Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROSTER UPDATE

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS MONTHLY MAILBAG
Are the Royals giving up on 2020?
By artoodeetoo
06/15/2020

Is the Seuly Matias call-up a signal the Royals are punting on 2020, and looking forward to next season?

I don't think it means anything other than the fact that Seuly Matias is good enough to play at the MLB level. Of course, Brian Goodwin's precipitous drop in production had something to do with it, but Matias was absoutely crushing Triple-A pitching, and it had gotten to the point where Goodwin's spot on the roster became untenable. I also think it's safe to assume that the Royals are now going to get three-and-a-half seasons of pre-arb production from Matias, instead of just three, thanks to the timing of the move.

That said, the Royals are three games under in mid-June, and if I had to peg it right now, they're likely not a playoff-caliber team. But they weren't a playoff-caliber team in mid-June last year, too, and they ended up a few games from the World Series for the third time in seven seasons. It's just too early to make statements that are too definitive.

Fast forward to the first few weeks of July -- if they're still a half-dozen or more games out in both the division and wildcard races near the break, I think you'll start to see some more action on this front. Some of this also depends on how many teams are in front of them at that time. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy watching the beginning of a new youth movement in Kansas City.

What team is the bigger threat in the Central -- Minnesota or Cleveland?

Short-term, it's the Indians. Longer-term, however, I think Minnesota has some real staying power. They need to get another arm or two in the rotation, but they have an impressive collection of young, talented, locked-up position players that's on par with what the Royals have, plus some nice veteran help in Jose Abreu. If I'm an Indians fan, I'm concerned about the pitching, especially in the rotation. Corey Kluber is probably not going to have his option picked up for next year, as the bill is going to come due for the A.J. Pollock and Yasiel Puig signings, along with extending Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, in the coming year; and they don't have a lot of young pitching in the pipeline to replace him adequately.

This offseason could have one of the deepest starting pitching classes in recent memory. Do the Royals get in on it?

It's true that this could be one of the better free agent classes, not just pitching-wise but just period, with Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Sean Doolittle, George Springer, Zach Britton, and Mark Melancon also scheduled to hit the market. As mentioned in the previous question, the chances are quite good that Kluber enters the class after the Indians decline his option. They may try to re-negotiate, but he's likely going to want to test the market despite his injury issues.

There are also question marks with some of the big names, with J.A. Happ, Marcus Stroman, and Aaron Sanchez all out with injuries for the season. Jose Quintana is going to command an AAV in the $20-$25M range over four or five seasons at least. In the end, I think they do, but would be surprised if they ran with the big dogs on someone like Quintana or Kluber. My guess is, they go for a few B-/C+ level free agents, such as a Rick Porcello, Taijuan Walker, and/or Mike Minor, and possibly kick the tires on a free agent position player or two at that same level and call it a day.

Who is the next candidate for an extension?

Some will say Peter Alonso, but it's hard to quantify what he could potentially earn because he's likely ticketed for the DH slot once Nick Pratto reaches the bigs. I'm going to say it's either going to be Jake Junis or Trevor Oaks, but both have huge question marks. If I had my choice in the matter, I'm doing what I can to get one (or both) of Richard Lovelady and Drew Smith under team-friendly deals. Relief pitchers rarely get these kinds of deals unless they are closers (see Vazquez, Felipe); however, these two are going to hold down the back end at a high level for years to come in some order.

The Lovelady injury is unfortunate on multiple levels with the type of season he was having, but along with him, Drew Smith looks like a future All-Star in the making. He's topped 100 MPH over a dozen times this year on his fastball; and with his sharp curveball and change-up, those pitches have to seem like beachballs as hitters have flailed out in front of them many a time so far this year. What's most remarkable is that he's kept his walks in check (2.4 BB/9), which really contrasts with his 13.7 K/9, and makes him one of the front-runners to take over the closer's role once Corey Knebel leaves.

How will the new trade deadline rules change the team's strategy?

It's going to force more teams into the market earlier, and the Royals aren't an exception. They're actually going to be one of the more fascinating teams to follow at the deadline because they have a half-dozen or so marketable assets. The fan in me doesn't want them to slip out of contention, but as an observer of the game as a whole, they stand to be one of the big winners at the deadline if they end up out of contention.

Who has stuck out in your mind as a surprise, and who has been a disappointment?

I was skeptical of him at first, but I've really been impressed with the work Patrick Mazeika has done behind the plate. He's not a great pitch framer at all, as his metrics suggest he's near the bottom of the league amongst catchers with at least 300 innings caught, but he's throwing out runners at a 40% (8-of-20) clip, and has a positive ZR (+0.7). He doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify, but he'd also rank second amongst AL backstops in BA (.292), and fourth in OBP (.356) with an OPS+ of 100, so he's right at league-average (additionally, a wRC+ of 104).

As far as a disappointment -- while he's been better in the last three to four weeks, it's hard to choose anyone other than Alonso as the biggest disappointment. After one of the great rookie seasons in baseball history last year, his production has lagged far behind last season's. His OPS+ (119) and wRC+ (123) are solid marks to date, but again, well off last year's pace. His walk rate has declined by nearly 2%, and his strikeout rate has gone up by roughly 1.5% over a year ago. On a positive note, he's on pace to hit fifty-five doubles, which would crush his doubles total of thirty from 2019. You would like to see a few of those doubles turn into homeruns like they did last year, but there's still plenty of season to go.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Indians send Zimmer and PTBNL to Brewers for Erceg
By MLB.com Staff
06/15/2020

DOOLITTLE BACK TO THE BAY AREA

Two-time All-Star Sean Doolittle spent most of his early career in the Bay Area playing for the Oakland A's from 2012 through midway 2017. After roughly three years in the nation's capital, Doolittle is heading back to the Bay Area -- this time, in a Giants uniform.

He's been the subject of rampant trade rumors the past year, and the Nats' poor start exacerbated the talk. It's now reality, as the Giants acquired him along with the infamous player-to-be-named-later for catcher Miguel Gomez.

It seems to be a light return for Doolittle, but Gomez has proven he's a capable starting catcher -- when Buster Posey missed most of last season with an injury, he filled in with a respectable .243/.322/.402 line while catching five, sometimes six games per week.

"He didn't get a ton of rest when Buster was out," said second-year Giants manager Chris Woodward. "He had to be a workhorse for us, and he was. I do think it affected his hitting some, sure."

He also threw out 5-of-9 runners in his 180-ish innings of catching behind the plate so far this season with the Giants. Kyle Farmer was re-called to take Gomez's vacant spot on the roster.

The Nationals have not been enthused with the production of Travis d'Arnaud so far, who was signed in the offseason for $10M over the next two seasons. The move has immediately fueled speculation that Washington will look to unload d'Arnaud if they continue to remain out of the race as they are now. --David LoPietro

INDIANS SWAP ZIMMER TO MILWAUKEE FOR ERCEG

In the second big trade of the last twenty-four hours, the Indians sent 2019 Gold Glove outfielder Bradley Zimmer and a PTBNL to Milwaukee for minor-league third baseman Lucas Erceg. With David Peralta, A.J. Pollock, and now Yasiel Puig patrolling the outfield in Cleveland, playing time was becoming scarcer in 2020 for him, with just 169 PA for the Indians.

The player-to-be-named-later in the deal is rumored to be Luke Heimlich, the former Oregon State southpaw whose controversies have been well-documented in the media the last handful of years. He was picked in the seventh round last season after not being selected in the 2018 draft, at the height of the matter.

Zimmer is expected to play in center for the Brewers, with Lorenzo Cain on the disabled list, and Keon Broxton struggling with the bat. Even Cain, who is in the third year of a five-year, $80M deal, was hitting just .179 through 106 PA at the time of his injury.

Erceg, a second-round pick in 2016, is going to get his shot in the bigs right away. Incumbent third baseman Derek Dietrich was listed as day-to-day with a hand injury, but is expected to go on the disabled list later tonight after an MRI revealed broken bones in his right hand after being hit by a pitch last night. --Evan Smith

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

DETROIT (27-38) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (31-34)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/16: LHP Matt Boyd (1-3, 6.00) vs RHP Mitchell White (2-0, 5.32)
06/17: RHP Michael Fulmer (3-1, 4.03) vs RHP Heath Fillmyer (0-1, 4.50)
06/18: RHP Artie Lewicki (2-1, 4.62) vs RHP Jorge Lopez (3-3, 5.37)

GAME RECAPS

Tuesday, June 16th, 2020 - First pitch, 6:35 CST
Detroit (27-39) 3, Kansas City (32-34) 7
Winner: Mitchell White (3-0) Loser: Matt Boyd (1-4) Save: None
HR-DET: None HR-KC: Yoenis Cespedes (15)

ALONSO, CESPEDES LEAD CHARGE IN VICTORY

Yoenis Cespedes and Peter Alonso led the charge offensively, as Alonso was 3-for-5 with three doubles and two RBI, while Cespedes was 2-for-4 with a double and a homerun, driving in three runs as the Royals won 7-3 to secure the first game of the three-game set. Mitchell White overcame a shaky start to allow three runs in six innings, striking out five with two walks and seven hits scattered. Nicky Lopez also reached base three times, going 2-for-4 with a walk. Cheslor Cuthbert also drove in a run, going 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the seventh for the Royals' final run of the game.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (28-39) 2, Chi. Sox (24-44) 3
Detroit (27-39) 3, Kansas City (32-34) 7
NY Mets (45-23) 1, NY Yankees (34-34) 4
Oakland (31-37) 3, Tampa Bay (37-30) 2 (Final/11)
LA Dodgers (39-29) 11, LA Angels (41-27) 1
Texas (31-35) 2, Boston (40-29) 7
Toronto (32-34) 12, Baltimore (21-47) 8
Milwaukee (28-39) 5, Houston (43-25) 2
Cincinnati (30-36) 6, Cleveland (39-27) 8
Seattle (29-40) 2, Minnesota (35-30) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Diego (24-43) 1, San Francisco (32-34) 4
Arizona (34-34) 4, Philadelphia (33-34) 8
St. Louis (28-38) 11, Miami (29-37) 8
Chi. Cubs (45-21) 4, Colorado (42-26) 2
Pittsburgh (31-35) 4, Atlanta (42-26) 7

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Astros, Braves commandeer top two spots in new Power Rankings
Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker tosses first career no-hitter in 4-0 win over Philly on Monday night
Indians swap Bradley Zimmer and PTBNL to Milwaukee for infielder Lucas Erceg
Giants trade C Miguel Gomez to Washington for closer Sean Doolittle and PTBNL

Wednesday, June 17th, 2020 - First pitch, 3:35 CST
Detroit (28-39) 2, Kansas City (32-35) 0
Winner: Michael Fulmer (4-1) Loser: Drew Smith (2-3) Save: Joe Jimenez (8)
HR-DET: Kody Eaves (10) HR-KC: None

FULMER, JIMENEZ BLANK ROYALS

With eight shutout innings, Michael Fulmer picked up his fourth victory, holding the Royals to just three hits as they fell 2-0 to the visiting Tigers. Kody Eaves' two-run homerun in the eighth against Drew Smith was the only scoring play in the game, and ended up being the difference. Making his second start of the season in Kansas City, Fillmyer tossed six shutout innings himself, striking out four with just one walk and seven hits scattered. Yoenis Cespedes had two hits against his old team, as he was the only Royal to reach base more than once.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (28-39) 2, Kansas City (32-35) 0
Oakland (32-37) 6, Tampa Bay (37-31) 5
Texas (31-36) 2, Boston (41-29) 10
Toronto (33-34) 5, Baltimore (21-48) 4
Milwaukee (29-39) 3, Houston (43-26) 2
Cincinnati (31-36) 9, Cleveland (39-28) 3
Seattle (30-40) 2, Minnesota (35-31) 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Diego (24-44) 1, San Francisco (33-34) 9
Arizona (34-35) 5, Philadelphia (34-34) 11
St. Louis (29-38) 11, Miami (29-38) 6
Chi. Cubs (46-21) 7, Colorado (42-27) 5 (Final/13)
Pittsburgh (32-35) 1, Atlanta (42-27) 0

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Nats RHP Aaron Barrett (elbow) shut down for season, placed on 60-day disabled list

Thursday, June 18th, 2020 - First pitch, 5:35 CST
Detroit (28-39) 2, Kansas City (32-35) 0
Winner: Michael Fulmer (4-1) Loser: Drew Smith (2-3) Save: Joe Jimenez (8)
HR-DET: Kody Eaves (10) HR-KC: None

KNEBEL, ROYALS FEND OFF RALLY TO TAKE SERIES

Detroit put two men on with one out in the ninth against Royals closer Corey Knebel, but the veteran closer put the fire out to uphold the Royals' 5-3 victory. Yoenis Cespedes homered again for the Royals, a two-run job in the first inning to put Kansas City in front early. Jorge Lopez shut the Tigers out through four innings before allowing a pair of runs in the fifth to even the score at two apiece. Jason Kipnis gave the Royals the lead back with a sac fly in the bottom of the fifth, only to see the Tigers tie the game again in the seventh off Jake Diekman. Cheslor Cuthbert came through in the clutch in the seventh, driving in two with a single. Brad Hand also picked up a hold, pitching around a one-out walk in a scoreless eighth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (35-34) 4, Chi. Sox (24-45) 3
Detroit (28-40) 3, Kansas City (33-35) 5
LA Angels (41-28) 2, Tampa Bay (38-31) 5
Texas (31-37) 2, Boston (42-29) 8
Toronto (34-34) 11, Baltimore (21-49) 2
Seattle (31-40) 10, Minnesota (35-32) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Diego (25-44) 5, Colorado (42-28) 4
Arizona (35-35) 8, Washington (28-40) 5
St. Louis (30-38) 8, NY Mets (45-24) 6 (Final/15)
Chi. Cubs (46-22) 4, LA Dodgers (40-29) 5
Pittsburgh (32-36) 0, Atlanta (43-27) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Twins RHP David Paulino leaves game after being struck on left elbow by line drive
Orioles trade OF Ademar Rifaela to Detroit for OF Troy Montgomery

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

DRAFT PICK SIGNING UPDATES
Royals' top pick still yet to sign
By artoodeetoo
06/19/2020

With five picks still unsigned after the draft ended nearly two weeks ago, the Royals are faring better at getting picks signed than most teams, as the deadline to sign draft picks looms on the horizon with just over two weeks to go.

First-round pick Johnny Cuevas remains unsigned, as do high schoolers Brandon Gaskins (8th), Jose Rivera (11th), Joe Bier (33rd), Matt Hilliard (37th), and C.J. Gill (39th). It is unlikely the latter five will be signed at all, but the Royals are deep into negotiations with Cuevas, a Southern Cal commitment who played this past season at the College of Southern Nevada, Bryce Harper's alma mater.

The Royals have handed out some pretty large bonuses to date, with second-round pick Vince Carey of Meridian, Idaho, hauling in $1.15M to forego a commitment to Washington State. Another high school pitcher, Colby Halter, signed for $965,000, while fifth-round pick, outfielder Matthew Davis, signed for $768,250. That leaves the Royals with roughly $4.8M to play with in the Cuevas negotiations. The slot value of Cuevas' selection was $2.6M.

Third-round pick Robert Trujillo, a collegiate senior outfielder from Miami (FL), signed for $5,000, which does not count towards the bonus pool. Halter was committed to Florida, while Davis was committed to play collegiately at LeMoyne in Syracuse.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (33-35) @ MINNESOTA TWINS (35-32)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/19: RHP Jake Junis (5-5, 4.97) vs LHP Wade Miley (4-2, 4.18)
06/20: LHP Danny Duffy (7-5, 2.48) vs RHP Jose Berrios (4-5, 4.75)
06/21: RHP Mitchell White (3-0, 5.16) vs LHP Lewis Thorpe (6-5, 5.52)

GAME RECAPS

Friday, June 19th, 2020 - First pitch, 8:05 CST
Kansas City (33-36) 2, Minnesota (36-32) 5
Winner: Wade Miley (5-2) Loser: Jake Junis (5-6) Save: John Curtiss (17)
HR-KC: Seuly Matias (2) HR-MIN: Brad Miller (4)

OFFENSE STYMIED IN DEFEAT

Wade Miley held the Royals to just two runs over eight innings, and the offense never really got off the ground as they dropped one to the Twins, 5-2. Seuly Matias hit his second homerun of the season, and Nick Castellanos' RBI hit in the seventh was all the offense Kansas City could muster. Jake Junis dropped his third straight decision, allowing five runs over six innings, striking out three with just one walk. His last win came on May 27th at St. Louis, where he allowed three runs over six and two-third innings of work. Jorge Polanco and Eddie Rosario had three and two hits, respectively, with Rosario's two RBI leading the way in that category for Minnesota. Yoenis Cespedes was the only Royal hitter to reach base more than once, going 1-for-3 with a walk.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (33-36) 2, Minnesota (36-32) 5
NY Yankees (36-34) 6, Chi. Sox (24-46) 4 (Final/10)
LA Angels (42-28) 10, Tampa Bay (38-32) 4
Toronto (35-34) 4, Houston (43-27) 3
Boston (42-30) 5, Baltimore (22-49) 6
Seattle (31-41) 1, Oakland (33-37) 4
Cleveland (39-29) 2, Detroit (29-40) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (36-35) 5, Washington (28-41) 2
Pittsburgh (32-37) 1, Miami (30-38) 5
Milwaukee (30-39) 9, San Francisco (33-35) 2
Texas (32-37) 7, Cincinnati (31-37) 6
St. Louis (31-38) 7, NY Mets (45-25) 0
Chi. Cubs (46-23) 3, LA Dodgers (41-29) 4
Philadelphia (35-34) 4, Atlanta (43-28) 1
San Diego (25-45) 2, Colorado (43-28) 3 (Final/13)

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Twins RHP David Paulino (elbow) placed on 60-day disabled list, will miss remainder of 2020

Saturday, June 20th, 2020 - First pitch, 1:05 CST
Kansas City (33-37) 2, Minnesota (37-32) 5
Winner: Trevor Hildenberger (3-3) Loser: Josh Staumont (0-1) Save: None
HR-KC: Cheslor Cuthbert (16), Patrick Mazeika (3) HR-MIN: Brad Miller (5), Byron Buxton (8), Miguel Sano (10), Jose Abreu (19), Max Kepler (12)

ROYALS FALL IN WILD EXTRA-INNING AFFAIR

Josh Staumont threw just one pitch, but it was a costly one as Brad Miller parked his fastball into the left-field seats in the bottom of the 11th, sending the Twins to a 12-11 victory in eleven innings. Miller replaced Jose Abreu as a defensive replacement in the ninth, and went 2-for-2 with two RBI from the ninth inning on. The Twins hit five homeruns in all, with five different players flexing their muscles against the Royals' pitching. The Royals led 3-1 after the top of the third, but a four-run third gave the Twins a 5-3 lead. Down 6-3 in the fifth, the Royals added three in the fifth, before three more from the Twins in the bottom of that frame. Kansas City hit a pair of solo bombs in the ninth against closer John Curtiss to give the Royals their first lead since the third, but Lewin Diaz singled home a run against Brad Hand to tie the score.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (33-37) 11, Minnesota (37-32) 12 (Final/11)
NY Yankees (37-34) 6, Chi. Sox (24-47) 3
LA Angels (43-28) 6, Tampa Bay (38-33) 0
Toronto (35-35) 5, Houston (44-27) 7 (Final/13)
Boston (43-30) 9, Baltimore (22-50) 6
Seattle (32-41) 4, Oakland (33-38) 1 (Final/10)
Cleveland (39-30) 3, Detroit (30-40) 6 (Final/11)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (37-35) 5, Washington (28-42) 3
Pittsburgh (33-37) 5, Miami (30-39) 2
Milwaukee (31-39) 5, San Francisco (33-36) 2 (Final/10)
Texas (32-38) 8, Cincinnati (32-37) 13
St. Louis (31-39) 0, NY Mets (46-25) 8
Chi. Cubs (47-23) 2, LA Dodgers (41-30) 1
Philadelphia (36-34) 4, Atlanta (43-29) 3 (Final/10)
San Diego (25-46) 3, Colorado (44-28) 6

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Phillies place 2B Scott Kingery (oblique) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 06/19/2020

Sunday, June 21st, 2020 - First pitch, 2:05 CST
Kansas City (33-38) 0, Minnesota (38-32) 1
Winner: Trevor Hildenberger (4-3) Loser: Drew Smith (2-4) Save: None
HR: None

WALKED OFF AGAIN AS STRUGGLES CONTINUE

Minnesota's Lewin Diaz played a hero's role again, this time knocking home the winning run on a single against Drew Smith as the Royals dropped to a season-worst five games below .500 in a 1-0 walk-off defeat. Mitchell White did his part, striking out five with just three hits scattered in eight shutout innings, but he didn't factor into the decision as he was lifted for the strikeout-artist Smith with a season-high 107 pitches, and the prospect of going against a cadre of left-handed hitters for the fourth time to begin the ninth. Smith sandwiched two punchouts around a single and a walk, but Diaz poked a single through the shift, bringing Eddie Rosario home with the game-winner. The Royals had runners in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings with less than one out, but failed in both innings to bring any of them home.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (33-38) 0, Minnesota (38-32) 1
NY Yankees (37-35) 3, Chi. Sox (25-47) 8
LA Angels (44-28) 3, Tampa Bay (38-34) 0
Toronto (36-35) 4, Houston (44-28) 0
Boston (43-31) 7, Baltimore (23-50) 8 (Final/12)
Seattle (33-41) 10, Oakland (33-39) 9
Cleveland (39-31) 2, Detroit (31-40) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (37-36) 5, Washington (29-42) 9
Pittsburgh (34-37) 3, Miami (30-40) 1
Milwaukee (31-40) 1, San Francisco (34-36) 2 (Final/10)
Texas (32-39) 6, Cincinnati (33-37) 9
St. Louis (32-39) 5, NY Mets (46-26) 1
Chi. Cubs (47-24) 0, LA Dodgers (42-30) 7
Philadelphia (37-34) 6, Atlanta (43-30) 4
San Diego (26-46) 4, Colorado (44-29) 3

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Top Oakland prospect A.J. Puk to miss rest of season with torn labrum

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MONDESI SET TO RESUME BASEBALL ACTIVITIES
Royals anticipate late August return
By artoodeetoo
06/22/2020

It's been about five weeks since Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi went on the disabled list with a strained Achilles, and is just now getting the green light to resume baseball activities.

While he's not on the roster, he is traveling with the squad on the current road trip, and is expected to be in uniform and doing light workouts with the squad.

Achilles strains are technically small tears of the tendon, but are generally non-surgical and still require caution when rehabilitating.

"We're looking at the end of August to get Adalberto back," said manager Ned Yost. "He's excited, we're excited that he's getting back into the swing of things. He doesn't really like sitting around, like he's been doing the last handful of weeks."

Mondesi has been out since the 18th of May with the injury, suffered as he was rounding third base at Philadelphia the day before. He originally was not going to sit out, but an MRI revealed the strain, and was immediately placed on the disabled list.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (33-38) @ SEATTLE MARINERS (33-41)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/22: RHP Heath Fillmyer (0-1, 2.25) LHP Clayton Richard (5-5, 3.96)
06/23: RHP Jorge Lopez (3-3, 5.21) vs LHP Juan Hillman (6-2, 2.70)
06/24: RHP Jake Junis (5-6, 5.15) vs LHP James Paxton (2-6, 3.78)

GAME RECAPS

Friday, June 22nd, 2020 - First pitch, 9:10 CST
Kansas City (34-38) 2, Seattle (33-42) 0
Winner: Heath Fillmyer (1-1) Loser: Clayton Richard (5-6) Save: Corey Knebel (10)
HR: None

ROYALS WHITEWASH MARINERS BEHIND FILLMYER

For the second straight game, the Royals received eight shutout innings from one of their young pitchers, but this time they were able to come away with a 2-0 victory. Heath Fillmyer picked up his first MLB win since 2018, fanning two with no walks while scattering five hits. Corey Knebel worked around a one-out error by Jose Peraza to pick up his tenth save of the season in eleven tries. Cheslor Cuthbert went 2-for-3 with a walk, two singles, and drove in both Royals runs. Nicky Lopez was 1-for-3 with a walk, single, and stolen base. He scored both of the team's runs.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (34-38) 2, Seattle (33-42) 0
Tampa Bay (38-35) 2, NY Yankees (38-35) 6
LA Angels (45-28) 7, Toronto (36-36) 2
Cleveland (40-31) 7, Texas (32-40) 5
Boston (44-31) 5, Minnesota (38-33) 3
Baltimore (23-51) 0, Oakland (34-39) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
San Francisco (35-36) 6, LA Dodgers (42-31) 1
Miami (30-41) 2, St. Louis (33-39) 3
Houston (44-29) 1, Cincinnati (34-37) 8
Philadelphia (37-35) 6, Washington (30-42) 7 (Final/10)
NY Mets (47-26) 2, Atlanta (43-31) 1
Milwaukee (32-40) 8, San Diego (26-47) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Boston's Devers, Dodgers' Seager named AL, NL Players of the Week
Cubs, Angels, Mets top three in new Power Rankings

Saturday, June 23rd, 2020 - First pitch, 9:10 CST
Kansas City (35-38) 4, Seattle (33-43) 3 (Final/13)
Winner: Josh Staumont (1-1) Loser: Nick Rumbelow (2-1) Save: None
HR-KC: Salvador Perez (4) HR-SEA: Mitch Haniger (12)

ROYALS VICTORIOUS IN EXTRAS

Jose Peraza's 13th-inning RBI single lifted the Royals to a 4-3 extra-inning victory over the host Mariners, as the Royals have won two straight after dropping four of six in the previous two series. Fire-balling righty Josh Staumont pitched two scoreless innings in the 12th and 13th to pick up his first MLB victory, striking out two while allowing just one hit and no walks. Jorge Lopez didn't factor into the decision despite pitching well, tossing six innings of three-run baseball. He made just one major mistake in allowing a three-run homerun to Mitch Haniger in the third inning; fanning two with no walks while scattering just four hits.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (44-31) @ Minnesota (38-33) -- PPD
Kansas City (35-38) 4, Seattle (33-43) 3 (Final/13)
Tampa Bay (38-36) 4, NY Yankees (39-35) 5
LA Angels (45-29) 0, Toronto (37-36) 1
Cleveland (41-31) 7, Texas (32-41) 2
Baltimore (24-51) 3, Oakland (34-40) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (25-48) 1, Chi. Cubs (48-24) 5
Colorado (45-29) 7, Arizona (37-37) 4 (Final/10)
Detroit (32-40) 5, Pittsburgh (34-38) 4
San Francisco (35-37) 0, LA Dodgers (43-31) 7
Miami (31-41) 5, St. Louis (33-40) 1
Houston (44-30) 4, Cincinnati (35-37) 9
Philadelphia (38-35) 3, Washington (30-43) 0
NY Mets (48-26) 4, Atlanta (43-32) 2
Milwaukee (32-41) 2, San Diego (27-47) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Royals trade 2B Jason Kipnis to Philadelphia for C Deivi Grullon
Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke leaves start with elbow issues

Sunday, June 24th, 2020 - First pitch, 3:10 CST
Kansas City (36-38) 4, Seattle (33-44) 0
Winner: Jake Junis (6-6) Loser: James Paxton (2-7) Save: None
HR-KC: Seuly Matias (3), Salvador Perez (5) HR-SEA: None

JUNIS, ROYALS DOMINATE IN SWEEP

After a string of poor starts in June, Jake Junis looked in command of his arsenal, setting down eight Mariner hitters on strikes over seven shutout innings, walking just one and scattering three hits in a 4-0 Royals victory. The win evened his record at six wins and losses apiece, and the seven shutout innings comprised his first quality start since May 27th. The Royals' scoring all came from a pair of homeruns, as Seuly Matias hit his third homerun in the second inning, while Salvador Perez homered for the second straight game, a three-run shot, in the fourth. Nick Gardewine and Nathan Karns pitched scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth innings in relief of Junis.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (44-32) 2, Minnesota (39-33) 8 (G1)
Boston (44-33) 2, Minnesota (40-33) 6 (G2)
Kansas City (36-38) 4, Seattle (33-44) 0
Tampa Bay (38-37) 1, NY Yankees (40-35) 4
LA Angels (45-30) 2, Toronto (38-36) 3
Cleveland (41-32) 2, Texas (33-41) 4
Baltimore (24-52) 2, Oakland (35-40) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (25-49) 4, Chi. Cubs (49-24) 5
Colorado (46-29) 4, Arizona (37-38) 3
Detroit (32-41) 1, Pittsburgh (35-38) 3
San Francisco (35-38) 6, LA Dodgers (44-31) 7
Miami (31-42) 0, St. Louis (34-40) 1
Houston (45-30) 10, Cincinnati (35-38) 7
Philadelphia (39-35) 6, Washington (30-44) 4
NY Mets (48-27) 1, Atlanta (44-32) 4
Milwaukee (33-41) 7, San Diego (27-48) 3

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (elbow) placed on 60-day disabled list

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ALONSO TO MISS ONE TO TWO WEEKS
Cuthbert to slide to first, Urena re-called
By artoodeetoo
06/25/2020

Peter Alonso was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday, just one day after suffering a latissimus dorsi (back) injury after a swing attempt during the fourth inning of Monday's 2-0 victory.

Richard Urena was added to the 40-man roster, and is expected to fill in at third base while Cheslor Cuthbert moves over to first base for the time being. Cuthbert hasn't played first base since 2017, but has minor-league experience at the position as well.

Nick Castellanos is also expected to get some time at third base, and Braden Bishop was re-called.

-----

He had less than one hundred plate appearances with the Royals, but Jason Kipnis is already on the move -- he was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor-league catcher Deivi Grullon.

Kipnis is expected to hold down a starting role with the Phillies while Scott Kingery sits on the disabled list, and should be a valuable bench piece for them going forward.

Grullon, 24, is more known for his defensive prowess, but has been a decent stick in the minor leagues, with a .250/.307/.358 split in roughly 2,500 minor league plate appearances since 2013.

He's coming off a non-throwing shoulder injury, and will rehab with the Royals' Dominican League squad before reporting to High-A Wilmington in early July.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Twins snag catching upgrade
By MLB.com Staff
06/25/2020

D'ARNAUD TRADED TO MINNESOTA

With the recently-acquired Miguel Gomez now entrenched in the nation's capital as the starting catcher, the Nationals have wasted little time in moving veteran backup Travis d'Arnaud. The 31-year-old veteran was shipped to the Twins along with a PTBNL for RHP Randy LeBlanc and OF DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Keirsey was the prize of the deal for the Nats, as the 23-year-old was a fourth-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Utah.

Keirsey found immediate success at the rookie levels, hitting .366 in his first full season. However, he has cooled off a bit since moving up into the A-ball range, with a still-respectable .272/.357/.457 slash through 347 A-level appearances.

With d'Arnaud now in tow in the Twin Cities, the Twins have significantly upgraded behind the plate. They've employed four different catchers at the major league level so far, with veteran Stephen Vogt faring the best of them with a .198/.268/.310 slash.

Other veterans in Mitch Garver, Cameron Rupp, and Willians Astudillo have also logged time behind the plate for Minnesota as they make a push against the AL Central-leading Indians.

Another benefit is d'Arnaud's friendly contract -- Minnesota only owes him roughly $3M for the remainder of this season, and is set to earn $5.4M in 2021. --David LoPietro

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MINNESOTA TWINS (40-33) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (36-38)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/25: RHP Jose Berrios (4-5, 5.31) vs LHP Danny Duffy (7-5, 3.13)
06/26: LHP Lewis Thorpe (6-5, 5.06) vs RHP Mitchell White (3-0, 4.06)
06/27: RHP Tyler Glasnow (3-4, 5.20) vs RHP Heath Fillmyer (1-1, 1.35)
06/28: LHP Wade Miley (6-2, 3.92) vs RHP Jorge Lopez (3-3, 5.14)

GAME RECAPS

Thursday, June 25th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Minnesota (40-34) 2, Kansas City (37-38) 4
Winner: Danny Duffy (8-5) Loser: Jose Berrios (4-6) Save: Brad Hand (3)
HR-MIN: None HR-KC: Seuly Matias (4), Cheslor Cuthbert (17)

DUFFY DOMINATES THE TWINS OVER SEVEN

Just five days after putting up eight earned runs in four and one-third innings at Minnesota, Danny Duffy fanned eleven Twins over seven-plus innings as the Royals took a 4-2 home decision to kick off a key four-game series with Minnesota. He scattered just two hits and a walk, and was only charged with a run when Drew Smith allowed Eddie Rosario to score, whom Duffy walked to lead off the eighth. Cheslor Cuthbert drove in two runs in a 3-for-4 night, hitting a pair of doubles and a homerun in the bottom of the eighth for an insurance run. The other two runs came in the fourth inning on a two-run homerun by Seuly Matias, his fourth of the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (40-34) 2, Kansas City (37-38) 4
Houston (46-30) 7, NY Yankees (40-36) 4
LA Angels (46-30) 3, Toronto (38-37) 1
Cleveland (42-32) 10, Texas (33-42) 4
Tampa Bay (39-37) 10, Oakland (35-41) 8
Baltimore (25-52) 3, Seattle (33-45) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (48-28) 5, Chi. Cubs (50-24) 10
Colorado (46-30) 6, Arizona (38-38) 8
Miami (31-43) 2, St. Louis (35-40) 3
San Francisco (36-38) 6, LA Dodgers (44-32) 5
Cincinnati (36-38) 9, Milwaukee (33-42) 5
Philadelphia (39-36) 3, Washington (31-44) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Reds sign top pick, Auburn OF Kason Howell, to record $8.41M bonus

Friday, June 26th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Minnesota (41-34) 6, Kansas City (37-39) 2
Winner: Lewis Thorpe (7-5) Loser: Mitchell White (3-1) Save: None
HR-MIN: Taylor Motter (5), Jorge Polanco (6), Miguel Sano (14) HR-KC: None

ROYALS CAN'T OVERCOME SLOW START

Mitchell White absorbed his first MLB loss, allowing four runs in the first two innings before shutting the Twins out over his next four. Alas, the offense couldn't quite keep up in a 6-2 defeat. A two-run single in the first from Lewin Diaz kicked off the scoring, with Miguel Sano launching a two-run shot in the second. Yoenis Cespedes and Cheslor Cuthbert hit back-to-back doubles in the first for the Royals' only run until the sixth, when Jose Peraza singled home Kevin Pillar. Kansas City threatened in the ninth down four runs, getting two men on with no one out against John Curtiss, but Curtiss worked around the leadoff runners and closed down the game in a non-save situation

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (41-34) 6, Kansas City (37-39) 2
Detroit (33-41) 9, Cleveland (42-33) 1
Toronto (38-38) 2, Boston (45-33) 11
Houston (46-31) 2, NY Yankees (41-36) 8
Chi. Sox (26-49) 6, Texas (33-43) 3
Tampa Bay (39-38) 1, Oakland (36-41) 7
Baltimore (26-52) 7, Seattle (33-46) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (49-28) 3, Chi. Cubs (50-25) 1 (Final/13)
San Diego (27-49) 2, Pittsburgh (36-38) 9
LA Angels (47-30) 3, St. Louis (35-41) 2 (Final/10)
Colorado (46-31) 3, LA Dodgers (45-32) 8
Miami (31-44) 4, Philadelphia (40-36) 6
San Francisco (37-38) 4, Arizona (38-39) 2
Cincinnati (36-39) 6, Milwaukee (34-42) 13
Atlanta (45-32) 5, Washington (31-45) 1

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg (back, herniated disc) out for 2-to-3 months

Saturday, June 27th, 2020 - First pitch, 4:05 CST
Minnesota (42-34) 4, Kansas City (37-40) 2
Winner: Tyler Glasnow (4-4) Loser: Heath Fillmyer (1-2) Save: John Curtiss (18)
HR-MIN: Jose Abreu 2 (21) HR-KC: Yoenis Cespedes (17)

ABREU NEARLY SINGLE-HANDEDLY BEATS K.C.

Jose Abreu went 2-for-3, hitting a pair of homeruns and driving in three of the Twins' four runs, as the Royals fell 4-2 to surging Minnesota. Heath Fillmyer took the loss, but still pitched well in a losing effort. He allowed three earned runs over seven innings, striking out five with no walks. Yoenis Cespedes hit his 17th homerun of the season to tie him for the team lead with Cheslor Cuthbert, with the only other run coming in the second inning on a sac fly from Kevin Pillar. Tyler Glasnow shook off a slow start for the Twins to post six strong innings, walking three with five strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (42-34) 4, Kansas City (37-40) 2
Detroit (34-41) 6, Cleveland (42-34) 5
Toronto (38-39) 1, Boston (46-33) 12
Houston (47-31) 10, NY Yankees (41-37) 5
Chi. Sox (26-50) 6, Texas (34-43) 7 (Final/14)
Tampa Bay (39-39) 1, Oakland (37-41) 5
Baltimore (26-53) 2, Seattle (34-46) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (50-28) 6, Chi. Cubs (50-26) 4
San Diego (28-49) 12, Pittsburgh (36-39) 3
LA Angels (48-30) 9, St. Louis (35-42) 5
Colorado (46-32) 3, LA Dodgers (46-32) 10
Miami (32-44) 6, Philadelphia (40-37) 1
San Francisco (37-39) 0, Arizona (39-39) 2
Cincinnati (36-40) 3, Milwaukee (35-42) 8
Atlanta (46-32) 5, Washington (31-46) 1

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Twins place SS Royce Lewis (knee) placed on 60-day disabled list, could miss rest of season

Sunday, June 28th, 2020 - First pitch, 1:35 CST
Minnesota (42-34) 4, Kansas City (37-40) 2
Winner: Wade Miley (7-2) Loser: Jorge Lopez (3-4) Save: John Curtiss (19)
HR-MIN: Kevin Newman (2), Max Kepler (13) HR-KC: None

ROYALS' LATE RALLY NOT ENOUGH

Down 3-0 in the eighth, the Royals managed to scrape across a pair of runs against Trevor Hildenberger, but John Curtiss shut the door as the Twins won the final three games of the four-game set, capped off with a 3-2 victory. Kevin Newman hit his second homerun of the season, and Max Kepler went deep in a two-run fifth inning for the Twins, who now sit atop the division, one game ahead of Cleveland. The Royals fell to 6.5 games back in the division, and 5.5 back of the Indians for the second wildcard. Jorge Lopez didn't get the victory, but wrapped up a solid June with three runs (two earned) over six innings, fanning four with three hits scattered to just one walk.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (43-34) 3, Kansas City (37-41) 2
Detroit (35-41) 2, Cleveland (42-35) 1
Toronto (39-39) 6, Boston (46-34) 4
Houston (47-32) 3, NY Yankees (42-37) 4
Chi. Sox (26-51) 4, Texas (35-43) 5
Tampa Bay (39-39) 1, Oakland (37-41) 5
Baltimore (26-54) 1, Seattle (35-46) 13

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (50-29) 3, Chi. Cubs (51-26) 8
San Diego (28-50) 5, Pittsburgh (37-39) 7
LA Angels (48-31) 3, St. Louis (36-42) 7
Colorado (46-33) 3, LA Dodgers (47-32) 4
Miami (32-45) 3, Philadelphia (41-37) 5
San Francisco (37-40) 3, Arizona (40-39) 4
Cincinnati (37-40) 5, Milwaukee (35-43) 4
Atlanta (46-33) 4, Washington (32-46) 6

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Tigers' Eaves, Indians' Bauer to miss two games and one start, respectively, for fracas

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Strasburg out yet again
By MLB.com Staff
06/29/2020

STRASBURG OUT FOR TWO TO THREE MONTHS

A herniated disc is slated to keep Stephen Strasburg out for two to three months, according to the Washington Post. He left his start last Monday with what was originally diagnosed as back tightness, but an MRI revealed a herniated disc in his lower back.

He has dealt with the issue off and on throughout this season, but this time, has decided to have surgery to correct the issue. The procedure is deemed to be minor, but could keep him out for up to three months as he rehabilitates. --David LoPietro

OAKLAND'S OLSON SIGNS EXTENSION

The A's made a rare move on Friday, announcing an extension with one of their young stars. Matt Olson extended with Oakland for the next five seasons through 2025, as the deal will pay out roughly $53M over that timeframe.

His arbitration years were bought out, as he's expected to earn $4.3M in 2021, far below his arbitration estimate of $9M via Fangraphs. That figure jumps to $8M in 2022, which is still a team-friendly figure.

In 2023, he's slated to earn $11.4M before back-to-back seasons in 2024 and 2025 with $14.7M in earnings. Olson broke into the majors in 2017, hitting twenty-four homeruns in just 216 plate appearances. He hit eighty-two homeruns the past two seasons, becoming the second-fastest Oakland player in team history to hit one-hundred career homeruns, as he surpassed the mark late last year. --Evan Smith

TWINS' LEWIS TO MISS REMAINDER OF SEASON

The Twins received a huge blow when AL Rookie of the Year candidate Royce Lewis was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, effectively ending his season upon having surgery to correct the issue on Friday afternoon in Minneapolis.

He left in the second game of a day-night twinbill against Boston on Tuesday night rounding second base on a single by teammate Eddie Rosario. He was not thrown out at third, and was lifted for a pinch-runner. Kevin Newman was re-called to take his place on the roster.

Lewis was the first-overall pick in 2017 out of Junipero Serra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. He leads all AL rookies in BA (.330), WAR (3.1), and steals (25), and is second amongst AL rookies in hits (96) and OBP (.395). --Jason Frampton

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CUEVAS, ROYALS BREAK OFF CONTRACT TALKS
Sophomore outfielder to re-enter 2021 draft
By artoodeetoo
06/29/2020

Contract talks between the Royals and first-round pick Johnny Cuevas have broken down, according to MLB.com Royals analyst Jeffrey Flanagan. A projected top-10 pick prior to the draft, Cuevas slipped to 18th overall where they snapped him up.

However, Cuevas' camp has been asking for well over his slot value of $2.56M, as the rumor is that he's looking for at least a $4M bonus to forego his commitment to Southern Cal. The Royals don't have that kind of bonus pool money left; as they have roughly $3.75M left for bonuses, and are generally loathe as an organization to going a penny over the bonus pool amount. Reportedly, the team had a final offer of $3.8M on the table, which would put them just into luxury tax territory if Cuevas were to accept.

"Negotiations have been pretty tough," said one Royals' front-office executive with close knowledge of the back-and-forth. "He wasn't picked in the top ten, but being that he was projected in that range by most publications, they still want that kind of money. He's high on our board, but it still doesn't always work that way."

There are still four picks left on the board aside from Cuevas, with 11th-rounder Jose Rivera, an infielder, still on the board. He is committed to LSU; and the team has kept in contact with him throughout the process, even though the Royals have not officially extended a bonus offer to him. In the wake of the Cuevas news, the Royals signed high school catcher Brandon Gaskins of Coronado HS in Scottsdale, Arizona, to a $1.25M bonus, apparently contingent on the Royals not signing Cuevas.

The Royals also have first baseman Joe Bier (33rd Round), infielder Matt Hilliard (37th Round), and catcher C.J. Gill (39th Round), all high school selections, still out there. If Cuevas doesn't sign, which looks likely given there is less than one week left in the draft pick signing period, the Royals will get back-to-back first round picks next June in a reportedly deep 2021 class.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (37-41) @ CLEVELAND INDIANS (42-35)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/29: RHP Jake Junis (6-6, 4.76) vs RHP Danny Salazar (8-4, 4.08)
06/30: LHP Danny Duffy (8-5, 3.00) vs RHP Shane Bieber (2-1, 4.71)
07/01: RHP Mitchell White (3-1, 4.33) vs RHP Angel L. Sanchez (0-2, 10.13)

GAME RECAPS

Monday, June 29th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:35 CST
Kansas City (37-42) 2, Cleveland (43-35) 5
Winner: Danny Salazar (9-4) Loser: Jake Junis (6-7) Save: None
HR-KC: Brett Phillips (6) HR-CLE: Bobby Bradley (10)

SALAZAR SILENCES ROYAL BATS IN DEFEAT

Kansas City could barely put the ball in play against Cleveland, as the Royals fanned fourteen times against Danny Salazar in a 5-2 loss. Salazar couldn't quite pull off the complete game, as he was pulled from the game with one out remaining in the ninth inning for Leandro Linares, who promptly gave up a two-run homerun to Brett Phillips and a double to Kevin Pillar before striking Salvador Perez out to end the contest. Jake Junis went seven and one-third innings, allowing five earned runs with five strikeouts and no walks in a losing effort.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (37-42) 2, Cleveland (43-35) 5
Toronto (39-40) 4, NY Yankees (43-37) 6
Chi. Sox (26-52) 10, Boston (47-34) 15

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (51-29) 2, Philadelphia (41-38) 1
Atlanta (46-34) 2, Chi. Cubs (52-26) 8
Colorado (46-34) 1, San Francisco (38-40) 7
LA Dodgers (47-33) 7, Arizona (41-39) 8 (Final/10)

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Houston's Fisher, Milwaukee's Arcia named Players of the Week

Tuesday, June 30th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:35 CST
Kansas City (37-43) 0, Cleveland (44-35) 1
Winner: Oliver Drake (1-0) Loser: Danny Duffy (8-6) Save: Tony Zych (21)
HR: None

ROYALS DROP FIFTH STRAIGHT, SIX BELOW .500

Danny Duffy pitched six and two-third innings of brilliant baseball, scattering four hits and three walks while striking out six in a 1-0 defeat in a tough-luck losing effort to Cleveland. Amongst qualified starters, Duffy has the worst run support, getting roughly 2.5 runs per start. Cleveland scored their only run in the seventh inning, as Bobby Bradley walked with one out. After retiring Matt Beaty on a fly to center, former Royal David Peralta poked a bloop single into left-center on an 0-2 pitch, scoring Bradley; who had advanced to second on a wild pitch from Duffy just one pitch earlier. Nicky Lopez led the Royals offensively, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a hit-by-pitch. The loss is the Royals' fifth in a row, and drops them to six games below .500, both season-worst marks.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Texas (36-43) 9, Detroit (35-42) 5 (Final/10)
Chi. Sox (27-52) 4, Boston (47-35) 2
Kansas City (37-43) 0, Cleveland (44-35) 1
Pittsburgh (37-40) 10, Houston (48-32) 16
Cincinnati (37-41) 1, LA Angels (49-31) 2
Toronto (40-40) 13, NY Yankees (43-38) 2
San Diego (28-51) 6, Baltimore (27-54) 7 (Final/12)
Tampa Bay (40-40) 2, Minnesota (44-34) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (33-46) 5, Miami (32-46) 3
NY Mets (52-29) 4, Philadelphia (41-39) 2
Oakland (37-43) 5, St. Louis (37-42) 6 (Final/11)
Atlanta (47-34) 8, Chi. Cubs (52-27) 4 (Final/11)
Colorado (47-34) 4, San Francisco (38-41) 0
LA Dodgers (47-34) 1, Arizona (42-39) 4
Seattle (36-46) 5, Milwaukee (35-44) 3 (Final/13)

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Diamondbacks send 2B Ketel Marte to Triple-A for rehab assignment

Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Kansas City (38-43) 9, Cleveland (44-36) 4
Winner: Mitchell White (4-1) Loser: Angel L. Sanchez (0-3) Save: Nick Gardewine (1)
HR-KC: Cheslor Cuthbert (18) HR-CLE: Lucas Erceg (1)

ROYALS SALVAGE FINAL GAME OF SERIES

With four RBI, Cheslor Cuthbert led the Royals' charge against the Indians and starter Angel Sanchez, as Kansas City jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings en route to a 9-4 victory. Mitchell White started the game with five shutout innings before shoddy defense and a homerun led to three runs in the sixth inning. White picked up his fourth victory, allowing two earned runs with five strikeouts over six innings of work. Lefty Eric Skoglund, just added to the active roster after serving an 80-game PED suspension, allowed one run in two and two-third innings of relief.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Texas (36-44) 1, Detroit (36-42) 8
Chi. Sox (28-52) 10, Boston (47-36) 4
Kansas City (38-43) 9, Cleveland (44-36) 4
Pittsburgh (37-41) 0, Houston (49-32) 5
Cincinnati (37-42) 1, LA Angels (50-31) 9
Toronto (41-40) 5, NY Yankees (43-39) 4
San Diego (28-52) 8, Baltimore (28-54) 7 (Final/12)
Tampa Bay (40-41) 2, Minnesota (45-34) 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (34-46) 8, Miami (32-47) 3
NY Mets (52-30) 4, Philadelphia (42-39) 6
Oakland (38-43) 4, St. Louis (37-43) 2
Atlanta (48-34) 8, Chi. Cubs (52-28) 3
Colorado (47-35) 1, San Francisco (39-41) 10
LA Dodgers (48-34) 3, Arizona (42-40) 0
Seattle (36-47) 3, Milwaukee (36-44) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Boston's Devers, Milwaukee's Arcia win AL, NL Players of the Month for June; Dodgers' Wood and Twins' Miley win pitching awards
Toronto's Austin Allen and Arizona's Pavin Smith win June Rookie of the Month honors

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS DEAL HAND TO SAN FRANCISCO
Lovelady activated off disabled list; Royals acquire right-hander in return
By artoodeetoo
07/02/2020

The first real signal that the Royals might be pointing towards next season happened late last night, as Brad Hand is now a member of the San Francisco Giants. In exchange, 2019 sixth-round pick Jensen Elliott, a right-handed pitcher, is headed to Kansas City.

Peter Alonso was also activated off the disabled list, having missed the past eight games with a back issue. Braden Bishop was sent down to Omaha to make room.

Richard Lovelady, who has been on the disabled list for the past month, was re-activated and will not embark on a rehab assignment. Hand was having a solid season working in a seventh-and-eighth inning role, pitching to a 1.69 ERA in thirty-two innings of work.

He struggled in the first few weeks of the season, with a 7.36 ERA through his first four appearances. That included a WHIP of over 2.50. However, he has been solid since then, with just three earned runs allowed over his last 28 1/3 innings (0.95 ERA).

"We hate to see him go, but we'll adjust to what we have," said manager Ned Yost. "Richard is coming back, so the timing is pretty good in the meantime."

The Royals are excited about the potential of Elliott, who comes at you with five pitches, all with varying degrees of movement. He doesn't have the power stuff, but keeps the ball in the ballpark, with a HR/9 rate of less than 1.0. We'll do a more in-depth look at Elliott at a later date.

He's expected to get to Wilmington in time to make his first start tonight against Buies Creek. Stephen Ridings was added to the seven-day disabled list to make room for him on the Blue Rocks' roster.