One Royal Way (OOTP 23)

[artoodeetoo]

Series Preview: Kansas City (3-4) @ NY Yankees (5-2)

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PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
04/10: LHP Jesus Luzardo (0-1, 1.59) vs RHP Frankie Montas (1-0, 0.00)
04/11: LHP Angel Zerpa (1-0, 1.23) vs RHP Zack Wheeler (0-0, 0.00)
04/12: RHP Carlos Hernandez (1-0, 6.75) vs RHP Luis Severino (0-1, 5.40)

WHO'S HOT?
Not enough info.

WHO'S NOT?
Not enough info.

KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
1B Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) -- 10-day IL

NEW YORK INJURED LIST
SS Carlos Correa (thumb) -- 10-day IL
RHP Erick Fedde (shoulder) -- 60-day IL
RHP Adrian Houser (ankle) -- 10-day IL
2B DJ LeMahieu (knee) -- 60-day IL

[artoodeetoo]

Kansas City @ NY Yankees (04/10 -- 04/12)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: New York Yankees

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | April 13th, 2023

Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
Apr 10, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (3-5)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	1
New York Yankees (6-2)	0	0	0	5	1	1	0	0	X	7	9	0
W: Frankie Montas (2-0) L: Jesus Luzardo (0-2) S: None

Monday, April 10th, 2023
Cruising along through the first three innings on Monday night, Jesus Luzardo looked solid in his second time through the rotation. But the winds whipping in Yankee Stadium that night proved to be too much, as they hit three homeruns over the next two innings against him to turn a 1-0 lead into a 6-1 deficit rather quickly, with the Royals eventually succumbing in a 7-1 defeat to open the series.

Luzardo ended up allowing seven earned runs over five-plus innings, scattering seven hits and a walk while not striking anyone out, which was in stark contrast to his first start in which he fanned eight Twins hitters. Dylan Coleman and Richard Lovelady combined to toss three innings with no earned runs on their ledgers, although Coleman came into the game with a man on base that was Luzardo's responsibility that he allowed to score.

The Royals struck first in the first inning, as a leadoff triple by Bobby Witt Jr set the table for Bryan De La Cruz, who doubled down the right field line to give them a quick 1-0 lead. They would make that stand until the fourth, when homeruns from rookie Trey Sweeney and Aaron Hicks turned the game on its head in a hurry. Sweeney, making his MLB debut, went 2-for-4 in the contest. He was their first-round selection in 2021 out of Eastern Illinois, and is widely considered their future third baseman.

"This is a pretty tough environment to play in, even when the weather is being cooperative," said manager Kristopher Negron. "I don't think any of those homeruns were especially well-hit, they just happened to get up in the air enough to catch a gust out of the yard."

The bats have struggled to get much traction in the early going through the first eight games, and this one wasn't an exception -- they struck out thirteen times against Yankee pitching, and only Arizona had more strikeouts as a team (89) than the Royals' eighty-eight punchouts through Monday's contests.

Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
Apr 11, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (3-6)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2	6	1
New York Yankees (7-2)	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	X	4	8	0
W: Zack Wheeler (1-0) L: Angel Zerpa (1-1) S: Chad Green (1)

Tuesday, April 11th, 2023
New York scored single tallies in the fifth through eighth innings, keeping the Royals at bay as they dropped Tuesday night's encounter by a 4-2 score. Angel Zerpa held his own, allowing two earned runs over five innings, scattering four hits and two walks, while striking out four in taking the loss. Royals' pitching surrendered three more homeruns, giving them six homeruns allowed in the first two games of the series, after having allowed just two through the first seven.

Kansas City scored single runs in the sixth and ninth innings, as Bryan De La Cruz doubled in a run in the sixth, and Drew Waters hit his first homerun as a member of the Royals in the ninth against Chad Green. De La Cruz collected a pair of hits, and was the only Royal to reach base safely more than one time. Bobby Witt Jr went 1-for-3 with a stolen base, already his fourth of the season.

The pitching staff was unable to contain long-time Royal nemesis Josh Donaldson, as he reached base all four times he came to plate, including a homerun in the eighth. He singled in his other three at-bats and drove in two runs in all as part of his 4-for-4 night.

Green pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in relief of starter Zack Wheeler, who held the Royals to just a single earned run over 6 1/3 to pick up his first victory in pinstripes. He scattered four hits and a walk while fanning six. Green fanned two while allowing a pair of hits.

Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
Apr 12, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (3-7)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	0
New York Yankees (8-2)	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	X	2	8	1
W: Luis Severino (1-1) L: Carlos Hernandez (1-1) S: Domingo German (2)

Wednesday, April 12th, 2023
Kansas City got the potential winning run on base with just one out in the ninth down 2-1, but a fielder's choice and a strikeout by Domingo German dashed the Royals' hopes to stave off the road sweep, falling by that same 2-1 count. The Yankees scored two in the first inning, and kept the Royals at arm's length throughout the game, only allowing a single run in the fifth inning, which came on a Nicky Lopez single. Ironically, Lopez was the final out of the game via strikeout.

No stranger to slow starts in recent years, the Royals have lost seven of their first ten, but all of their games have been against playoff teams from a year ago (Twins, Rays, Yankees). The last seven games in that stretch have been on the road, where they'll play fifteen of their first twenty-six games.

"There's just too much season left to get too discouraged about how things are going to start the season," said third baseman Bobby Witt Jr., who is one of the few Royals with a batting average above the Mendoza line. "We're just out here, taking it day-by-day, but we just have to keep pushing. Keep pushing, and coming in every day and putting in the work."

After allowing the two runs in the first inning, Carlos Hernandez settled in and shut the Yankees out over the next five innings. He finished with a solid line -- six innings, two runs, two walks, six strikeouts -- but walked out of Yankee Stadium with an 'L' on his ledger.

"I think as a pitcher, even if you lose 2-1 or some score like that, you wonder what you could have done differently to not allow those two runs," said manager Kristopher Negron. "Carlos is that kind of pitcher, who is always looking to figure out why things go wrong. And he pitched really well, he has no reason to hang his head after navigating that lineup."

They'll get their first day off of the season tomorrow before flying out to Seattle to begin a three-game series in the Emerald City.

[artoodeetoo]

Royals Mailbag (04/13)

Royals Mailbag

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | April 13th, 2023

Since we don't have a lot of games under our belts so far (and the same 3-to-4 questions were asked), this is an abbreviated version of the mailbag. We'll cover the first offseason under the new front office, what the rule changes mean, and what the reasonable expectations for this team should be.

Hopefully, as the season rolls along over the next few weeks, the variety of topics will expand as more games are played, and we have more information. The questions and answers have been slightly edited for length and clarity.

What grade would you have given the offseason?

I think he gets a solid B to B+. The only move I'm still having a hard time reconciling was the signing of Adam Frazier. The only saving grace of that deal is that the Royals could get out from under it sooner rather than later thanks to the team option for the final year, but Michael Massey would almost assuredly be starting at second base right now instead of gearing up for Triple-A had Jason McLeod held onto that money, and instead sunk it elsewhere.

One could argue he needs a little more seasoning after an okay Triple-A stint last year, but he tore the cover off the ball in the spring, and just looked like he belonged from the jump.

What is a realistic expectation for this season?

This isn't a playoff-ready team, where if they don't make the postseason, it's definitely a disappointment. That said, I think being in contention throughout the season should be the goal; make September games mean something. In fact, it was one of my 'bold predictions' in the team preview a few weeks back, that they'll play meaningful games well into the season's final month.

John Sherman said in his season-ending press conference in November last year that "we should know what it feels like to have a wild-card team first", which rankled some of the online Twitter fanbase. But with the strength of the upper crust of the league, he's not wrong in that's the likely path to the postseason this and likely next year, too.

The new schedule is likely going to play a role, as well, with fewer divisional games as all teams play each other for the first time in league history. They'll have series at the Mets, Braves, Nationals, and the Cardinals; and they'll play a split home-road series with the Brewers. In addition, they'll add more games against the heavier hitters outside the Central, with six against the Yankees, Astros, Red Sox, Rays, and Angels.

How do you think the rule changes will affect the Royals this season, good or bad?

This is a good question to ask around Memorial Day, because there simply isn't enough data. I understand you're asking to extrapolate out, but it's too early to draw any conclusions. I guess the short answer is that the elimination of egregious infield shifts will likely benefit teams like the Royals who put the ball in play more than the average team; guys like BWJ, Vinnie Pasquantino, Nicky Lopez, and Salvador Perez who don't strike out a ton and put the ball in play are going to benefit the most.

Defensively, it puts an emphasis on athleticism in the infield. All teams will be negatively impacted to some degree, but again the Royals should weather the storm better than other teams since they have been putting a premium on defense for some time now. There's also the specter of outfield shifts being banned or altered in some way in 2024, or in the next iteration of the CBA.

To me, the most interesting rule change isn't happening until 2024, and that's the mound being lowered from ten to eight inches. For the second straight season, the league-wide batting average was .244. The last time that the league-wide BA was this low, Richard Nixon was president and the Watergate investigation was in its early stages.

[artoodeetoo]

Series Preview: Kansas City (3-7) @ Seattle (4-6)

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PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
04/14: RHP Brady Singer (0-1, 1.74) vs RHP George Kirby (1-0, 1.12)
04/15: RHP Dylan Bundy (0-1, 5.14) vs LHP Robbie Ray (1-1, 5.40)
04/16: LHP Jesus Luzardo (0-2, 6.75) vs RHP Luis Castillo (0-2, 5.56)

WHO'S HOT?
Jesse Winker, Seattle -- 8-for-25 (.320), 2B, SB, 3 HR, 4 BB

WHO'S NOT?
Nick Pratto, Kansas City -- 3-for-23 (.130), 2B, BB, 8 K

KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
1B Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) -- 10-day IL

SEATTLE INJURED LIST
RHP Logan Gilbert (hamstring) -- 60-day IL
RHP Matt Shoemaker (elbow) -- 60-day IL

[artoodeetoo]

Kansas City @ Seattle (04/14 -- 04/16)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Seattle Mariners

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | April 17th, 2023

Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners
Apr 14, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (4-7)	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	8	1
Seattle Mariners (4-7)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	10	3
W: Frankie Montas (2-0) L: Jesus Luzardo (0-2) S: None

Friday, April 14th, 2023
Coming in on an 0-for-12 cold snap, Nick Pratto doubled and homered in his first two at-bats of the Royals' 5-4 14-inning victory on Friday night, also drawing a pair of walks throughout the rest of the game. Dairon Blanco, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth, went 2-for-2 and drove in the go-ahead run in the 14th.

There was a scare on the basepaths very early on in the game, as Bobby Witt Jr legged out a double into the gap, but the throw into second base nailed him on his right knee, and eventually knocked him out of the game after a few minutes of gingerly trying to walk off the pain. Manager Kristopher Negron at the time termed it as a 'day-to-day thing', but Witt ended up sitting out on Saturday before coming back on Sunday.

"It was something that we chose not to push, because there's so much season left and there's no need to potentially cause further injury," he noted when asked about the decision to remove him from Friday's game. "It's one out of 162, as they say, so we decided to get Hunter (Dozier) in there and get some work at third base."

With just one run over five innings, Brady Singer again piled up the pitch count, but couldn't get through six innings. He allowed just five hits, but walked three and struck out three. Kansas City seemed primed to take a victory in regulation, entering the bottom of the eighth up 4-1. J.P. Crawford and Kyle Lewis hit back-to-back homeruns to turn that deficit into a tie game against Scott Barlow, who had his consecutive saves converted streak snapped at twenty-five.

Aside from Barlow's three earned runs, the bullpen held fast in extra innings. Colin Poche, Dylan Coleman, and Michel Baez (the eventual winning pitcher) combined to throw five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit and striking out eight. Coleman struck out five Mariner hitters in 2 1/3 frames alone.

Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners
Apr 15, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (5-7)	1	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	8	0
Seattle Mariners (4-8)	3	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	7	10	0
W: Daniel Lynch (1-0) L: Robbie Ray (1-2) S: Dylan Coleman (1)

Saturday, April 15th, 2023
Even without Bobby Witt Jr in the lineup, the offense exploded for eight runs in the first three innings, including a half-dozen in the second stanza alone. Seattle kept up the pace, scoring four in the first two, and then adding two more in the fifth to pull to within two. Julio Rodriguez added a solo homerun against Dylan Coleman in the ninth, but the Royals held on to take an 8-7 victory over the Mariners to secure the series victory.

Adam Frazier and Brent Rooker keyed the six-run second with homeruns; Frazier's being of the three-run variety. Rooker followed up with a solo shot of his own; and also singled, walked, and stole a base. Frazier scored twice, also going 2-for-4. Drew Waters also scored a pair of runs along with a double, and Dairon Blanco also made his first start of the season and went 1-for-3 with an RBI double.

"Good to get out of this one with a win," said manager Kristopher Negron. "After the extra-inning matchup last night, it was good to get out of the contest before it went any further and depleted our bullpen even more."

With Dylan Bundy getting knocked out of the game prior to finishing the fifth inning, Daniel Lynch was called upon to get the win out of the bullpen. He did give up a two-run homerun before getting the final out of the fifth (one of those runs charged to Bundy), but settled in to throw three scoreless innings after that, striking out three with just one walk.

Another Dylan, this time Dylan Coleman, picked up the save one night after a dominant relief performance on Friday night. It was his first save of the season, working around a one-out homerun to earn it. Through just 7 2/3 innings so far, Coleman has a baker's dozen strikeouts to just three walks and five hits scattered.

Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners
Apr 16, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (6-7)	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	1	0	4	14	1
Seattle Mariners (4-9)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1
W: Jesus Luzardo (1-0) L: Luis Castillo (0-3) S: None

Sunday, April 16th, 2023
Going 8 1/3 innings without allowing a run before running into a slight bit of trouble in the ninth, Jesus Luzardo turned in the best start of the season by a Royals pitcher to date, going those 8 1/3 shutout frames with seven strikeouts in a 4-0 shutout victory. Adam Cimber recorded the final two outs to finish out the game, but didn't qualify for the save.

The win marked the first time the Royals had gone to Seattle for a three-game series and swept them since July 3-5, 2017. It was also Luzardo's first victory since coming over to the Royals over the offseason, and has had two solid starts sandwiched around a clunker at Yankee Stadium.

"It was pretty important that we came in here and played well after not picking up a victory up in New York," said second baseman Adam Frazier, who had a big series against his former team, going 7-for-16 with a homerun. "Now, we'll head back to Kansas City with a full head of steam."

The two Royal hurlers combined to hold the M's to six hits, all singles. Seattle's big acquisition over the offseason, Luis Castillo, fell to 0-3 on the season despite putting forth his best outing of the season by allowing just two earned runs over six innings, striking out six with just one walk (nine hits, though).

With a pair of doubles each, Drew Waters and Kyle Isbel drove in two of the four Royals' runs, with Nicky Lopez also going 2-for-4 with an RBI ad a run scored. Bobby Witt Jr and Adam Frazier each collected three hits, with BWJ also notching his fifth steal of the season.

The Royals will take on the struggling Tigers over the next three days, with the visitors coming in sporting a 2-11 record. They started off 0-7 before winning two of their last six.

[artoodeetoo]

Series Preview: Detroit (2-11) @ Kansas City (6-7)

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PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
04/17: LHP Angel Zerpa (1-1, 2.19) vs RHP Keyvius Sampson (0-2, 10.50)
04/18: RHP Carlos Hernandez (1-1, 4.76) vs RHP Charlie Morton (0-2, 7.56)
04/19: RHP Brady Singer (0-1, 1.74) vs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 8.56)
04/20: RHP Dylan Bundy (0-1, 6.94) vs LHP Tarik Skubal (0-2, 7.24)

WHO'S HOT?
Brady Singer, Kansas City -- 10 1/3 IP, ER, 10 K (2 GS)

WHO'S NOT?
Riley Greene, Detroit -- 2-for-20 (.100)
Eduardo Rodriguez, Detroit -- 8 1/3 IP, 10 ER, 4 K, 5 BB (2 GS)

DETROIT INJURED LIST
SS Javier Baez (elbow) -- 10-day IL
RHP Beau Brieske (shoulder) -- 60-day IL
RHP Angel De Jesus (elbow) -- 60-day IL

KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
1B Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) -- 10-day IL

[LegendKillerOne]

Re: One Royal Way (OOTP 23)

Love the read mind if I ask what settings you use? Like you just control your team or you in commissioner mode?

[artoodeetoo]

Re: One Royal Way (OOTP 23)

This post has been a major help to fixing some of the intrinsic issues with OOTP "out of the box" so to speak.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1087280/discussions/0/2995417278818285353/?l=italian

I don't play on commissioner mode normally; only when I need to do something that the CPU can't generally do, such as the 27th man for a DH.

I'll add more in a future post, but these are a few of the things

[artoodeetoo]

Detroit Tigers @ Kansas City Royals (04/17 -- 04/20)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Detroit Tigers

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | April 21st, 2023

Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals
Apr 18, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit Tigers (3-11)	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	10	1
Kansas City Royals (6-8)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	6	0
W: Keyvius Sampson (1-2) L: Angel Zerpa (1-2) S: Matt Manning (1)

Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals
Apr 18, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit Tigers (4-11)	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	5	0
Kansas City Royals (6-9)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	3
W: Charlie Morton (1-2) L: Carlos Hernandez (1-2) S: Kyle Funkhouser (1)

Tuesday, April 18th, 2023
Coming off a winning road trip that saw them win a series at Tampa Bay, and then later sweeping Seattle on the road; the Royals dropped both ends of a doubleheader after getting rained out on Monday, both by 2-1 counts.

In the first game, Detroit was able to sneak by the Royals despite a late rally. Down 2-0 going into the last half-inning, the Royals loaded the bases against closer Matt Manning with no one out. But a double play from Bryan De La Cruz to score the Royals' only run, followed by a ground ball out from Brent Rooker, brought the game to an unceremonious end.

The Tigers plated both of their runs in the first two innings against starter Angel Zerpa, who lasted just four innings. He allowed just two runs, but was knocked around for eight hits and three walks, striking out four while throwing ninety pitches.

The second game played out a little differently than the first one; with the Royals getting out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but still played out to the same final score. The Royals loaded the bases in that first frame with two outs, but could only manage to get one run as Salvador Perez scored on a wild pitch from Tigers starter Charlie Morton before Hunter Dozier flew out to right to end the threat.

Kansas City never seriously threatened again until the seventh, when they got runners on second and third with two outs, but couldn't score either one.

Detroit's first run was of the unearned variety, when Dozier overthrew home plate trying to get Ronald Guzman out at the plate on a base hit. Greene's single in the fifth plated Akil Baddoo with what ended up as the winning run, as the two teams battled to a stalemate the rest of the night.

"Just a disappointing night all around," said manager Kristopher Negron. "We had our opportunities to get guys over the plate, and just didn't come through. It happens."

Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals
Apr 19, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit Tigers (4-12)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	3	2
Kansas City Royals (7-9)	0	0	0	0	0	4	3	1	X	1	5	3
W: Brady Singer (1-1) L: Eduardo Rodriguez (0-3) S: None

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023
Following a disappointing Tuesday in which the Royals dropped both ends of a doubleheader, Brady Singer sliced and diced his way through the Tigers' lineup on his way to his first win of the season, an 8-2 win for the Royals. Singer had a no-hitter through six innings, only seeing his no-hitter broken up with one out in the seventh on a double by Riley Greene.

In a season-high 107 pitches, he struck out eight while walking just two, allowing one run, and scattering two hits.

"He's thrown the ball really well this year so far," said pitching coach Dane Johnson of Singer. "I've had a chance to work with him up close pretty much since he started his pro career in 2019, and the progression is quite uncanny."

Eduardo Rodriguez matched him nearly pitch for pitch, tossing five shutout innings before getting tagged for four runs in the sixth. Brent Rooker smacked a two-run homerun to finally dent the scoreboard, with Ernie Clement hitting a two-run single later in the frame.

"One win at a time, one game at a time...we try not to get too far ahead of ourselves," Singer told a gaggle of reporters at his locker.

Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals
Apr 20, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit Tigers (4-13)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Kansas City Royals (8-9)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	X	1	6	0
W: Dylan Bundy (1-1) L: Tarik Skubal (0-3) S: Scott Barlow (3)

Thursday, April 20th, 2023
An RBI single from Bobby Witt Jr in the third was the only offense that the Royals needed as they salvaged a split of their four-game home series by a 1-0 score in the finale. 6 1/3 shutout innings from Dylan Bundy was just good enough to pick up his first win in a Royals' uniform.

He scattered four hits, but two of them came in the seventh, chasing him from the game. He also struck out nine Tiger hitters without issuing a free pass. Josh Staumont stranded both inherited runners, getting out of the seventh before working into the eighth. Scott Barlow picked up his third save, striking out the side in in the ninth.

Bryan De La Cruz also picked up a pair of hits, going 2-for-4 with a double. Drew Waters and Nick Pratto also doubled in the game, each going 1-for-3. Waters had an eight-game hitting streak snapped in the nightcap on Tuesday, but his on-base streak continued with his double. It now sits at fourteen, with several games in the streak due to walks.

The series looked bleak after the double header sweep on Tuesday night, but the Royals picked up back-to-back wins to salvage the four-game series that was delayed a day thanks to a torrential rainstorm in Kansas City on Monday. They'll head to Washington to begin a short three-game road trip before coming back to Kauffman for a three-game series with the Angels.

[artoodeetoo]

Royal Rumblings (04/21)

Royal Rumblings

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | April 21st, 2023

Castillo Comes Over In Trade: The Royals have acquired righty Max Castillo from the Blue Jays for cash considerations, per Anne Rogers of the Athletic, who covers the team for that outlet and was first to break the story. Fellow right-hander Jon Heasley, who was selected in the 13th round of the 2018 Draft, was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

With several minor league options remaining, the 23-year-old Castillo was optioned to Triple-A Omaha and should slide into Heasley's rotation spot. He had a brief stint with the Blue Jays after a successful Double-A stop, but has yet to pitch at the Triple-A level. The Royals plan to keep him in the rotation for the time being, per Rogers' report.

The 26-year-old Heasley has strong minor league numbers, with a 3.55 ERA over 222 2/3 minor league frames since the beginning of 2021, pretty much evenly covering Double and Triple-A. He didn't pitch in 2020, other than at the Royals' alternate site for a brief period of time that year.

However, he wasn't as successful with the Royals, posting a 5.58 ERA in ten career starts, seven of those coming last year. Peripherals liked him much more in 2022 than in 2021, as he pitched to a 4.38 FIP/3.99 SIERA that belied his 5.86 ERA. His lower peripherals were helped mainly by a low walk rate (6.3%); but struck out just 19% of his hitters faced, and allowed an .837 OPS, including an .898 mark against lefties.

[artoodeetoo]

Series Preview: Kansas City (8-9) @ Washington (12-4)

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PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
04/21: LHP Jesus Luzardo (1-2, 3.79) vs LHP Mackenzie Gore (1-1, 5.29)
04/22: LHP Daniel Lynch (1-0, 4.50) vs RHP Josiah Gray (3-0, 1.47)
04/23: LHP Angel Zerpa (1-2, 2.47) vs LHP Seth Romero (1-0, 5.65)

WHO'S HOT?
Brady Singer, Kansas City -- 18 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 18 K (3 GS)

WHO'S NOT?
MJ Melendez, Kansas City -- 1-for-27 (.037)

KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
1B Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) -- 10-day IL

WASHINGTON INJURED LIST
RHP Cole Henry (shoulder) -- 60-day IL
RHP Aldo Ramirez (elbow) -- 10-day IL
RHP Stephen Strasburg (shoulder) -- 10-day IL

[artoodeetoo]

Kansas City @ Washington (04/21 -- 04/23)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Washington Nationals

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | April 24th, 2023

Kansas City Royals at Washington Nationals
Apr 21, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (8-10)	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	0
Washington Nationals (13-4)	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	X	3	7	1
W: Tanner Rainey (1-0) L: Jesus Luzardo (1-3) S: Victor Arano (8)

Friday, April 21st, 2023
Coming into the game 4-8 all-time against the Washington Nationals since they moved from Montreal, the Royals started off their road series against the Nats with a 3-2 defeat on Friday night as Mackenzie Gore held the Royals to just two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings.

These two teams last met in 2019, as the Royals dropped two of three in D.C. from July 5th through the 7th that year as Washington went on to win the World Series that year. The two teams haven't played each other in Kansas City since 2016, when they lost two of three from May 2nd through the 4th.

Pitching against the team that originally drafted him, Jesus Luzardo walked five and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings, getting tagged with his third loss of the season. Adam Cimber and Scott Barlow combined to finish the game, with Barlow getting the final out of the bottom of the eighth on one pitch.

The offense continued to sputter, as they've scored more than four runs just three times in the last twelve games. Only Hunter Dozier and Nicky Lopez reached base safely more than once, with Dozier going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, and Nicky Lopez going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Kansas City Royals at Washington Nationals
Apr 22, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (9-10)	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	2	6	0
Washington Nationals (13-5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1
W: Daniel Lynch (2-0) L: Cade Cavalli (2-2) S: Dylan Coleman (2)

Saturday, April 22nd, 2023
Making a spot start after the previous doubleheader burned two starters in one day, the Royals called upon Daniel Lynch to bridge the gap to Angel Zerpa, and he delivered in a big way. The lanky lefty gave the Royals five shutout innings, scattering four hits and five strikeouts over just sixty-one pitches to pick up his second victory in a 2-0 win over the Nationals to even their series.

The win halted a six-game winning streak for Washington, now 13-5 on the year after Saturday's action.

Three relievers combined with Lynch to post the shutout, with Dylan Coleman picking up the two-inning save. Michel Baez and Richard Lovelady combined to toss scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh, immediately preceding Coleman's outing.

Adam Frazier became the second Royals player to hit their second homerun, joining Brent Rooker. He went 2-for-4 while Hunter Dozier drilled an RBI single for the Royals' other run. Nick Pratto collected a pair of hits, while Drew Waters reached base twice, including once via free pass.

Kansas City Royals at Washington Nationals
Apr 23, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (9-11)	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	7	2
Washington Nationals (14-5)	0	1	0	1	2	2	0	1	X	7	12	1
W: Mason Thompson (1-0) L: Angel Zerpa (1-3) S: Victor Arano (9)

Sunday, April 23rd, 2023
Royals loaded the bases in the ninth with two outs and a chance to tie the game with one swing, but pinch-hitter MJ Melendez grounded out to second as the Nats won the rubber game 7-3 on Sunday afternoon to take the series.

CJ Abrams keyed the offense for Washington, going 5-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of doubles. Josh Bell was 2-for-5 with an RBI double.

Angel Zerpa went five innings-plus, allowing four runs on eight hits before getting pulled for fellow lefty Colin Poche, who went 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs with a strikeout.

In all, four Royal relievers worked in the game, but none of them after Poche logged a full inning.

Salvador Perez hit his second homerun of the season in the second inning as part of the Royals' three-run salvo. Unfortunately, it was all they could afford to muster. Hunter Dozier and Bryan De La Cruz each went 1-for-3 with run scored, with De La Cruz hitting a two-bagger.

Dairon Blanco also had a nice game, going 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the second.

[artoodeetoo]

Series Preview: LA Angels (12-7) @ Kansas City (9-11)

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PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
04/25: RHP Chris Rodriguez (0-1, 1.12) vs RHP Carlos Hernandez (1-2, 3.86)
04/26: LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-1, 2.89) vs RHP Brady Singer (1-1, 1.54)
04/27: RHP Shohei Ohtani (1-2, 2.66) vs RHP Dylan Bundy (1-1, 4.50)

WHO'S HOT?
Brady Singer, Kansas City -- 18 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 18 K (3 GS)
Reid Detmers, Los Angeles -- 11 IP, 1 ER, 13 K (2 GS)

WHO'S NOT?
MJ Melendez, Kansas City -- 0-for-20 (.037)
David Fletcher, Los Angeles -- 4-for-34 (.117)

LOS ANGELES INJURED LIST
RHP Greg Holland (elbow) -- 60-day IL
RHP Jose Soriano (shoulder) -- 60-day IL
RHP Ryan Tepera (elbow) -- 10-day IL

KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
1B Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) -- 10-day IL

[artoodeetoo]

LA Angels @ Kansas City Royals (04/25 -- 04/27)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Los Angeles Angels

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | April 28th, 2023

Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Apr 25, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (13-7)	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	5	8	0
Kansas City Royals (9-12)	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	12	3
W: Preston Guilmet (1-0) L: Carlos Hernandez (1-3) S: Kirby Yates (4)

Tuesday, April 25th, 2023
Salvador Perez drove in three runs while going 3-for-4, Bobby Witt Jr also went 3-for-5, and Drew Waters also collected his first career four-hit game, but received little offensive production outside of that as Kansas City dropped the first game of their series with the Angels on Tuesday night by a 5-3 score.

Perez has been hot as of late, going 11-for-30 (.367), but has just one extra-base hit in that stretch, which was the homerun in Sunday's loss to Washington.

Carlos Hernandez's final line was not bad -- five innings, three runs, six strikeouts, six hits, two walks -- but couldn't get enough run support when he needed it.

The Royals also had a costly error in the seventh by Adam Frazier that eventually led to two unearned runs on Josh Staumont's ledger.

Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Apr 26, 2023	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (13-8)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	0
Kansas City Royals (10-12)	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	X	7	15	0
W: Daniel Lynch (3-0) L: Clayton Kershaw (3-2) S: None

Wednesday, April 26th, 2023
Just one day after posting a 4-for-4 game, Drew Waters, who hit seventh in the order, slugged a pair of homeruns and a double, scoring three times and driving in three as the Royals pasted the Angels by a 7-1 score.

They scored five in the first against Clayton Kershaw, who came into the game with a 2.89 ERA and just four walks in twenty-eight innings.

In fact, the rest of the bottom-third of the order also contributed in a big way, with Ernie Clement and Nicky Lopez combining for five hits in eight at-bats, including a double from Lopez. Clement also tripled, his first three-bagger of the season. In thirty-three plate appearances, Clement has struck out just one time, but also just has one walk.

Brady Singer couldn't get through five innings, as he was pulled after just 4 2/3 frames (97 pitches). He struck out three while scattering four hits, one earned run, and two walks. Daniel Lynch picked up his third win of the season, and his second in relief as he fired 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Los Angeles Angels vs Kansas City Royals
Apr 27, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (13-9)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	1	0	5	15	1
Kansas City Royals (11-12)	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	1	6	12	0
W: Josh Staumont (1-0) L: Dylan Floro (0-1) S: None

Thursday, April 27th, 2023
The outlook late on Thursday night was excellent; the Royals had just scored two in the eighth to go up 4-1 with closer Scott Barlow warming up in the bullpen. But the Angels fought back to tie the game in the ninth, and then holding the Royals to a goose egg in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras.

The two teams traded runs in the 10th before Salvador Perez smoked a two-out RBI double to score Adam Frazier from first base, as Kansas City walked the Angels off to the tune of a 6-5 count. Perez's double was juuuust over the outstretched glove of Mike Trout, as the nearly 20,000 in attendance held their breath as the ball seemingly hung up forever with the wind whipping throughout the entire game.

"There were three or four balls between the two teams that I thought were for sure homeruns without the wind being a negative factor," said manager Kristopher Negron. "We had some really good swings, but the conditions weren't conducive to a ton of offense. I'm really proud that we stuck with it, even with some mistakes, and were able to get a home series win."

A solid start from Dylan Bundy, the former Halo, was wasted as he tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings with four hits and two walks against six strikeouts in a no-decision. Barlow had the first four hitters reach against him, including a solo homerun by A.J. Pollock to lead off the inning. A walk and back-to-back singles put runners at first and second before he finally getting an out on a fielder's choice.

However, back to back hits from Trout and Jared Walsh scored the tying run before a strikeout and popout ended the inning. Josh Staumont pitched the 10th and 11th innings, with a passed ball accounting for the Angels' run in the 10th. Hunter Dozier singled Pratto home in the 10th to tie it.

[artoodeetoo]

Royal Rumblings (04/28)

Royal Rumblings

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | April 28th, 2023

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who is on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring ailment, is 'right on schedule', per manager Kristopher Negron. He's expected to return in about two weeks, Negron went on to say in a morning conference call with reporters.

"The idea with Vinnie is that he'll take a quick detour to Omaha and play a couple of games there just to get him back in front of live pitching," he said. "The training staff has been on top of the situation quite well, and they're putting it at about two to two-and-a-half weeks that he'll be back up, including any rehab time in the minors."

They could desperately use a shot in the arm offensively -- the Royals are 23rd in both OPS+ (87) and wRC+ (85) league-wide, and tied for 26th in SLG (.365). Despite playing the fewest games of any of the team's rookies a season ago, Pasquantino led them all in homeruns (17), OPS+ (122), wRC+ (122), and wOBA (.344), covering 325 plate appearances in 2022.

Guys who were counted on to provide some power have been anything but to this point, with MJ Melendez in the midst of a prolonged slump to begin the season, and others like Salvador Perez who have just three homeruns with only one other extra-base hit, a double, on their ledger. Nick Pratto is also struggling with a .598 OPS, which means he's about 35% worse than the average hitter in the league this year currently (65 OPS+).

"There's no doubt, we have some guys that are currently struggling at the plate right now," Negron said when pressed about his team's struggles scoring runs. "We're getting guys in position at a better rate recently, but still have to get more of them in when we get the opportunities."

Kansas City has scored the fourth-fewest runs in the league (67), and the second-fewest in the AL, with the Twins scoring sixty-one as the lowest mark in the Junior Circuit.