One Royal Way (OOTP 23)

[FoxChats]

Re: All-Star Teams (07/18)

Gota Love Salvy. He was my mvp last year over Ohtani and Guerero Jr.

Why the BBWAA were so delusional of an Japanese Babe Ruth being THAT special I'll never know

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Re: All-Star Teams (07/18)

Damn Muñoz my only all-star

I had just one, too.

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Tampa Bay @ Kansas City (07/22 -- 07/24)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Tampa Bay Rays

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | July 25th, 2022

Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals
Jul 22, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay Rays (55-38)	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	8	0
Kansas City Royals (40-53)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
W: Shane Baz (2-2) L: Brady Singer (6-5) S: Jeffrey Springs (22)

Friday, July 22nd, 2022
A three-run second inning from the visiting Rays proved to be the difference in the Royals' 4-1 loss to open up the season's second half. A dropped third-strike strikeout resulting in Brandon Lowe reaching first base kicked off the inning, as four straight Rays hitters collected hits, capped off by Kevin Kiermaier's two-run double to put Tampa up 3-0. The Royals countered with a run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double from Kyle Isbel, but that's as close as they would come.

After getting two straight outs to begin the third, Brady Singer surrendered a solo homerun to Lowe -- his 24th of the season. Singer went just five innings, allowing four earned runs with four strikeouts, one walk, and seven hits. Dylan Coleman gave the Royals three outstanding innings in relief, facing ten hitters and striking out six of them, only surrendering a walk.

Making just his seventh career MLB start, rookie right-hander Shane Baz held the Royals to just one run over eight innings, marking his second straight start with at least eight innings. After allowing ten earned runs in his first two starts of the season (11 1/3 innings), Baz has allowed just two over his last 16 1/3.

Only Dairon Blanco reached base more than once for Kansas City, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. Isbel, Bobby Witt Jr., and Edward Olivares also each had one hit, and Witt Jr., scored the Royals' only run on Isbel's double.

Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals
Jul 23, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay Rays (56-38)	0	0	2	0	0	2	0	1	0	5	11	0
Kansas City Royals (40-54)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
W: Corey Kluber (9-4) L: Zack Greinke (2-8) S: None

Saturday, July 23rd, 2022
Kansas City sunk to a new low on Saturday, falling to fourteen games below .500 in absorbing a 5-0 shutout loss to the Rays. Corey Kluber, a long-time nemesis of the Royals going back to his Cleveland days, held the Royals scoreless for 8 1/3 innings before giving way to Keyvius Sampson, who got the final two outs.

The top third of the Rays' lineup dominated the contest, going 9-for-13 (.691), with four doubles, two runs, two walks, and two RBI. Meanwhile, the Royals managed just three hits, all singles. No other player reached base more than one time, with Nicky Lopez and Salvador Perez the only other players to reach base (via walk).

With trade rumors swirling around him, Zack Greinke put together a decent effort -- five innings, two runs and walks each, three strikeouts -- but received no support from his lineup. Joel Payamps allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings in relief before Will Kincanon took over, striking out three over the remainder of the contest, but allowed an earned run.

A remarkable stat from the game -- despite allowing five baserunners, the Rays faced just one hitter over the minimum thanks to four double plays turned in the game, each from four different Royals players.

Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals
Jul 24, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay Rays (56-39)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	7	0
Kansas City Royals (41-54)	0	1	3	0	0	0	1	0	X	5	7	0
W: Brad Keller (2-3) L: Luis Patino (2-2) S: Gabe Speier (3)

Sunday, July 24th, 2022
In his second start since returning from the injured list, Brad Keller kept the Rays' hitters on their toes throughout his six-inning stint, holding them to just one run with six strikeouts in a 5-1 Royals victory, salvaging the final game of their series with Tampa.

Keller got the start by moving southpaw Angel Zerpa's scheduled start back to tomorrow against the AL West-leading Angels, who come in for a three-game series.

Salvador Perez clubbed a pair of hits, including his 26th homerun of the season, a two-run shot off Luis Patino in the third. He also doubled and scored in the second inning, coming around on M.J. Melendez's sac fly. Nick Pratto also reached base twice via free pass, scoring once. Nicky Lopez went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Tampa Bay's only run didn't even happen via hit -- Manuel Margot's fielder's choice in the fifth to score Randy Arozarena was the only tally on the day for the Rays, who continue to lead in the AL East by 3 1/2 games over the Red Sox.

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MLB News (07/25)

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Royal Rumblings (07/25)

Royal Rumblings

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | July 25th, 2022

Royals Sign Three To UDFA Contracts: In the wake of the draft that ended on Tuesday night, the Royals signed three undrafted free agents to minor league contracts on Friday morning. Kentucky outfielder/DH Oraj Anu, Stetson infielder Kyle Ball, and South Alabama outfielder Charles Middleton, Jr., all signed and reported to the Arizona League squads, with Ball and Anu joining the Gold team, while Middleton reported to the Blue squad.

The Royals also announced the signing of right-hander Stone Churby, who was taken in the 11th round with an undisclosed bonus. Generally, this is an indication his bonus did not meet the minimum to count against the team's bonus pool, although it could be disclosed later. He's the first signee that has been reported by the club.

Kowar Shut Down For Season: After just five innings in last night's 5-1 victory for Omaha over Memphis, right-hander Jackson Kowar was removed with back tightness that was later diagnosed as a herniated disc in his lower back. He'll have minor surgery to correct the issue, which means that he'll miss the remainder of the season.

He was placed on the injured list retroactive to yesterday. No corresponding move has been made to add anyone to the Storm Chasers' roster as of this morning, as they are at twenty-eight active players. Kowar was considered to be one of the top candidates to get a re-call post-September 1 with his performances to date.

It's a shame as he was having a nice year in Triple-A after a horrendously awful cup of coffee with the Royals to begin the season. In 48 1/3 innings between the bullpen and rotation for Omaha, he had a 3.54 ERA with fifty-five strikeouts and just nineteen walks. His peripherals were also solid, showing a 3.23 SIERA and striking out nearly 27% of his batters faced.

Red Sox Show Interest In Merrifield: With Trevor Story likely to miss the rest of the season, Whit Merrifield has popped up in recent rumors about the Red Sox looking to acquire a second baseman. Second base is a pretty light market, with Oakland dealing Tony Kemp to the Guardians for a minor leaguer, leaving Adam Frazier as the only other semi-decent name on the second base market besides Merrifield.

The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham reported that the Red Sox have reached out to the Royals regarding a potential deal, but no specifics were provided. He also mentioned that they did inquire about Frazier, who currently plays in Seattle. Frazier is having a markedly better season, so it might take a bit more prospect capital to pry him away from the M's, even as a rental.

Any would-be suitor for Merrifield would have control of his rights through next season, as he'll earn $6.75 million in sum for 2023 since it's now impossible for him to spend more than 70 service-time days on the injured list this season.

He also has an $18 million mutual option for 2024 that is unlikely to be exercised by any club.

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Series Preview: Los Angeles (57-38) @ Kansas City (41-54)

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PITCHING MATCHUPS
07/25: RHP Shohei Ohtani (6-5, 3.34) vs LHP Angel Zerpa (0-3, 3.46)
07/26: LHP Jose Suarez (5-4, 4.45) vs LHP Kris Bubic (1-2, 5.66)
07/27: RHP Noah Syndergaard (10-4, 2.96) vs RHP Brady Singer (6-5, 5.51)

WHO'S HOT?
RHP Brad Keller, Kansas City -- 10.2 IP, 8 K, 1 ER (2 starts)
RHP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles -- 14.2 IP, 17 K, 2 ER (2 starts)

WHO'S NOT?
IF Hunter Dozier, Kansas City -- 7-for-62 (.113), 2B, 4 BB, 23 K

LOS ANGELES INJURED LIST
LHP Reid Detmers (elbow) -- 60-day IL
RHP Michael Lorenzen (elbow) -- 60-day IL

KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
SS Adalberto Mondesi (knee) -- 60-day IL

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Los Angeles @ Kansas City (07/25 -- 07/27)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Los Angeles Angels

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | July 28th, 2022

Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Jul 25, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (57-39)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Kansas City Royals (42-54)	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	8	1
W: Jake Brentz (2-5) L: Shohei Ohtani (6-6) S: Scott Barlow (16)

Monday, July 25th, 2022
Behind a homerun from Bobby Witt Jr., and six shutout frames from Angel Zerpa, the Royals kept the Halos' bats in check as they took the first of three from Los Angeles in shutout fashion in a 2-0 victory.

Zerpa, who still didn't factor into the decision due to leaving the game tied 0-0, scattered just two hits and two walks, striking out six. Jake Brentz picked up the win in relief, tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Scott Barlow worked a quick ninth, throwing five pitches, to pick up his 16th save.

BWJ homered against Shohei Ohtani to lead off the seventh, and Kyle Isbel singled home M.J. Melendez two batters later. Making his fourth start in right field, Melendez went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

Ohtani allowed two runs over seven innings, striking out nine. He also hit second in the order, but put up an 0-for-4 with a strikeout against Brentz.

Whit Merrifield also reached twice, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Snapping a 1-for-15 skid, Vinnie Pasquantino went 2-for-4 with a double.

Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Jul 26, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (57-40)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	6	0
Kansas City Royals (43-54)	1	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	7	0
W: Kris Bubic (2-2) L: Jose Suarez (5-5) S: None

Tuesday, July 26th, 2022
It's officially a streak now, as the Royals clinched a series victory and extended their modest win streak to three in a 6-2 win over the Angels. Kris Bubic continued his strong July, allowing just one run over six innings with nine punchouts.

Hunter Dozier also hit his first homerun in nearly two months, a two-run shot. He said that it felt good to finally get one out of the park, and that it was a harbinger of things to come.

"Hopefully this jump starts things for me a bit," he said with a grin. "I'm just happy to contribute to the win today."

Emmanuel Rivera followed Dozier's longball with one of his own; his first of the season. Nick Pratto and Salvador Perez also added RBI singles.

Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Jul 27, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (57-41)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	3	0
Kansas City Royals (44-54)	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	6	0
W: Brady Singer (7-5) L: Noah Syndergaard (10-5) S: Scott Barlow (17)

Wednesday, July 27th, 2022
With their 4-1 win on Wednesday, the Royals accomplished two things -- earned their first home sweep of the season, and also pushed their winning streak to four, which is the longest win streak this year.

Brady Singer looked like the ace that the Royals hoped they would get when he was drafted, baffling the Angels with one earned run through six innings of work, striking out eleven while scattering two hits and walks apiece.

A pair of homeruns from Vinnie Pasquantino was the entire offense, as he hit his third and fourth homeruns to account for all four tallies. He hit a three-run shot against Noah Syndergaard in the first inning, before going solo oppo against Syndergaard in the sixth. He also drew a walk in between those two blasts.

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MLB News (07/28)

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Royal Rumblings (07/28)

Royal Rumblings

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | July 28th, 2022

Angels, Royals Agree On Merrifield Trade: Well, it's finally happened -- Whit Merrifield is no longer a member of the Royals' organization, as he's been shipped to the Angels for infield prospect Werner Blakely. The news broke several hours after the game.

Interestingly enough, he was traded within minutes of the game ending last night, as he was able to get on the Angels' plane back to SoCal in time to be on the active roster against the Rangers in Anaheim tomorrow. He wrote on Twitter thanking Royals fans for their support the memories over the past six seasons, but that a 'new and exciting' chapter was beginning for him.

Boston, San Diego, and Houston had also been in consideration, but the Angels came through with Blakely in return. A tall, rangy shortstop, Blakely has struggled since being drafted in the fourth round out of a suburban Detroit high school in 2020, but Kansas City might believe a change of scenery would help him turn his career around.

After an unimpressive stint in 2021 to begin his pro career, Blakely got off to a good start in 2022, posting a .901 OPS in fifty-eight plate appearances with the Angels' Arizona Complex squad this season.

But that figure plummeted to .603 in 188 PA with Single-A Inland Empire, although he's maintained excellent on-base skills, walking in an impressive 16.2% of his plate appearances. Unfortunately, strikeouts have been the bane of his existence so far, getting punched out in another 39% of his PA.

If the Royals can pull some more magic like they did with MJ Melendez, Nick Pratto, and Vinnie Pasquantino here, Blakely has a fairly impressive offensive profile that can be molded. Going into the 2020 draft, he was graded out with 55-60 power and a 45-50 hit tool, which is excellent for a middle infielder.

It remains to be seen whether or not he'll stick at shortstop, as he's been an average to below-average defender there through his brief career to date. However, he could transition pretty seamlessly to second or third base, or even a corner outfield spot, especially if the power develops.

Royals Execute Series Of Roster Moves: With Merrifield now out of the picture, Kansas City made a host of roster moves. The first was to activate southpaw Richard Lovelady off of his rehab assignment, as he was put on the active roster, essentially taking Merrifield's spot. His addition gives the Royals three southpaws out of the bullpen.

In addition, right-handed pitcher Will Kincanon and infielder Emmanuel Rivera were optioned to Omaha in favor of infielders Ernie Clement and Ryan O'Hearn -- yes, he's back again with the Royals. As polarizing as he's been, O'Hearn at least gives the Royals another lefty bat option with some outfield experience.

Right-hander Ronald Bolanos was designated for assignment to make room for another outfielder on the 40-man, as JaCoby Jones had his contract purchased by the Royals. However, he figures to stay in Omaha unless injuries continue to arise.

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Series Preview: Kansas City (44-54) @ NY Yankees (50-49)

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PITCHING MATCHUPS
07/28: RHP Zack Greinke (2-8, 4.10) vs RHP Gerrit Cole (8-7, 4.43)
07/29: RHP Brad Keller (2-3, 2.39) vs RHP Domingo German (1-2, 3.38)
07/30: LHP Angel Zerpa (0-3, 3.02) vs RHP Jameson Taillon (7-7, 4.29)
07/31: LHP Kris Bubic (2-2, 5.05) vs LHP Jordan Montgomery (6-6, 3.92)

WHO'S HOT?
RHP Brad Keller, Kansas City -- 10.2 IP, 8 K, 1 ER (2 starts)
LHP Angel Zerpa, Kansas City -- 12 IP, 9 K, 1 ER (2 starts)

WHO'S NOT?
IF Hunter Dozier, Kansas City -- 8-for-66 (.121), 2B, HR, 4 BB, 24 K
C Kyle Higashioka, New York -- 1-for-22 (.045), 3 BB, 6 K

KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
SS Adalberto Mondesi (knee) -- 60-day IL

NEW YORK INJURED LIST
LHP Zack Britton (elbow) -- 60-day IL
3B Josh Donaldson (quad) -- 10-day IL
RHP Luis Severino (shoulder) -- 60-day IL

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Kansas City @ New York (07/28 -- 07/31)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: New York Yankees

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | August 1st, 2022

Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
Jul 28, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (45-54)	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	9	0
New York Yankees (50-50)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
W: Zack Greinke (3-8) L: Gerrit Cole (8-8) S: None

Thursday, July 28th, 2022
Behind another stellar performance from Zack Greinke, tossing his second complete-game shutout of the season, the Royals won their fifth straight with a 4-0 victory over the struggling Yankees. He struck out five and scattered just three hits without walking a batter.

Bobby Witt did most of the damage offensively, going 3-for-5 with a three-run homerun in the third inning, in addition to a stolen base. Making his first appearance in a Royals uniform, Ernie Clement got the start at second base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the sixth.

All three of the Yankees' hits came from their top third of the order, with Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, and Anthony Rizzo collecting hits. Rizzo's was the only extra-base hit, a two-out triple in the first.

Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
Jul 29, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (45-55)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	5	0
New York Yankees (51-50)	1	1	0	0	0	1	4	1	X	8	10	0
W: Domingo German (2-2) L: Brad Keller (2-4) S: None

Friday, July 29th, 2022
Kansas City's win streak was halted at five with a thud, as the Yankees clubbed the Royals by an 8-2 count. Joey Gallo's grand slam in the seventh inning was the big blow, hitting it off Richard Lovelady in his first appearance since re-joining the Royals.

M.J. Melendez, playing right field, went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He and Vinnie Pasquantino came around to score on Ernie Clement's two-run double in the top of the eighth.

Bobby Witt, Jr., and Nicky Lopez also collected hits for the Royals, while Pasquantino went 0-for-3 with a walk. Brad Keller lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs while fanning six.

Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
Jul 30, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (45-56)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	4	9	0
New York Yankees (52-50)	0	2	0	4	0	2	0	0	X	8	8	0
W: Jameson Taillon (8-7) L: Angel Zerpa (0-4) S: None

Saturday, July 30th, 2022
A couple of two-run homeruns from Aaron Judge, and three RBI from rookie Anthony Volpe were the key stats from the Royals' 8-4 loss to the Yankees on Saturday afternoon in the Bronx. New York took a 2-1 lead in the second, thanks to a Yan Gomes RBI single, and an RBI groundout from Volpe.

Volpe and Judge would later team up to hit a pair of two-run shots against Angel Zerpa in the fourth, quintupling their lead to 6-1 from 2-1. Judge's blast would be the one that finally knocked Zerpa from the game, not quite getting out of the fourth inning.

Zerpa struck out five and walked four through 3 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and six earned runs. Collin Snider and Joel Payamps got through the final 4 1/3, allowing one earned run each.

"For such a young guy, he's been a pretty steadying force since he came up from the minors," said pitching coach Cal Eldred. "Not every outing is going to go the way you want it, but he's a pretty resilient young guy, and I think he'll bounce back next time out."

M.J. Melendez fell a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a homerun. He's 7-for-13 over the last four games, including three doubles, three runs scored, and just one strikeout. Bobby Witt, Jr., is also 7-for-19 over his last five games with a homerun, stolen base, and two runs scored in that span.

Kyle Isbel also homered for the fifth time this season, a solo shot in the eighth. He also walked in the ninth against David Huff.

Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
Jul 31, 2022	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (45-57)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	4	0
New York Yankees (53-50)	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	X	3	7	0
W: Jordan Montgomery (7-6) L: Kris Bubic (2-3) S: Aroldis Chapman (23)

Sunday, July 31st, 2022
The Yankees picked up a win in the Bronx to end their four-game series, knocking off Kansas City by a 3-1 score. After a five-game winning streak, the Royals have now dropped three straight, and fell to .500 since the All-Star break.

On the mound for New York was left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who played a pivotal role keeping the Royals in check. Montgomery picked up the win by going 7 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits, three of them singles.

Despite the loss, Dairon Blanco hit his first career homerun, a sixth-inning shot to left that just cleared the fence in left field.

Kris Bubic took the loss, but pitched pretty well in the meantime in allowing just two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out five while walking two.

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MLB News (8/1)

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MLB News, cont'd (8/1)

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Royal Rumblings (08/01)

Royal Rumblings

By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | August 1st, 2022

Moore: "No additional deadline plans": The trade deadline ends tomorrow at 3 PM Central, but Royals president Dayton Moore has said the Royals will not make any additional moves prior to that deadline. It's been a very busy deadline for the club, as they've traded away Andrew Benintendi, Jace Peterson, Amir Garrett, Michael A. Taylor, and Whit Merrifield in the last two-plus weeks.

"I think we've exhausted about every resource that we felt we could use," he said in addition to those remarks. "It was really, really tough to see these guys go, but it's for the betterment of this ballclub."

That also means that veteran and former long-time Royal Zack Greinke will remain with the team through the end of the year. Per reports from writers such as ESPN's Jeff Passan and Alec Lewis of The Athletic, the Royals had been "aggressively shopping" Greinke, but have unable to come up with much of a package for the 38-year-old righty.

"What he's done has been pretty impressive, but he's backed up by a great defense," said one unnamed AL executive. "Save for maybe one or two teams, his market is pretty limited. Any contender he'd go to is likely going to have a worse situation for him to thrive in."

Greinke has also expressed a willingness to remain with the club past this season. He's coming off a month in which he threw not one, but two complete game shutouts. The first one was a 4-0 win over Detroit at home back on July 11th in which he struck out a dozen with no walks; and the other was in the Bronx on Thursday night, where he struck out five while allowing just three hits.

For the season, he's 3-8 with a 3.78 ERA, striking out sixty-seven hitters through 116 2/3 innings of work. He's managed to walk just seventeen hitters in that same span, which would put him on pace to have his lowest walk rate since 2020.

Royals Complete Draft Class; Sign All Twenty-One Selections: Under a condensed timeline, the Royals have signed all of their draft picks prior to today's deadline. The last to sign was supplemental first-rounder Dallas Macias, who inked for $1.7258 million late last night, below his slot of $2.21 million for the 35th overall pick. Players still have until 5 PM Eastern today to sign or return to/enter college.

In fact, the Royals went underslot on four of their first five selections, including their first-round selection in Dylan Lesko. In a bit of a surprise, he signed for $5.1 million on Friday night, which was slightly below his slot value of $5.2002 million. Second-rounder Sterlin Thompson signed for $999,500 ($1.584 million), and fourth-round pick Reggie Crawford inked his contract for $450,000 ($527,800 slot).

Third-rounder Henry Bolte, a high school outfielder committed to Texas, signed for $725,000, just over the $724,300 slot value for his selection. He was the only Royals' pick of their first five to get at least slot.

The Royals used the savings to sign a bevy of other high school picks -- their 5th-9th round selections were all high school selections, all over slot, though slightly. They also grabbed 13th round pick Logan Lunceford, a right-handed pitcher, for $235,000. They signed their 14th round pick, shortstop Nicolas Perez, for $209,500.

Junior college catcher/infielder Ashtin Webb, their 15th round pick, was pulled from his Arizona commitment for $182,000. Other bonuses that went towards their pool were shortstop Andre Smith (18th) out of Southern Cal with a $205,000 check, and Alabama junior third baseman Zane Denton (20th) for $175,500.

A complete listing and analysis of the draft will be published later in the month.

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Series Preview: Kansas City (45-57) @ Chi. Sox (56-45)

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PITCHING MATCHUPS
08/01: RHP Brady Singer (7-5, 5.23) vs RHP Michael Kopech (4-3, 4.02)
08/02: RHP Zack Greinke (3-8, 3.78) vs RHP Johnny Cueto (3-11, 6.37)
08/03: RHP Brad Keller (2-4, 2.58) vs RHP Lucas Giolito (8-0, 3.16)

WHO'S HOT?
RHP Lucas Giolito, Chicago -- 16.2 IP, 19 K, 2 ER (2 starts)
RHP Zack Greinke, Kansas City -- 14 IP, 8 K, 2 ER (2 starts)
RHP Brad Keller, Kansas City -- 16.1 IP, 14 K, 4 ER (3 starts)

WHO'S NOT?
IF Leury Garcia, Chicago -- 2-for-21 (.095), 2 BB, 5 K
IF Hunter Dozier, Kansas City -- 2-for-24 (.083), HR, 2 BB, 6 K

KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
SS Adalberto Mondesi (knee) -- 60-day IL

CHICAGO INJURED LIST
RHP Dylan Cease (oblique) -- 10-day IL
RHP Joe Kelly (tricep) -- 60-day IL
1B/OF Andrew Vaughn (elbow) -- 60-day IL