto RHP Ken Giles begins rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo
Braves place 3B Johan Camargo (thumb) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 04/25/2020

Tuesday, April 28th - First pitch, 1:30 CST
Kansas City (14-10) 4, Tampa Bay (14-10) 0
Winner: Jake Junis (4-1) Loser: Brandon Finnegan (4-1) Save: None
HR: None

ROYALS EVEN SERIES BEHIND JUNIS

It wasn't his typically efficient game, but Jake Junis managed to pick up his team-best fourth win with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Rays to even up the series at a game apiece. In six and two-third innings of work, Junis walked six, but struck out five and scattered just three hits. Cheslor Cuthbert was 3-for-4 with an RBI single, and also scored once. Yoenis Cespedes scored twice, going 1-for-3 in the process. In two and one-third combined innings out of the bullpen, Jake Diekman and Brad Hand combined to shut the Rays out with three hits allowed and one strikeout. For Rays starter Brandon Finnegan, it was the first start against the team that drafted him. Finnegan scattered five hits over six innings, allowing two runs and fanning eight in suffering his first loss of the season against four victories.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (8-16) 4, Boston (16-8) 5
San Francisco (13-11) 4, Toronto (14-10) 5
Miami (13-10) 3, Cleveland (12-10) 1
NY Yankees (11-12) 3, LA Angels (14-11) 5
Texas (9-14) 10, Oakland (9-16) 4
Chi. Sox (5-18) 0, Baltimore (11-14) 6
Kansas City (14-10) 4, Tampa Bay (14-10) 0
Minnesota (11-11) 2, Houston (13-10) 10

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (10-15) 8, St. Louis (9-14) 5 (Final/10)
Arizona (13-11) 8, Pittsburgh (12-10) 3
Atlanta (9-14) 5, Cincinnati (15-8) 12
Philadelphia (11-12) 4, NY Mets (14-9) 11
LA Dodgers (15-10) 5, Chi. Cubs (15-7) 6
Seattle (11-13) 11, San Diego (9-15) 10 (Final/10)
Washington (7-15) 9, Colorado (16-9) 12

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Braves designate INF Jose Reyes for assignment

Wednesday, April 29th, 2020 - First pitch, 5:35 CST
Kansas City (15-10) 6, Tampa Bay (14-11) 1
Winner: Ben Lively (3-2) Loser: Jacob Faria (1-2) Save: None
HR-KC: Nick Castellanos (2) HR-TB: None

KANSAS CITY ENDS ROAD TRIP ON HIGH NOTE

After a couple of rough starts, Ben Lively gave the Royals a spark with seven innings of one-run ball as the Royals completed a .500 road trip with a 6-1 victory over Tampa. He fanned only three, but didn't walk a batter and scattered just five hits. After the Rays took a 1-0 lead after one inning, Nick Castellanos drilled a three-run homerun to put the Royals up for good, adding two more in the fourth and one in the sixth. Both Brian Goodwin and Brett Phillips went 2-for-4 with a double, and Patrick Mazeika hit an RBI double in the sixth inning. Drew Smith closed out the contest with two scoreless innings in relief of Lively, who had thrown a season-high 101 pitches through seven.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (8-17) 4, Boston (17-8) 8
San Francisco (13-12) 2, Toronto (15-10) 10
Miami (13-11) 6, Cleveland (13-10) 9
NY Yankees (11-13) 4, LA Angels (15-11) 5
Texas (9-15) 0, Oakland (10-16) 9
Chi. Sox (5-19) 3, Baltimore (12-14) 5
Kansas City (15-10) 6, Tampa Bay (14-11) 1
Minnesota (11-12) 1, Houston (14-10) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (10-16) 4, St. Louis (10-14) 5
Arizona (13-12) 7, Pittsburgh (13-10) 14
Atlanta (10-14) 11, Cincinnati (15-9) 3
Philadelphia (12-12) 4, NY Mets (14-10) 0
LA Dodgers (15-11) 1, Chi. Cubs (16-7) 6
Seattle (11-14) 1, San Diego (10-15) 2
Washington (7-16) 4, Colorado (17-9) 9

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Philadelphia releases RHP Justin Verlander