Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Indians ace has missed parts of last two seasons now
By MLB.com Staff
05/28/2020

KLUBER SHUT DOWN AFTER LABRUM DIAGNOSIS, SURGERY

Cleveland is rolling in the AL Central, but suffered a big blow when ace Corey Kluber was diagnosed with a torn labrum after last night's game. Manager Terry Francona started off his post-game press conference with the announcement, and noted he'd be having surgery in Cleveland today.

There was concern after Kluber's fastball, which tops out at 93-94, plummeted to the high 80's after just three innings in his start on Monday night against Oakland. He surrendered back-to-back homeruns to Herschel Powell and Robbie Grossman to lead off the fifth. After a mound visit, he stayed in, but walked the next two hitters before getting two groundballs to end the inning.

"He's a tough hombre, pitching through some pain," said Francona. "But we've decided to shut him down the rest of the season, and is going to have surgery tomorrow back in Cleveland to correct this issue."

Cleveland has a $14M team option on Kluber for 2021, but they are still expected to exercise this option despite their ace missing parts of the last two seasons. He's also just two years removed from a 20-win season, and is a two-time winner of the Cy Young in the AL (2014, 2017). --Jason Frampton

BREWERS' HADER SPINS NO-NO

In his first year as a starter, Josh Hader has had an up-and-down year, but this is certainly his highest point after firing his first career no-hitter against Cincinnati in a 3-0 victory over the Reds.

He faced just two over the minimum, striking out nine with just two walks, throwing a career-high 103 pitches.

"Honestly, I didn't know what the situation was what it was until the seventh inning," said manager Craig Counsell. "I looked up at the scoreboard to see how many hits we had, and I saw that Cincinnati had zero hits." --Evan Smith

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

NEW YORK YANKEES (26-24) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (24-25)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

05/29: RHP Luis Severino (5-2, 2.96) vs LHP Danny Duffy (5-3, 2.16)
05/30: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (6-3, 4.41) vs RHP Mitchell White (0-0, 5.68)
05/31: RHP Zack Godley (2-1, 8.39) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (3-4, 5.69)

GAME RECAPS

Friday, May 29th, 2020 - First pitch, 5:35 CST
NY Yankees (27-24) 4, Kansas City (24-26) 0
Winner: Luis Severino (6-2) Loser: Danny Duffy (5-4) Save: None
HR-NYY: Clint Frazier (9) HR-KC: None

SEVERINO SILENCES ROYAL BATS

He couldn't quite get through the ninth, but Luis Severino fanned ten Royals in eight and one-third innings, with Craig Kimbrel cleaning up after Peter Alonso's one-out double in the ninth in a 4-0 loss to the Yankees. Danny Duffy, who gets some of the worst run support in the entire league, didn't get a single run in his six innings of work, and was solid in his outing. He allowed just two earned runs, scattering five hits; while fanning seven with three walks as he took the loss. Nick Castellanos was 2-for-3, and catcher Patrick Mazeika was the only other Royal to reach base more than once, going 1-for-2 with a walk.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Diego (17-34) 5, Toronto (23-28) 9
NY Yankees (27-24) 4, Kansas City (24-26) 0
Tampa Bay (29-21) 1, Cleveland (32-18) 2
Texas (22-27) 2, LA Angels (31-20) 3 (Final/11)
Boston (32-20) 13, Houston (32-20) 1
Seattle (23-29) 1, Oakland (23-29) 5
Chi. Sox (17-35) 5, Minnesota (24-26) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Miami (23-26) 6, Washington (18-33) 4
Cincinnati (26-25) 2, Chi. Cubs (35-15) 1
Atlanta (30-23) 2, St. Louis (21-29) 0
LA Dodgers (30-21) 5, Pittsburgh (25-24) 2
Detroit (20-31) 2, NY Mets (34-17) 5
Arizona (25-26) 3, San Francisco (25-26) 5 (Final/12)
Philadelphia (24-27) 2, Milwaukee (22-30) 6
Baltimore (17-36) 3, Colorado (33-18) 7

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Giants C Buster Posey day-to-day with back tightness

Saturday, May 30th, 2020 - First pitch, 3:30 CST
NY Yankees (27-25) 4, Kansas City (25-26) 10
Winner: Mitchell White (1-0) Loser: Masahiro Tanaka (6-4) Save: None
HR-NYY: Justin Turner (7) HR-KC: Yoenis Cespedes (11), Cheslor Cuthbert (12), Nicky Lopez (1)

WHITE SPARKLES TO PICK UP FIRST MLB WIN

Making his first home start since being called up from Triple-A, Mitchell White breezed through the first three-plus innings, retiring the first ten hitters he faced before giving up a single to Gary Sanchez with one out in the fourth, as the Royals went on to win 10-4. Through six and two-third innings of work, White allowed three earned runs (all in the seventh), scattering five hits, a walk, and five strikeouts. Drew Smith went the final seven outs, fanning three and allowing just one run. Three different Royals hit homeruns, including Nicky Lopez, who hit his first longball of the season to left field off Masahiro Tanaka, which chased the veteran righty from the game. Cheslor Cuthbert led the Royals offensively by going 3-for-3, including a three-run homerun in the third. Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run blast off Tanaka in the first to give the Royals a 2-0 lead out of the gate.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Diego (18-34) 6, Toronto (23-29) 3
NY Yankees (27-25) 4, Kansas City (25-26) 10
Tampa Bay (30-21) 5, Cleveland (32-19) 3
Texas (22-28) 2, LA Angels (32-20) 8
Boston (32-21) 5, Houston (33-20) 12
Seattle (24-29) 6, Oakland (23-30) 0
Chi. Sox (17-36) 2, Minnesota (25-26) 9

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Miami (23-27) 3, Washington (19-33) 6
Cincinnati (26-26) 4, Chi. Cubs (36-15) 6
Atlanta (31-23) 3, St. Louis (21-30) 2
LA Dodgers (31-21) 8, Pittsburgh (25-25) 4
Detroit (21-31) 6, NY Mets (34-18) 4
Arizona (26-26) 8, San Francisco (25-27) 1
Philadelphia (25-27) 6, Milwaukee (22-31) 5
Baltimore (17-37) 1, Colorado (34-18) 8

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Detroit OF Troy Montgomery (oblique) out 5-to-6 weeks, placed on 10-day disabled list

Saturday, May 31st, 2020 - First pitch, 4:35 CST
NY Yankees (27-26) 3, Kansas City (26-26) 5
Winner: Corey Knebel (1-0) Loser: Tommy Kahnle (1-4) Save: None
HR-NYY: Justin Turner (8) HR-KC: Cheslor Cuthbert 2 (14)

CUTHBERT WALKS THE YANKEES OFF WITH HOMERUN

Cheslor Cuthbert continued to mash Yankees pitching, including the penultimate hit -- a three-run walk-off homerun against Tommy Kahnle in the ninth, to win the game and the series by a 5-3 count. Cuthbert also homered earlier in the contest, going 2-for-5 with four RBI in all. The win also gave the Royals a season series win over the Yankees, as they completed their seven 2020 games with the Bombers with a 4-3 mark. Trevor Oaks gave the Royals eight outstanding innings, allowing just two earned runs with nine hits scattered, striking out five with two walks. He didn't factor into the decision, as he left down 3-2, but Corey Knebel got the victory with a scoreless ninth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Diego (19-34) 9, Toronto (23-30) 7 (Final/13)
NY Yankees (27-26) 3, Kansas City (26-26) 5
Tampa Bay (31-21) 4, Cleveland (32-20) 2
Texas (22-29) 2, LA Angels (33-20) 11
Boston (33-21) 5, Houston (33-21) 4
Seattle (25-29) 6, Oakland (23-31) 0
Chi. Sox (17-37) 1, Minnesota (26-26) 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Miami (23-28) 0, Washington (20-33) 5
Cincinnati (26-27) 4, Chi. Cubs (37-15) 9
Atlanta (32-23) 6, St. Louis (21-31) 4
LA Dodgers (32-21) 4, Pittsburgh (25-26) 3
Detroit (21-32) 2, NY Mets (35-18) 3 (Final/10)
Arizona (27-26) 3, San Francisco (25-28) 4
Philadelphia (25-28) 4, Milwaukee (23-31) 5 (Final/12)
Baltimore (17-38) 8, Colorado (35-18) 11

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Giants send RHP Hiang-ta Zhang to Triple-A for rehab assignment
Braves sign RHP Chad Bettis to pro-rated one-year deal

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

GENERAL MANAGER'S MAY REPORT

AL CENTRAL STANDINGS

Cleveland Indians: 32-20
Kansas City Royals: 26-26
Minnesota Twins: 26-26
Detroit Tigers: 21-32
Chicago White Sox: 17-37

MAJOR TRANSACTIONS

None.

MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATE RECORDS

Omaha: 24-27 (2nd, PCL Amer. North)
NW Arkansas: 30-20 (1st, Texas League North)
Wilmington: 31-19 (1st, Carolina League, Northern Division)
Lexington: 24-26 (t-3rd, South Atlantic League, Southern Division)

REPORTS FROM MINOR LEAGUE MANAGERS

Conditions have improved somewhat at Omaha. The team has had a pretty good month of May record-wise, and some of the new acquisitions and call-ups have improved team cohesion.

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH - MAY

Kansas City: Danny Duffy, LHP
In going 4-2 in the month of May, Duffy spun a 1.48 ERA in 42 2/3 innings of work, striking out fifty-two while allowing just thirty-eight baserunners.

Omaha: Seuly Matias, OF
With apologies to Khalil Lee, who had a big May (.321/.447/.623), Matias was the PCL Player of the Month for May, with ten homeruns and a whopping thirty-three RBI. He slashed .327/.403/.636 in 124 plate appearances.

NW Arkansas: Daniel Lynch, LHP
Lynch, who went a perfect 5-0 in May and earned Texas League Pitcher of the Month honors, fashioned a 2.97 ERA with twenty-five strikeouts in thirty-eight innings.

Wilmington: Francis Grullon, SS
Grullon secured his second-straight Player of the Month honor, netting the award for May. In 120 plate appearances, Grullon led the team in average (.319), hits (36), RBI (18), and steals (7), while placing second in homeruns (3), and doubles (6).

Lexington: Dalton Griffin, OF
He's since been promoted to High-A Wilmington in the last week, but Griffin had a big month of May for Lexington, hitting .359. That average was tops on the squad, as well as hits (33), doubles (6), and walks (10). He also struck out just ten times in 102 total plate appearances.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
MLB Draft begins Wednesday
By MLB.com Staff
06/01/2020

LEAGUE HANDS OUT WEEKLY, MONTHLY AWARDS

Jacob deGrom was the big winner this week, as he earned both the NL Player and NL Pitcher of the Month honors for May, and the NL Player of the Week for the past week. DeGrom went 5-0 in six May starts, and was 2-0 with one earned run allowed in twelve innings, fanning seventeen with two walks over the past week alone.

Baltimore is having a rough season, but outfielder Anthony Santander is giving them a huge reason to be hopeful for the future. The twenty-five year old belted a dozen homeruns in May, hitting .337 in the process. He was named the AL Player of the Month for May, his first such honor. Cleveland righty Danny Salazar picked up the AL Pitcher of the month after a 5-0 month, spinning a 1.42 ERA.

Houston outfielder George Springer won the AL Player of the Week award after an eye-popping .609 (14-for-23) week, with six homeruns. Philadelphia's Kevin Markham and Minnesota shortstop Royce Lewis were named the NL and AL Rookies of the Month by the league office. --Jason Frampton

MLB ANNOUNCES BONUS POOLS FOR WEDNESDAY'S DRAFT

With the top pick in the draft, the Reds hold down the top bonus pool, with a $12,966,220 figure. Miami ($12,686,450), Detroit ($12,025,750), Seattle ($11,500,560), and Oakland ($10,541,335) round out the top five.

Cleveland has the lowest bonus pool total, with just a shade over $5.4M ($5,408,250, to be exact). Cleveland doesn't have a first-round pick after signing Yasiel Puig, and doesn't make their first selection until the 52nd overall pick. The Yankees ($6,275,300), Pirates ($5,950,000), Twins ($5,805,250), and Nationals ($5,700,550) round out the lowest five. The latter three, along with Cleveland, forfeited first-round picks by signing qualified free agents this past offseason.

Teams are penalized a 75% luxury tax for going 0.1% to 5% over the allotted bonus pool, and are penalized a first-round pick the next year if they exceed 5%. Ninety-five teams have exceeded the 0.1% to 5% limit in the past, but none have gone any further than that in the era of the modern draft. --Evan Smith

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (26-26) @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX (17-37)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/01: RHP Jorge Lopez (3-1, 5.45) vs LHP Amir Garrett (2-6, 4.73)
06/02: RHP Jake Junis (5-3, 4.12) vs LHP Carlos Rodon (4-5, 3.44)
06/03: LHP Danny Duffy (5-4, 2.23) vs RHP Luis Martinez (1-0, 1.42)

GAME RECAPS

Monday, June 1st, 2020 - First pitch, 4:05 CST
Kansas City (26-27) 3, Chi. Sox (18-37) 6
Winner: Amir Garrett (3-6) Loser: Jorge Lopez (3-2) Save: Thyago Vieira (7)
HR-KC: Yoenis Cespedes (12) HR-CHW: Nicky Delmonico (9)

ROYALS DROP FIRST GAME; BACK BELOW .500

The White Sox jumped out to a 5-1 lead after three innings behind a three-run blast from Nicky Delmonico, and starter Amir Garrett made that hold up over five and one-third to pick up the victory in a 6-3 win for the host White Sox. Jorge Lopez allowed five runs in five innings, throwing a season-high ninety-seven pitches in the losing effort. Yoenis Cespedes hit his 12th homerun of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth, but the only other run came in the first on a Cheslor Cuthbert RBI single. With the loss, the Royals slipped behind the Twins in both the division and in the wildcard race as it stands.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (26-27) 3, Chi. Sox (18-37) 6
Toronto (23-31) 5, Tampa Bay (32-21) 7
Detroit (22-32) 3, Baltimore (17-39) 2
Cleveland (33-20) 8, Boston (33-22) 6
LA Angels (34-20) 2, Oakland (23-32) 1 (Final/14)
Milwaukee (23-32) 3, Minnesota (27-26) 8
San Diego (19-35) 6, NY Yankees (28-26) 7
Chi. Cubs (38-15) 3, Houston (33-22) 0
Texas (23-29) 4, Seattle (25-30) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (26-26) 6, Cincinnati (26-28) 3 (Final/10)
Arizona (28-26) 9, Colorado (35-19) 0
Miami (23-29) 5, Washington (21-33) 6
NY Mets (35-19) 3, LA Dodgers (33-21) 10

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Giants RHP Moore, Arizona 3B Lamb suspended by MLB for on-field fracas last night

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020 - First pitch, 3:10 CST
Kansas City (27-27) 5, Chi. Sox (18-38) 4
Winner: Drew Smith (2-0) Loser: Robbie Ross, Jr. (0-2) Save: Corey Knebel (8)
HR-KC: Yoenis Cespedes (13) HR-CHW: None

ROYALS RALLY LATE, HANG ON FOR VICTORY

Kansas City withstood a furious comeback attempt from the White Sox, as they loaded the bases with one out in the eighth against Richard Lovelady, only to see Corey Knebel notch the four-out save as the Royals hung on to win 5-4. They didn't lead until the eighth inning, when Yoenis Cespedes unloaded a two-run homerun against Ryan Burr to break a 3-3 tie. Cespedes has been on fire as of late, adding three more hits to push his average to a season-best .264, and his forty-three RBI lead the squad. He also has three homeruns in his last four games, with the Royals going 2-1 in those games. Jake Junis didn't factor into the decision, going just five innings while fanning seven with no walks. He scattered eight hits and three runs, and kept the ball in the park for the first time in over a month. Drew Smith picked up the victory, going two shutout innings while fanning three.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (27-27) 5, Chi. Sox (18-38) 4
Toronto (23-32) 2, Tampa Bay (33-21) 6
Detroit (22-33) 3, Baltimore (18-39) 5
Cleveland (33-21) 3, Boston (34-22) 8
LA Angels (34-21) 6, Oakland (24-32) 7
Milwaukee (23-33) 1, Minnesota (28-26) 3
San Diego (20-35) 8, NY Yankees (28-27) 5
Chi. Cubs (38-16) 1, Houston (34-22) 5
Texas (24-29) 6, Seattle (25-31) 5 (Final/11)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (26-27) 2, Cincinnati (27-28) 3
St. Louis (22-31) 7, Philadelphia (25-29) 6
San Francisco (26-28) 5, Miami (23-30) 3
Arizona (29-26) 10, Colorado (35-20) 8
Washington (22-33) 4, Atlanta (32-24) 1
NY Mets (36-19) 7, LA Dodgers (33-22) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
White Sox RHP Dillon Maples placed on 10-day disabled list after taking line drive off non-pitching elbow

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020 - First pitch, 7:30 CST
Kansas City (28-27) 8, Chi. Sox (18-39) 3
Winner: Danny Duffy (6-4) Loser: Carlos Rodon (4-6) Save: None
HR-KC: Peter Alonso (6) HR-CHW: Mike Ford (6)

ROYALS POUND SOX TO TAKE SERIES

Salvador Perez singled, doubled, and drove in four runs as the Royals raced past the White Sox by an 8-3 count on Wednesday night. Peter Alonso was 2-for-4, hitting his sixth homerun of the season, and driving in a pair of runs. Danny Duffy picked up the victory, throwing seven solid innings of two-run ball. He didn't strike out many, just three in seven innings; but still had some of his best stuff, scattering nine hits and a walk. Jose Peraza and Kevin Pillar also had RBI hits, with Peraza's an RBI triple, and Pillar hit a pair of doubles in a 2-for-3 game.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (28-27) 8, Chi. Sox (18-39) 3
Toronto (24-32) 1, Tampa Bay (33-22) 0 (Final/11)
Detroit (22-34) 4, Baltimore (19-39) 8
Cleveland (34-21) 5, Boston (34-23) 2
LA Angels (35-21) 5, Oakland (24-33) 4
San Diego (21-35) 3, NY Yankees (28-28) 1
Chi. Cubs (39-16) 6, Houston (34-23) 3
Texas (24-30) 4, Seattle (26-31) 9

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (27-27) 1, Cincinnati (27-29) 0
St. Louis (22-32) 2, Philadelphia (26-29) 6
San Francisco (26-29) 0, Miami (24-30) 7
Arizona (29-27) 1, Colorado (36-20) 4
Washington (22-34) 6, Atlanta (33-24) 7 (Final/10)
NY Mets (37-19) 7, LA Dodgers (33-23) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Cardinals RHP Jake Barrett out for season with torn flexor tendon in elbow

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS MAKE CUEVAS TOP PICK
Signability concerns slipped him out of the top fifteen
By artoodeetoo
06/04/2020

The Royals received a nice surprise when College of Southern Nevada outfielder Johnny Cuevas was still on the board when the their turn to pick came up; and within moments the Royals submitted his name, taking him with the 18th-overall selection.

"We thought he'd be going in the top ten or fifteen spots," said scouting director Scott Sharp, who is running point on his first draft as the team's head of scouting. "When he slipped out of that range, I thought we really had a shot at him. We thought he was a top-two or three outfielder in this entire class."

In 2018, Cuevas was a 32nd-round pick out of high school by the Brewers, and not only did he eschew the Brewers, he backed out of his commitment to Southern Cal to attend the College of Southern Nevada, which is Bryce Harper's alma mater, in the hopes of putting up big numbers to get a quicker shot at getting drafted higher.

After playing in just nine games in 2019 thanks to a knee injury, he wasn't drafted by anyone, and returned to CoSN. Finally healthy in 2020, Cuevas put up huge numbers, hitting eleven doubles, nine triples, and thirteen homeruns in forty-four games. He also scored sixty runs to lead the team, which is amazing because he reached base eighty times all season (59 hits, 18 BB, 3 HBP).

What really sets him apart though, is his defensive versatility and speed. MLB.com's Jim Callis had him as his number-two collegiate outfielder, behind first-overall pick Kason Howell. Callis also noted that his defensive profile fits all three outfield positions well, and has him with 80 speed on the 20-80 scale, with above-average baserunning instincts.

He's committed to Southern Cal again, so it might be a heavy lift to get him in the organization. With two more years of draft eligibility after this one, Cuevas has most of the leverage. As a reminder, the Royals have $7.55M in bonus pool money this year, which is a departure from years past when they had higher (and more) picks, allowing for a bigger pie.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Round one of the 2020 draft in the books
By MLB.com Staff
06/04/2020

REDS SELECT AUBURN'S HOWELL NUMBER ONE

Auburn sophomore outfielder Kason Howell was taken as the top pick in the 2020 draft, with new general manager Amiel Sawdaye making the pick on live television during the MLB Network's broadcast of the first round.

Howell hit .356 for the Tigers this year, amassing an OPS of 1.060 in 285 plate appearances. Howell also hit twelve doubles, twelve triples, and fourteen homeruns with seventy-two RBI. The triples and RBI were the top marks in the country. His thirty-one steals were also in the top-three nationally.

Pepperdine's Aaron Arnold (Detroit), Cal-State Fullerton's Curt Carey, Texas Tech's John Coffin, and Texas' Greg Gober, all junior right-handed pitchers, were picks second through five. The first high school player to go off the board was at number-seven, with six-foot-seven Metamora (IL) right-hander Caleb Shaughnessy going to the Orioles.

There were thirty-two picks in all, with the final six in the supplemental round reserved for compensatory picks. The Dodgers and Cardinals each had two of those, while Boston and Houston each had one. Washington, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Pittsburgh did not have first-round picks, thanks to signing compensation-eligible free agents this past offseason. Toronto also signed a compensation-eligible free agent, but with their first pick being in the top ten, they lost their second-round pick.

One of the Dodgers' compensatory picks was thanks to not signing 2019 first-rounder Austin Bergner, who opted to return for his junior year at North Carolina. Bergner was drafted again this year, this time 17th overall to the Phillies. Miami and Boston also get extra second-round picks today for failing to sign their second-rounders from a year ago.

The draft continues later today at 4 PM Eastern, with the draft live-streamed on MLB.com the next two days. Rounds 2-10 will take place today, while Rounds 11-40 will take place at the same time tomorrow. --David LoPietro

CARDS RELIEVER BARRETT SIDELINED FOR SEASON

St. Louis righty Jake Barrett has been shut down for the season after an MRI revealed a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Gould on the Cardinals beat.

He's been effective in his limited innings so far in 2020, spinning a 2.57 ERA in fourteen innings, covering twelve appearances. He has seventeen strikeouts to just seven hits and five walks for a WHIP of 0.86, and has limited opposing hitters to a miniscule .152 BA.

Righty Alex Palsha was re-called from Triple-A Memphis to take his spot on the roster. Palsha has already been with the club for a stint this season, with a 4.97 ERA in 12 2/3 innings before pitching one-third of an inning in last night's 6-2 loss at Philadelphia. --Evan Smith

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB Draft - Round 1 Recap
Pick	Team (Value)	Player (School)	Pos	Ht	Wt
1	Cincinnati Reds ($5.5M)	Kason Howell (Auburn)	OF	6'	195
2	Detroit Tigers ($5.1M)	Aaron Arnold (Pepperdine)	RHP	6'5"	190
3	Miami Marlins ($4.91M)	Curt Carey (Cal State-Fullerton)	RHP	6'2"	205
4	Seattle Mariners ($4.71M)	John Coffin (Texas Tech)	RHP	6'3"	195
5	Oakland Athletics ($4.51M)	Greg Gober (Texas)	RHP	6'	200
6	Tampa Bay Rays ($4.32M)	Adrian Torres (Sam Houston St.)	OF	6'1"	180
7	Baltimore Orioles ($4.12M)	Caleb Shaughnessy (Metamora (IL) HS)	RHP	6'7"	210
8	Arizona Diamondbacks ($3.92M)	Peter Halpin (St. Francis (CA) HS, Mountain View)	OF	6'	170
9	Toronto Blue Jays ($3.73M)	Michael Dahl (Rice)	SS	6'	180
10	Chi. White Sox ($3.53M)	Adam Van Hoy (Oral Roberts)	RHP	6'4"	200
11	San Diego Padres ($3.33M)	Robert Moore (Mission East (KS) HS, Shawnee)	SS	5'10"	170
12	Texas Rangers ($3.14M)	Ryan Quinn (TNXL (FL) Academy, Altamonte Spgs.)	LHP	6'3"	170
13	Los Angeles Angels ($2.94M)	Tyler Brown (Cal State-Fullerton)	RHP	6'3"	210
14	San Francisco Giants ($2.74M)	Alek Boychuk (Millbrook (NC) HS, Raleigh)	C	6'1"	210
15	Milwaukee Brewers ($2.7M)	Nick Storz (LSU)	RHP	6'5"	245
16	Atlanta Braves ($2.65M)	Michael Hollingsworth (Horizon (CA) HS, San Diego)	LHP	6'	175
17	Philadelphia Phillies ($2.61M)	Austin Bergner (North Carolina)	RHP	6'4"	190
18	Kansas City Royals ($2.56M)	Jonathan Cuevas (Coll. of Southern NV)	OF	6'1"	190
19	Colorado Rockies ($2.52M)	Alex Freeland (Mariner (FL) HS, Cape Coral)	SS	6'2"	180
20	St. Louis Cardinals ($2.47M)	Arthur Joven (Missouri)	LHP	6'	185
21	Chicago Cubs ($2.42M)	Brenton Sanders (Georgia Tech)	C	5'10"	215
22	Boston Red Sox ($2.38M)	Ben Tyler (Valley View (TX) HS, Pharr)	OF	6'	170
23	Los Angeles Dodgers ($2.33M)	Andrew Eyster (South Carolina)	OF	6'3"	215
24	New York Mets ($2.29M)	Cal Krueger (Indiana)	RHP	6'	195
25	Houston Astros ($2.24M)	Randy Fey (Kent (OH) State)	OF	6'	175
26	New York Yankees ($2.2M)	Garrett Martin (McLennan (TX) JC)	SS	6'3"	185
27 (S)	St. Louis Cardinals ($2.2M)	Jack Conlon (Texas A&M)	RHP	6'3"	230
28 (S)	Boston Red Sox ($2.01M)	Joe Boyle (Notre Dame)	RHP	6'7"	235
29 (S)	Los Angeles Dodgers ($1.92M)	Trevor Hauver (Arizona State)	SS	6'	185
30 (S)	Houston Astros ($1.83M)	Jack Leftwich (Florida)	RHP	6'3"	225
31 (S)	St. Louis Cardinals ($1.6M)	Jayson Gonzalez (Vanderbilt)	3B	6'2"	220
32 (S)	Los Angeles Dodgers ($1.55M)	Eric MacKay (Temple)	RHP	6'3"	210

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (28-27) @ TEXAS RANGERS (24-30)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/04: RHP Mitchell White (1-0, 4.85) vs RHP Drew Hutchison (3-3, 3.93)
06/05: RHP Trevor Oaks (3-4, 5.43) vs RHP Felix Hernandez (2-7, 6.68)
06/06: RHP Jorge Lopez (3-2, 5.90) vs RHP Julio Teheran (3-7, 8.72)
06/07: RHP Jake Junis (5-3, 4.21) vs RHP Matt Shoemaker (2-3, 5.66)

GAME RECAPS

Thursday, June 4th, 2020 - First pitch, 2:35 CST
Kansas City (29-27) 5, Texas (24-31) 2
Winner: Mitchell White (2-0) Loser: Drew Hutchison (2-2) Save: Richard Lovelady (1)
HR-KC: Nicky Lopez (2), Peter Alonso (7) HR-TEX: None

ROYALS WIN BEHIND FIRST-INNING SURGE

The Royals jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, and Mitchell White allowed just two runs over six-plus innings as the Royals took the first game of their four-game road tilt with the Rangers by a 5-2 count. White walked four in an "effectively wild" outing, but scattered just three hits and fanned three. Peter Alonso, Patrick Mazeika, and Nicky Lopez all had two hits, with Alonso and Lopez smacking homeruns. Southpaws Brad Hand and Richard Lovelady combined for three scoreless innings, with Lovelady notching a two-inning save, his first save of the season in three tries.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (34-22) 3, Chi. Sox (19-39) 7
Kansas City (29-27) 5, Texas (24-31) 2
Minnesota (29-26) 11, Tampa Bay (33-23) 1
Boston (34-24) 0, NY Yankees (29-28) 12
LA Angels (35-22) 0, Seattle (27-31) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (23-32) 4, Philadelphia (26-30) 2
Arizona (29-28) 1, Colorado (37-20) 2
San Francisco (27-29) 10, Miami (24-31) 3
NY Mets (38-19) 3, LA Dodgers (33-24) 2
Milwaukee (24-33) 12, Pittsburgh (27-28) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Reds take Auburn OF Howell with first overall pick in 2020 MLB Draft
St. Louis RHP Jake Barrett out with elbow injury; shut down after surgery and placed on 60-day DL

Friday, June 5th, 2020 - First pitch, 4:10 CST
Kansas City (29-28) 6, Texas (25-31) 7
Winner: Felix Hernandez (3-7) Loser: Drew Smith (2-1) Save: Alex Claudio (15)
HR-KC: Nick Castellanos (9) HR-TEX: Drew Robinson (2), Joey Gallo (18)

ROYALS SUFFER DEFEAT DESPITE BIG FOURTH

In spite of six Royal runs in the fourth inning, the Rangers were able to string together seven runs in innings three through six against three different pitchers, and eventually take the contest by a 7-6 score. Starter Trevor Oaks left just one batter into the third inning with what was eventually termed after the game as 'shoulder tightness' by manager Ned Yost. Nathan Karns went three innings in relief, getting knocked around for five runs. Drew Robinson homered to drive in three in the fourth, and Joey Gallo hit a two-run homerun in the fifth against Karns. Drew Smith pitched the sixth and seventh innings, allowing one run on three hits, fanning four. Nick Castellanos was 2-for-4 with a homerun, his ninth of the season. Brian Goodwin was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double in the fourth inning, scoring two as part of that six-run fourth. Felix Hernandez picked up the victory for the Rangers despite six runs in seven innings of work.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Francisco (27-29) @ Baltimore (19-39) -- PPD
Houston (35-23) 2, Oakland (24-34) 1
Cleveland (35-22) 5, Chi. Sox (19-40) 1
Kansas City (29-28) 6, Texas (25-31) 7
Minnesota (29-27) 5, Tampa Bay (34-23) 9
Boston (35-24) 4, NY Yankees (29-29) 0
LA Angels (36-22) 5, Seattle (27-32) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (24-33) @ Pittsburgh (27-28) -- PPD
Philadelphia (26-31) 0, LA Dodgers (34-24) 11
NY Mets (39-19) 6, Arizona (29-29) 2
Toronto (25-32) 5, Colorado (37-21) 3
Chi. Cubs (40-16) 4, St. Louis (23-33) 1
Detroit (22-35) 5, Atlanta (34-24) 7
Washington (22-35) 6, Cincinnati (28-29) 8
Miami (25-31) 3, San Diego (21-36) 0

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Braves activate RHP Luiz Gohara from disabled list; will not send on rehab assignment
Reds sign second-round (33rd overall) pick OF Tom Wright with $1.98M bonus

Saturday, June 6th, 2020 - First pitch, 2:30 CST
Kansas City (29-29) 1, Texas (26-31) 3 (Final/13)
Winner: Jose Leclerc (3-2) Loser: Drew Smith (2-2) Save: None
HR-KC: Jason Kipnis (2) HR-TEX: Joey Gallo (19), Jurickson Profar (7)

ROYALS WALKED OFF IN 13TH

Jurickson Profar walked the Royals off with a two-run homerun against Drew Smith in the bottom of the 13th inning, as the Rangers secured at least a split in the four-game series with a 3-1 victory. Kansas City right-hander Jorge Lopez fired his best outing since being moved to the rotation, a six and one-third inning outing in which he scattered four hits and two walks, while fanning six in a season and career-high 100 pitches. He made just one mistake, as Joey Gallo launched a 446-foot blast in the fourth inning. Jason Kipnis tied the game in the eighth against Julio Teheran, hitting his second homerun of the season, a solo homerun. It ruined a pretty solid outing for Teheran, who allowed just the one run in seven and two-third innings while fanning eight.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Francisco (28-29) 1, Baltimore (19-40) 0 (G1)
San Francisco (29-29) 9, Baltimore (19-41) 6 (G2)
Houston (35-24) 5, Oakland (25-34) 7
Cleveland (36-22) 5, Chi. Sox (19-41) 3
Kansas City (29-29) 1, Texas (26-31) 3 (Final/13)
Minnesota (29-28) 5, Tampa Bay (35-23) 11
Boston (35-25) 6, NY Yankees (30-29) 8
LA Angels (36-23) 1, Seattle (28-32) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (25-33) 3, Pittsburgh (27-29) 2 (G1)
Milwaukee (25-34) 2, Pittsburgh (28-29) 3 (G2)
Philadelphia (26-32) 2, LA Dodgers (35-24) 6
NY Mets (39-20) 3, Arizona (30-29) 7
Toronto (25-33) 5, Colorado (38-21) 9
Chi. Cubs (40-17) 2, St. Louis (24-33) 3
Detroit (23-35) 9, Atlanta (34-25) 7
Washington (23-35) 4, Cincinnati (28-30) 3
Miami (25-32) 3, San Diego (22-36) 7

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Nats activate 1B Brandon Belt from disabled list; sent to Triple-A Syracuse for rehab assignment

Sunday, June 7th, 2020 - First pitch, 4:10 CST
Kansas City (29-30) 4, Texas (27-31) 7
Winner: Matt Shoemaker (3-3) Loser: Jake Junis (5-4) Save: None
HR-KC: Peter Alonso (8) HR-TEX: Joey Gallo (20), Willie Calhoun (10)

EARLY LEAD FADES AS ROYALS DROP THIRD STRAIGHT

Behind a two-run homerun in the first from Peter Alonso, the Royals jumped out to a 4-2 lead against Rangers starter Matt Shoemaker, but Texas mounted a middle-innings comeback, scoring three times in the fifth, and twice again in the sixth as they claimed the game by a 7-4 count. Joey Gallo homered for the third straight game, hitting a two-run homerun against Jake Junis in the first. Junis labored through five and one-third innings, allowing nine hits and three walks with three strikeouts, and gave up an additional homerun to Willie Calhoun in the fifth that finally chased him from the game. Five different Royals collected two hits apiece, but only two runs came from those ten hits, as Nicky Lopez and Kevin Pillar drove in the other two Royals' runs.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Francisco (29-29) @ Baltimore (19-41) -- PPD
Houston (36-24) 6, Oakland (25-35) 3
Cleveland (36-23) 2, Chi. Sox (20-41) 3 (Final/15)
Kansas City (29-30) 1, Texas (27-31) 7
Minnesota (30-28) 5, Tampa Bay (35-24) 4
Boston (35-26) 4, NY Yankees (31-29) 11
LA Angels (37-23) 5, Seattle (28-33) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (26-34) 5, Pittsburgh (28-30) 4 (Final/10)
Philadelphia (26-33) 6, LA Dodgers (36-24) 10
NY Mets (40-20) 7, Arizona (30-30) 6
Toronto (26-33) 8, Colorado (38-22) 2
Chi. Cubs (41-17) 10, St. Louis (24-34) 7
Detroit (23-36) 3, Atlanta (35-25) 5
Washington (23-36) 5, Cincinnati (29-30) 9
Miami (25-33) 2, San Diego (23-36) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Giants sign first-round pick in prep C Alek Boychuk with $4.8M bonus

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

IN WAKE OF INJURIES, ROYALS MAKE FLURRY OF MOVES
Oaks, Lovelady, Jones all to DL; Fillmyer to make first MLB appearance since 2018
By artoodeetoo
06/08/2020

With three different pitchers leaving their outings earlier this week during the Rangers series, the Royals have made a series of roster moves in response. The biggest injury news to come out of the last week was Trevor Oaks, who was placed on the 60-day disabled list, and will miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum. Heath Fillmyer was re-called from Omaha to take his spot in the rotation, as he will make his first MLB appearance since 2018.

He's had a solid 2020 after missing most of 2019 with elbow issues; posting a 6-3 mark for the Storm Chasers, and a 3.47 ERA in seventy innings (covering eleven starts). Best yet, his K/9 has jumped to 8.0 K/9 after a disappointing 5.4 in 2019. He also has cut his walk rate from 2.9 BB/9 to 2.4 BB/9 over last season.

Kansas City will also be without the services of relievers Richard Lovelady and Nate Jones for the next four to six weeks with back and bicep issues, respectively. Lovelady especially has had a solid year, with a 2.01 ERA in 22 1/3 innings of work, striking out just over twelve batters per nine. Jones left after just one batter during Saturday night's 13-inning defeat, but he was able to record an out.

Right-handers Nick Gardewine and Josh Staumont were re-called to replace Lovelady and Jones on the roster. Gardewine was picked up on waivers on May 18th from the Rangers, and has a 3.86 ERA through seven innings with the Storm Chasers, although he has more walks (9) than strikeouts (6). With the Rangers, he posted a 2.70 ERA and fifteen strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings before being waived by the Rangers on May 15th.

This will be Staumont's second turn with the Royals this season, with a 9.95 ERA in 6 1/3 innings in a previous stint during May while replacing Jones. He's struck out eight, but walked five and allowed two homeruns, attributing to the high ERA.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Giants' top pick first first-rounder to sign
By MLB.com Staff
06/08/2020

DAHL, GALLO WIN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS

For their work in the past week, Texas' Joey Gallo and Colorado's David Dahl earned their respective leagues' Player of the Week awards for the past week.

Gallo homered in three consecutive games against the struggling Royals beginning Friday, and hit six in all during a 9-for-29 (.310) week. He also had a league-high twelve RBI in that same timeframe.

Dahl fared better average-wise (.480) than Gallo did, collecting twelve hits in twenty-five at-bats. He hit four homeruns and drove in eight runs as the Rockies slogged through a 3-3 week against Arizona and Toronto. --David LoPietro

GIANTS' FIRST-ROUNDER BECOMES FIRST TOP PICK TO SIGN

Millbrook (NC) prep catcher Alek Boychuk became the first 2020 first-round pick to sign on the dotted line, inking a minor-league contract with a $4.8M bonus attached to it.

The 14th-overall pick, Boychuk was also the highest-picked high school catcher since 2015, when the Reds took Tyler Stephenson 11th overall that year.

Known more for his defensive prowess than his offensive ability, Boychuk still hit eleven homeruns as a senior this past season; and in signing his contract, eschewed his commitment to play collegiately at North Carolina.--Evan Smith

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

BOSTON RED SOX (35-26) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (29-30)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/09: RHP Rick Porcello (4-5, 6.22) vs LHP Danny Duffy (6-4, 2.26)
06/10: RHP Roniel Raudes (2-2, 4.76) vs RHP Mitchell White (2-0, 4.26)
06/11: LHP Chris Sale (7-1, 3.55) vs RHP Heath Fillmyer (0-0, 0.00)

GAME RECAPS

Tuesday, June 9th, 2020 - First pitch, 6:30 CST
Boston (36-26) 6, Kansas City (29-31) 2
Winner: Rick Porcello (5-5) Loser: Danny Duffy (6-5) Save: None
HR-BOS: Rafael Devers (15) HR-KC: Kevin Pillar (2)

BATS GO COLD AS ROYALS LOSE FOURTH STRAIGHT

It wasn't one of his best starts in recent weeks, but Danny Duffy allowed five runs (four earned) over six-plus innings as the Royals fell 6-2 to open a three-game home series with the defending AL-champion Red Sox. Only a two-run Kevin Pillar homerun in the eighth supplied the Royals' offense in this contest. Rick Porcello left after seven and one-third innings, allowing just the two runs with seven strikeouts and no walks. Kansas City has now lost four straight, immediately following a three-game winning streak.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (36-26) 6, Kansas City (29-31) 2
Baltimore (21-41) 9, Texas (27-32) 7
Minnesota (31-28) 3, Cleveland (36-24) 1
NY Yankees (32-29) 14, Toronto (26-34) 4
Tampa Bay (35-25) 7, Detroit (24-36) 8 (Final/14)
Houston (38-24) 9, Seattle (28-35) 5
Oakland (26-35) 10, LA Angels (37-24) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Philadelphia (28-33) 2, San Diego (23-38) 1 (Final/11)
Cincinnati (29-31) 2, St. Louis (25-34) 3 (Final/14)
Chi. Sox (21-41) 4, Washington (23-37) 3
Atlanta (36-25) 4, Pittsburgh (28-31) 2
San Francisco (30-30) 6, NY Mets (40-21) 4
Colorado (38-23) 4, Chi. Cubs (42-17) 5
Miami (26-33) 6, Milwaukee (26-35) 4
LA Dodgers (36-26) 2, Arizona (32-30) 3

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Red Sox to shut LHP David Price (shoulder inflammation) down for season, placed on 60-day disabled list

Wednesday, June 10th, 2020 - First pitch, 4:10 CST
Boston (36-27) 5, Kansas City (30-31) 9
Winner: Nathan Karns (2-2) Loser: Roniel Raudes (2-3) Save: None
HR-BOS: None HR-KC: Peter Alonso (9), Yoenis Cespedes (14)

ROYALS BANG OUT NINE RUNS, SNAP FOUR-GAME SKID

With a six-run fourth inning, the Royals erased a 5-1 deficit and went on to cruise to a 9-5 decision. Mitchell White failed to get out of the fifth inning for the first time in his four MLB starts, allowing nine hits, five runs, and four walks as he didn't factor into the decision. Nathan Karns pitched two and one-third scoreless innings to pick up the victory, his second of the season. Yoenis Cespedes singled and homered in the six-run fourth inning, hitting a three-run homerun. Patrick Mazeika drove in two runs in that inning with a double, and Nicky Lopez added a sacrifice fly. Nick Castellanos drove in two runs in the following inning with a single to score Cheslor Cuthbert and Cespedes.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (36-27) 5, Kansas City (30-31) 9
Baltimore (21-42) 4, Texas (28-32) 5
Minnesota (32-28) 5, Cleveland (36-25) 1
NY Yankees (32-30) 3, Toronto (27-34) 4 (Final/11)
Tampa Bay (35-26) 2, Detroit (25-36) 7
Houston (39-24) 7, Seattle (28-36) 6
Oakland (26-36) 4, LA Angels (38-24) 12

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Philadelphia (29-33) 4, San Diego (23-39) 1 (Final/11)
Cincinnati (29-32) 4, St. Louis (26-34) 6
Chi. Sox (21-42) 5, Washington (24-37) 6
Atlanta (37-25) 4, Pittsburgh (28-32) 1
San Francisco (30-31) 4, NY Mets (41-21) 5
Colorado (39-23) 2, Chi. Cubs (42-18) 1
Miami (27-33) 6, Milwaukee (26-36) 4
LA Dodgers (36-27) 1, Arizona (33-30) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Giants 3B Evan Longoria reaches 300-HR milestone in last night's win
Braves OF Ronald Acuna to miss five to six weeks with hamstring strain

Thursday, June 11th, 2020 - First pitch, 2:10 CST
Boston (37-27) 8, Kansas City (30-32) 1
Winner: Chris Sale (8-1) Loser: Heath Fillmyer (0-1) Save: None
HR-BOS: Bryce Harper (20), Justin Bour (10), Rafael Devers (16) HR-KC: None

ROYALS BURIED UNDER EARLY ONSLAUGHT

With six runs against starter Heath Fillmyer in the first three innings (four unearned thanks to a Fillmyer error), the Red Sox put it on cruise control as they eventually prevailed by an 8-1 count. The Red Sox hit three homeruns, with Bryce Harper launching his 20th of the season to lead the way offensively for the Red Sox, collecting hits in his only two official at-bats, with a homerun, three RBI, and three walks. Rafael Devers and Justin Bour also added to their double-digit homerun totals. The Royals didn't score until the eighth inning, when Kevin Pillar scored on a Jose Peraza ground ball out. Chris Sale went eight and one-third innings for Boston, fanning eight with no walks and just six hits scattered.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (37-27) 8, Kansas City (30-32) 1
Baltimore (21-43) 3, Texas (29-32) 5 (Final/10)
Minnesota (33-28) 8, Cleveland (36-26) 6 (Final/11)
NY Yankees (32-31) 3, Toronto (28-34) 9
Tampa Bay (36-26) 1, Detroit (25-37) 0
Houston (40-24) 9, Seattle (28-37) 5
Oakland (27-36) 4, LA Angels (38-25) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (25-37) 7, San Diego (23-40) 5
Cincinnati (30-32) 5, St. Louis (26-35) 0
Atlanta (38-25) 5, Pittsburgh (28-33) 1
San Francisco (31-31) 0, NY Mets (42-21) 2
Colorado (40-23) 6, Chi. Cubs (42-19) 3 (Final/11)
Miami (28-33) 8, Milwaukee (26-37) 6

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Rays CF Kevin Kiermaier to miss the rest of 2020 season after surgery on throwing hand

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

TOP PROSPECT MATIAS CALLED UP
Goodwin designated for assignment
By artoodeetoo
06/12/2020

Despite going 2-for-4 with a double, single, and stolen base in the game last night, Brian Goodwin was designated for assignment earlier this morning to make room on the active roster for top prospect Seuly Matias, a 21-year-old outfielder who has absolutely mashed PCL pitching to the tune of twenty homeruns and thirteen doubles with a .333/.400/.654 triple-slash.

A move was speculated when Matias was pulled from the lineup just before last night's game in Omaha. The Royals hadn't yet made the move on Goodwin, but it looked like an anticipatory transaction to grease the skids.

"I watched this kid in the spring, and man, his raw power is just evident right off the bat," said manager Ned Yost. "The ball just jumps off his bat, and he could hit it out of any park. He's going to get a lot of playing time, so we'll see what he's made of pretty quickly."

After a strong April, Goodwin's production fell off a cliff, hitting just .186 in May, and then .205 so far in June. He had made the Royals look pretty good in giving him a $2.7M arbitration-busting deal this past offseason; but after four homeruns in the first three weeks of the season, he has hit just three since. He's been pretty valuable as a defender than can play all three outfield spots, but isn't great at any one of them.

"It was more of a case of that we just couldn't keep Seuly in Triple-A any longer," said general manager Travis Greenleaf. "The past two years have made him a legitimate MLB player in our view, with his raw power and defensive prowess."

Matias has fifty homeruns in the past one-and-one-half seasons, as he hit thirty combined between High-A and Double-A last year. This season, his plate discipline has taken a step forward despite moving up a level, with an increase in walk rate from 7.4% to 10.3%, while increasing his hard contact and keeping his strikeout rate around 25%.

"Certainly, that's been alleviated somewhat this year," Greenleaf added when asked about Matias' high strikeout numbers. "To put things in perspective, he's only twenty-one years old, so frankly, he's still learning the strike zone. Once he does that, the sky really is the limit."

Yost mentioned that at the outset of Matias' time in Kansas City, he'd move Nick Castellanos to left field, which is a more natural fit for him, given he doesn't have a super-strong arm. Matias plays well in both center and right, but with Kevin Pillar and Brett Phillips holding down center, Matias naturally slots in right field.

"His arm is next-level," Yost gushed. "I mean, he can reach third base from just about anywhere on the field on a line, or one hop. He certainly may make teams think twice about going second to third on balls hit his way. I'm excited to see him play; he has some of the most raw ability I've ever seen."

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (21-42) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (30-32)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/12: LHP Amir Garrett (3-6, 4.52) vs RHP Jorge Lopez (3-2, 5.28)
06/13: RHP Luis Martinez (1-0, 1.96) vs RHP Jake Junis (5-4, 4.76)
06/14: RHP Ryan Helsley (0-3, 6.75) vs LHP Danny Duffy (6-5, 2.52)

GAME RECAPS

Friday, June 12th, 2020 - First pitch, 2:30 CST
Chi. Sox (22-42) 5, Kansas City (30-33) 3
Winner: Amir Garrett (4-6) Loser: Jorge Lopez (3-3) Save: Thyago Vieira (9)
HR-CHW: Eloy Jimenez (10), Charlie Tilson (4), Tim Anderson (7) HR-KC: None

WHITE SOX SPOILS MATIAS' DEBUT

Rookie outfielder Seuly Matias had a solid MLB debut, going 1-for-2 with two walks, a double, and a stolen base; but the Royals couldn't muster much offense past the first few innings as the White Sox claimed a 5-3 victory. Matias hit a double against Amir Garrett in his first at-bat, and walked the next two times against Garrett before popping out to second base in the ninth. Jorge Lopez took the loss, allowing four runs over six innings of work while fanning seven. He ran into issues in the second, surrendering three solo homeruns in that inning alone. Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Peraza each had two hits, and Cespedes and first baseman Peter Alonso were the only Royals to drive in runs. Both of Alonso's RBI came on back-to-back sac flies, his first one in the first, and his second one in the third.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (22-42) 5, Kansas City (30-33) 3
Arizona (33-31) 3, Toronto (29-34) 8
Oakland (28-36) 15, Texas (29-33) 11 (Final/12)
NY Yankees (33-31) 11, Cleveland (36-27) 3
Tampa Bay (37-26) 9, Boston (37-28) 4
Minnesota (33-29) 7, Detroit (26-37) 13
Baltimore (21-44) 1, Houston (41-24) 9
Seattle (29-37) 3, LA Angels (38-26) 2 (Final/11)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (26-36) 5, Chi. Cubs (43-19) 9
Atlanta (39-25) 5, Miami (28-34) 2
Cincinnati (30-33) 4, Philadelphia (30-33) 5
Colorado (40-24) 2, NY Mets (43-21) 3
Washington (25-38) 1, San Diego (24-40) 4
Pittsburgh (28-34) 3, Milwaukee (27-37) 13
LA Dodgers (37-27) 11, San Francisco (30-33) 2

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Orioles OF Cole Brannen activated from disabled list, sent to Triple-A for rehab assignment

Saturday, June 13th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Chi. Sox (23-42) 8, Kansas City (30-34) 3
Winner: Luis Martinez (2-0) Loser: Jake Junis (5-5) Save: None
HR-CHW: Ryder Jones (3) HR-KC: Nick Castellanos (10)

MARTINEZ STOPS THE ROYALS COLD -- AGAIN

Rookie right-hander Luis Martinez held the Royals to just one earned run over six innings in his last start against them in Chicago just eleven days ago, and fared just as well against them again, this time in Kansas City. Martinez struck out four over six innings, scattering just four hits and a walk as the White Sox came away with an 8-3 victory. Kansas City took a 1-0 lead on a Patrick Mazeika sac fly in the second, but that was the last time they would lead in the contest, as the White Sox touched Jake Junis for three runs in the third, and two more on a two-run homer from Ryder Jones in the sixth. The Royals didn't dent the scoreboard again until the seventh, when Nick Castellanos reached the double-digit mark in homeruns; hitting his 10th round-tripper on the season, a two-run homerun against Ben Madison, who replaced Martinez to begin the seventh. With the loss, the Royals have now lost seven of their last nine, and slipped to a season-worst four games below .500.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (23-42) 8, Kansas City (30-34) 3
Arizona (33-32) 4, Toronto (30-34) 5
Oakland (29-36) 9, Texas (29-34) 6
NY Yankees (33-32) 0, Cleveland (37-27) 2
Tampa Bay (37-27) 3, Boston (38-28) 4
Minnesota (34-29) 5, Detroit (26-38) 1
Baltimore (21-45) 4, Houston (42-24) 7
Seattle (29-38) 2, LA Angels (39-26) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (27-36) 2, Chi. Cubs (43-20) 1
Atlanta (40-25) 4, Miami (28-35) 0
Cincinnati (30-34) 4, Philadelphia (31-33) 5
Colorado (41-24) 4, NY Mets (43-22) 2
Washington (26-38) 4, San Diego (24-41) 1
Pittsburgh (29-34) 8, Milwaukee (27-38) 1
LA Dodgers (37-28) 1, San Francisco (31-33) 2

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Oakland places OF Herschel Powell (abdominal) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 06/12/2020

Sunday, June 14th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:10 CST
Chi. Sox (23-43) 3, Kansas City (31-34) 10
Winner: Danny Duffy (7-5) Loser: Ryan Helsley (0-4) Save: None
HR-CHW: None HR-KC: Seuly Matias (1), Brett Phillips 2 (5), Cheslor Cuthbert (15)

BATS COME ALIVE AS ROYALS ROLL

It's been a poor last ten games, but the Royals ended their three-game set with the White Sox on a high note, drilling the Southsiders by a 10-3 score. Peter Alonso, Cheslor Cuthbert, and Yoenis Cespedes all drove in two runs apiece, Brett Phillips hit two homeruns, and Seuly Matias hit his first career MLB homerun, a solo shot in the third against Ryan Helsley. Danny Duffy wasn't his usual, efficient self, but managed to pick up the victory by tossing five innings of one-run ball, striking out four while allowing eight hits with two walks. Nathan Karns was key out of the bullpen in relief, striking out seven in just three innings of work to help ease a bullpen that has been used heavily over the past week and a half.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (23-43) 3, Kansas City (31-34) 10
Arizona (33-33) 7, Toronto (31-34) 9
Oakland (29-37) 3, Texas (30-34) 5
NY Yankees (33-33) 4, Cleveland (38-27) 5
Tampa Bay (37-28) 0, Boston (39-28) 10
Minnesota (34-30) 4, Detroit (27-38) 7
Baltimore (21-46) 2, Houston (43-24) 3
Seattle (29-39) 1, LA Angels (40-26) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (27-37) 2, Chi. Cubs (44-20) 7
Atlanta (41-25) 5, Miami (28-36) 1
Cincinnati (30-35) 2, Philadelphia (32-33) 7
Colorado (41-25) 3, NY Mets (44-22) 9
Washington (27-38) 11, San Diego (24-42) 2
Pittsburgh (30-34) 8, Milwaukee (27-39) 3
LA Dodgers (38-28) 5, San Francisco (31-34) 2

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Detroit RHP Jordan Zimmermann (back) placed on 10-day disabled list, retro to 06/13/2020
Astros activate RHP Roberto Osuna from the disabled list, sent to Triple-A for rehab assignment

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB STANDINGS UPDATE