The Hunt For Blue October: Kansas City Royals (OOTP 25)

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MLB News (8/8)

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Dodgers' Kershaw nears return; Jansen to hit injured list after scary incident at K.C.

By MLB.com staff
08/08/2024

TOP STORIES
Kershaw inching closer to return: It's been a long road back to the majors for Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, who has been out all season to date with an elbow injury. He's set to make his fourth rehab start tonight against Round Rock, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said they're going to push him to at least "eighty pitches or so", and then re-evaluate him after that to see where he is.

"The consensus is that he's pretty close to coming back," said Roberts. "He's made a few appearances in Double-A, and he's making his second appearance in Triple-A, and all indications are that the elbow feels good and that he's ready to get back up here and help us try and win a World Series."

Kershaw was originally scheduled to return in June, but additional discomfort in early May pushed his timetable back several months. He began throwing again in early June, and began his rehab assignment with a start back on July 21st in which he allowed four earned runs in four innings against the Arkansas Travelers. He made another start against the Travelers six days later, with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, throwing just seventy pitches.

In his last start at El Paso on August 2nd, now pitching for the Oklahoma City squad, Kershaw struck out eight in six innings, throwing seventy-seven pitches.

"It's like getting a star pitcher at the trading deadline," Roberts went on to say. "He was at the facility a lot before heading on the road with the minor league teams, so we're looking forward to getting him back."

Jensen to miss five to six weeks with shin fracture: After taking a line drive off the leg from the bat of Maikel Garcia, Kenley Jansen fell to the ground, crumpled in pain. He eventually made it off the field under his own power, but MRI's at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City revealed a fractured kneecap, one that will keep him out the remainder of the season.

The Red Sox are one of the few challengers on the outside looking in currently that have a shot in the AL Wildcard race, with the AL Central trio of Kansas City, Cleveland, and Detroit fast putting the rest of the league in the rearview mirror. Beating the AL Central-leading Royals, at least in the final game of their season series, would have meant keeping pace in the wildcard, and securing a season split.

"It's been a tough go of it," said manager Alex Cora, who has seen his Red Sox go 7-11 since the All-Star break. "But we're still fighting, there are a lot of games left, and we're just approaching each game as it comes."

MLB closing in on draft signing deadline: Fifteen of the thirty-nine first round selections from last month's draft remain unsigned, as the deadline to sign is fast approaching with the deadline at 4 PM Eastern on Wednesday, August 14th.

Second-overall pick J.J. Wetherholt remains the top unsigned selection, as he was taken by the Reds with that pick. Tommy White of the White Sox is also unsigned, as they only two picks out of the top five yet to put pen to paper.

OTHER HEADLINES
Dodgers' Biggio (back) return delayed at least another week, team officials say
Guardians OF Estevan Florial begins rehab assignment
Pirates place RHP Jared Jones (right bicep) on 15-day injured list

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Royals News (8/8)

ROYALS NEWS AND NOTES
First-round impresses in debut, more draftees sign bonus contracts

By artoodeetoo
08/08/2024

TOP STORIES
Royals draft signing update: Five more draftees signed on the bottom line, with second-rounder Carter Johnson, 10th-rounder Luke Heyman, and 16th-round selection Mason Guerra all putting pen to paper earlier on Tuesday, with 18th-round selection Caden Kendle and 19th-round selection Tyler Sorrentino signing yesterday. The latter two are both outfielders.

That leaves just three players yet to sign, being fourth-round pick Trey Gregory Alford, fifth-round pick Trey Snyder, and 17th-round pick Steven Ondina.

Johnson is clearly the highest-profile of the recent signings, as he's been favorably compared to former Alabama high school star and current Oriole Gunnar Henderson, who was drafted out of an Alabama high school back in 2019, the same year that Bobby Witt Jr was drafted second overall.

Speculation is that Johnson signed an over-slot deal to back out of his Auburn commitment, but that has not yet been confirmed as bonus amounts typically aren't released until draft classes are finalized.

Royals claim Mitch White off waivers: Some veteran help could be on the way for the bullpen, as the Royals have claimed veteran right-hander Mitch White off the waiver wire from the Giants.

White started out 2024 with Toronto, but was traded to the Giants in very early May for cash considerations, and then made twenty-two appearances (two starts) for San Francisco, pitching to a 4.78 ERA with no decisions in thirty-eight innings of work.

In forty-six innings between the two clubs, he has a 4.50 ERA with no decisions and fifty-seven strikeouts. His FIP is a bit elevated over his actual ERA (4.65), but his SIERA that takes non-playable plate appearances mostly out of the equation, and it's a much more palatable 3.24.

To make room on both the active and 40-man rosters, the Royals designated Nick Anderson for assignment. Anderson just came off the injured list late last month, and has struggled with his command in his four recent appearances, with five walks and four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings, although he hasn't allowed an earned run in that same timeframe.

OTHER ROYALS HEADLINES
Wacha placed on 15-day IL with forearm soreness; LHP Angel Zerpa re-called and will serve as opener
Royals release Jordan Lyles, will pay remainder of $8 million salary

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St. Louis at Kansas City (8/9 -- 8/10)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: St. Louis Cardinals

By artoodeetoo | Kansas City Star | August 11th, 2024

St. Louis Cardinals at Kansas City Royals
Aug 9, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis Cardinals (50-67)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Kansas City Royals (67-51)	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	4	X	6	10	0
W: Mitch White (1-0) L: Chase Silseth (5-8) S: Chris Stratton (9)

Friday, August 9th, 2024
Michael Wacha going on the injured list yesterday left the Royals scrambling a little bit, as they re-called Angel Zerpa to replace him on the roster. He made the start on Friday, and was only estimated to go one or two innings, throwing around thirty pitches or so.

He actually ended up going three full innings, throwing thirty-five pitches and retiring all nine hitters he faced, leading an effort that saw five different pitchers keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard in a 6-0 defeat.

He was followed by newcomer Mitch White, who tossed two scoreless innings in his Royals debut, his third team that he's pitched for this season. James McArthur also had one of his best outings in weeks, striking out four in 1 2/3 innings, allowing just a pair of hits and no runs.

"We've been hit by the injury bug, wouldn't you say," manager Matt Quatraro joked with a reporter after the game. "Angel came up and gave us three really good, really quick innings. Nine up, nine down. Doesn't really get too much better than that."

Kansas City finally got on the board in the fifth inning, breaking a 0-0 tie with a Kyle Isbel solo homerun. CJ Alexander hit another homerun in the sixth inning, a solo homerun that put the Royals up 2-0. They tacked on four more runs in the eighth inning, capped off by a two-run shot from Hunter Renfroe.

St. Louis Cardinals at Kansas City Royals
Aug 10, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis Cardinals (51-67)	0	0	2	1	1	0	5	0	0	9	9	0
Kansas City Royals (67-52)	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	4	1	7	12	1
W: Sonny Gray (6-9) L: Alec Marsh (4-4) S: John McMillon (3)

Tuesday, August 10th, 2024
Against former farmhand John McMillon, the Royals put up a furious two-out rally down three in the ninth, but could only push across one run after loading the bases as the Royals dropped the final game between the two teams this season by a 9-7 count.

McMillon was part of the return, along with Jonathan Bowlan, for JoJo Romero and Matt Carpenter in last month's deal with St. Louis, as he picked up his third save since joining the Cardinals.

After the first two batters were retired, Salvador Perez and CJ Alexander drew back-to-back walks against McMillon; and then Drew Waters singled to load the bases. Hunter Renfroe then singled to bring Perez home, but Freddy Fermin flew out to deep left to end the game.

"That's the thing about this team, they've played so well, and sometimes teams can get on their laurels and slack a bit," manager Matt Quatraro said of his team's effort. "They didn't give up, and even though we couldn't completely pull it off, I'm proud that they put out this kind of effort down by six, seven runs."

St. Louis scored two in the third inning on a Tommy Edman two-run homerun, and eventually would take a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth before cutting the lead in half with a two-run salvo in the fifth, with Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia coming up with RBI hits.

UP NEXT: at Minnesota Twins (8/12 -- 8/14)

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MLB News (8/11)

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Brawl goes down in Red Sox-Astros Friday night tilt

By MLB.com staff
08/11/2024

TOP STORIES
Astros' Montero, Red Sox's Devers suspended: Things got a little chippy in the eighth inning of Friday night's Red Sox/Astros matchup, with Triston Casas taunting the Astros' bench as he jogged down the first-base line watching his eighth-inning solo homerun clear the fence.

Sure enough. Montero's first pitch to Rafael Devers was a fastball right in the middle of his back, leading the benches to clear and Devers having to be held back from Montero as the two jawed at each other about twenty feet in front of the mound.

Devers eventually broke through the grip of several teammates, including Casas, as he landed a punch on Montero before a wave of teammates pulled him away from the fracas. Both had suspensions handed down, and neither one appealed as Devers is set to serve the final game of his three-game suspension today, while Montero is set to miss the entirety of the Astros' series with Tampa Bay, and Friday night's game against the White Sox.

Astros' Alvarez placed on 15-day injured list: The brawl in the Red Sox-Astros game overshadowed a big loss for the Astros, as outfielder Yordan Alvarez is headed to the injured list with a groin strain suffered in the first inning of that game.

He'll likely miss only the next few weeks, but it's a big loss for an Astros squad that needs all the help it can get offensively. Vteran first baseman Jose Abreu has really struggled over the past month-plus, and outfielder Kyle Tucker has also put forth a career-low stat line in 2024 with a .688 OPS.

Rays designate Tommy Pham for assignment: Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham was designated for assignment by the Rays on Monday, with Harold Ramirez coming off the injured list. Signed by the Rays earlier in the season as additional minor-league depth, Pham appeared in twenty-eight games (fourteen starts) after Ramirez originally went on the injured list, posting a decent .728 OPS in sixty-one plate appearances with five doubles, a homerun, and eleven RBI.

The 36-year-old Pham figures to garner some interest in the waiver wire, as trades are not allowed at this point and he's a veteran bat with post-season experience.

OTHER HEADLINES
Marlins IF Miguel Vargas (abdominal) to miss 2-to-3 weeks, placed on 10-day IL
Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez (oblique) to miss several weeks

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Royals News (8/11)

ROYALS NEWS AND NOTES
Royals grab more minor-league pitching depth, two more draftees sign

By artoodeetoo
08/11/2024

TOP STORIES
Royals make post-waiver trade: The Royals have dealt minor league catcher Rodolfo Duran to the Chicago Cubs for right-handed pitcher Ben Leeper, as the club confirmed late on Saturday night. Leeper went unselected in the shortened 2020 draft, but was one of the first pickups by the Cubs after the draft out of Oklahoma State.

Leeper is a hard-throwing righty that throws mainly a fastball and a slider, with a changeup mixed in every now and then. He gives the Royals some additional bullpen depth, with right-hander Anderson Paulino being sent back down to make room for Leeper on the Storm Chasers' roster.

The 27-year-old has already had two Tommy John procedures in the past, and missed the entirety of the 2023 season with [i]another[/b] elbow issue, although it turned out to be surgery to remove bone chips, and not a ligament procedure. Through 21 2/3 innings with the Iowa Cubs this season, he has posted twenty strikeouts to just eight walks with a 3.74 ERA.

With Luca Tresh, Carter Jensen, and Blake Mitchell more highly-touted as prospects, Duran has been emerging as a potential post-waiver trade chip for the Royals, as he's hit well at both Double-A and Triple-A this season, and Cubs backstops have been objectively awful behind the plate with the worst OPS of any team in the majors this season.

Cabrera earns promotion: Outfielder Roni Cabrera is making a huge jump in the Royals' system, as he's been promoted from the Dominican Summer League squad all the way up to Single-A Columbia. Just nineteen, Cabrera was smoking the DSL at the dish, hitting .408/.538/.541 in 251 plate appearances with the Stewart squad.

As the 'other' player acquired in the Cole Ragans deal at the deadline last season, Cabrera had a 1.075 OPS in the Dominican Summer League at the time of the trade; and while he wasn't quite as effective a player after the deal (.761 OPS with the Stewart squad in 2023), he's rebounded in a big way despite battling some knee issues this season.

What's been most impressive is his walk rate for such a young player, where he's free passes at an impressive 18% clip, with an equally outstanding 17.8% strikeout rate in 2024. Not in the Royals' Top 30 prospects at the beginning of the season, a strong finish with the Single-A Fireflies could get him in line for a big rankings boost heading into 2025.

OTHER ROYALS HEADLINES
Snyder, Ondina sign draftee contracts; one signee remains with days to go
RHP Nick Anderson clears waivers; granted release by the club
Quad Cities OF Carson Roccaforte to miss remainder of season after concussion

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Kansas City at Minnesota (8/12 -- 8/14)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Minnesota Twins

By artoodeetoo | Kansas City Star | August 15th, 2024

Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins
Aug 12, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (67-53)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
Minnesota Twins (58-60)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	X	1	4	1
W: Pablo Lopez (8-11) L: Daniel Lynch IV (1-1) S: Jhoan Duran (20)

Monday, August 12th, 2024
For just the seventh time this season, the Royals have suffered a shutout defeat, this time at the hands of the Twins by a 1-0 count. The last time they were shut out was on July 26th, a 3-0 loss to the Cubs to open a three-game series.

Davis Schneider's solo homerun in the fifth was the only blemish on an otherwise solid outing for Daniel Lynch IV, tossing another gem by going seven innings with eight strikeouts to just three walks, scattering three hits. Unfortunately for him, Pablo Lopez was better, throwing seven shutout innings with nine punchouts to just two walks.

"Daniel gave us a great effort out there, but not going to win any games with zero runs," manager Matt Quatraro quipped. "It's been some time since we've looked as lost at the plate as we did tonight."

Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey each collected a pair of hits, but those two accounted for almost all of the offense. Drew Waters and Kyle Isbel each collected hits as well, but Isbel also reached base with a walk.

Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins
Aug 13, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (68-53)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	4	8	0
Minnesota Twins (58-61)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	10	2
W: Will Smith (10-5) L: Jhoan Duran (2-3) S: Hunter Harvey (26)

Tuesday, August 13th, 2024
Michael Massey lifted a two-out, three-run homerun in the top of the ninth against Steven Okert to break a 1-1 tie to propel the Royals to a 4-1 victory, before Hunter Harvey locked down the ninth for his 26th save of the season.

After a leadoff walk from Drew Waters, they were helped along in the rally two batters later by an error from second baseman Sam Haggerty, booting a chopping groundball to his right. Maikel Garcia would ground into a fielder's choice, barely beating the relay throw on a would-be game-ending double play, to set Massey up for his late-game heroics.

"That was just a pure hustle play," said manager Matt Quatraro. "Just the little things that you do can play outsized roles in winning and losing ball games."

Entering the game in the eighth, Will Smith was credited with yet another win out of the bullpen, his 10th of the season, which leads all MLB relievers. He's the third Royals pitcher to reach the ten-win mark, joining Michael Wacha and Cole Ragans.

Since June 8th, Smith has allowed just five runs (four earned) in his last twenty-three appearances (twenty-four innings pitched).

Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins
Aug 14, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (68-54)	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	4	0
Minnesota Twins (58-61)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	10	2
W: Chris Paddack (10-8) L: Cole Ragans (10-5) S: Caleb Thielbar (4)

Wednesday, August 14th, 2024
Carlos Correa's RBI single in the first put Minnesota in front 1-0 early, and they led wire-to-wire over the Royals as Kansas City dropped their first series since the second half began, losing a 5-2 decision in the Twins in which the hosts pulled away late with single tallies in the seventh and eighth innings.

Cole Ragans went seven innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts, but couldn't get enough offensive support to overcome the Twins' attack; and he also struggled with his command at times, issuing four walks.

Maikel Garcia led off the fourth inning with his fifth homerun of the season for the Royals' first run, and Hunter Renfroe hit his 12th homerun of the season in the following frame, a solo shot. Both came against Chris Paddack, who was otherwise solid despite the two homeruns. He allowed just three hits and no walks, striking out three in 6 1/3 innings.

Since the beginning of June, Renfroe has hit .310 (44-of-142), with eight homeruns, eleven doubles, and fourteen walks. Those numbers get more stark when you just look at his numbers against lefties, with a .408 average and nine doubles in forty-nine at-bats against the opposite hand.

UP NEXT: at Cincinnati Reds (8/16 -- 8/18)

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MLB News (8/15)

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Draft signing period wraps up; Arraez signs monster extension

By MLB.com staff
08/15/2024

TOP STORIES
Draft signing period wraps up: The 30-day signing period for the 2024 MLB Draft is now in the rearview mirror, with ten players drafted in the top three rounds deciding to pass up pro baseball.

Last season, only one player in the first ten rounds (OF Caden Kendle, St. Louis, 10th round), decided to pass up signing, with nineteen such players in the 2024 class. Kendle was drafted in the 18th round by the Royals last month.

"Roughly half of the high school players that didn't sign only need to wait two years instead of three due to being twenty-one at the time of the 2026 Draft," said MLB.com analyst Jim Callis. "Having to spend only two years in college instead of three is a big draw, and you still get that experience of developing in a college program while not delaying your pro career too long."

Two of the ten that decided against signing were first rounders, including the seventh overall pick in Konnor Griffin, who was selected by the Cardinals and will sign with LSU. Carson Benge, a sophomore outfielder from Oklahoma State who was taken 26th overall by the Yankees, also declined to sign and will return to Oklahoma State.

Eight of the ten first-through-third round selections that didn't sign were high school players, with two others in addition to Griffin intending to sign with LSU. The thirty-seven total drafted players who declined to sign is also the most since the draft went to twenty rounds back in 2021.

Arraez signs four-year, $87 million extension with San Diego: San Diego and Luis Arraez have put the finishing touches on a four-year extension that will keep the two-time NL batting champion in San Diego for the foreseeable future.

With the deal, GM A.J. Preller and the front office bought out Arraez's final year of arbitration at $15 million, and then his salary makes a large jump after that -- the 2026 and 2027 season carry $24 million price tags before an opt-out for the 2028 season can be triggered.

He also could earn up to $3 million in performance bonuses over the duration of the deal, which include All-Star bids and plate appearances.

Astros grant Jose Abreu his release: Houston and first baseman Jose Abreu have decided to part ways, as the Astros have officially cut ties with the veteran slugger. His OPS dipped below the .700 mark on Thursday, as he went 1-for-4 with a single and a strikeout.

Abreu is still owed roughly $24.5 million for the remainder of the 2024 and the full 2025 seasons, and is now free to sign with any team he wishes. Since he's being paid by the Astros through next season, any team could sign him for the league minimum of $740,000, paid on a pro-rated basis.

OTHER HEADLINES
Rays' Brandon Lowe, Dodgers' Freddie Freeman begin rehab stints
Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (wrist) out the next two to three weeks
Mets RHP Nick Martinez (shoulder) placed on 60-day injured list after surgery

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Royals News (8/15)

ROYALS NEWS AND NOTES
2024 draft class signed and finalized

By artoodeetoo
08/15/2024

TOP STORIES
Royals wrap up 2024 draft class: The Royals signed all twenty-one draftees from the 2024 draft, ending a two-year streak where they failed to sign all of their draft selections.

Right-handed pitcher Trey Gregory-Alford was the last selection for the Royals to sign, as the fourth-rounder signed for a $750,000 bonus on Wednesday, slightly over the $696,300 slot value to get him out of his commitment to Virginia.

The Royals also released their draftees' bonus amounts with top pick Chase Burns signing for $6.75 million, below the slot value of $7,213,800 for the sixth-overall pick. Supplemental first-rounder Josh Hartle also signed a below-slot deal for $2 million, nearly $400,000 below the $2.395 million slot for the 39th overall pick.

The Royals used most of the savings there to sign Gregory-Alford and infielder Trey Snyder, who signed for $1.01 million, double the slot value of $505,000 for the 138th overall selection, to get him away from his Tennessee pledge.

Second-round pick Carter Johnson, once committed to Auburn, signed for $2.3 million; slightly over the $2.278 million value of the 41st overall pick. Also helping save money for other rounds was pitcher Matt Ager. As the Royals' third-round selection, he signed for well below the $1.027 million slot value, inking a $300,000 bonus contract.

Burns has successful second outing; could see workload increase: First-round selection Chase Burns, who just had his signing bonus revealed at just over $6.75 million, had another successful outing on Sunday with the Single-A Columbia Fireflies, going three innings with just one run allowed, striking out four with just one walk and one hit; although that one hit was a solo homerun.

His early success has given the coaching staff and the front office optimism that he could continue to increase his pitch count over the coming weeks, as he ramps back up from an extended break after the most recent college season.

"We're very encouraged with what we saw from him over the past few times he's been out there," said GM J.J. Picollo on a recent call with the media. "Not only is he getting lots of swings and misses, he's around the zone and really showing his command."

OTHER ROYALS HEADLINES
NW Arkansas pitcher Tyson Guerrero's career in jeopardy with arthritis diagnosis in his elbow

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Kansas City at Cincinnati (8/16 -- 8/18)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Cincinnati Reds

By artoodeetoo | Kansas City Star | August 19th, 2024

Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds
Aug 16, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (68-55)	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	11	0
Cincinnati Reds (65-59)	2	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	X	4	9	0
W: Nick Lodolo (7-3) L: Angel Zerpa (1-4) S: Alexis Diaz (27)

Friday, August 16th, 2024
J.D. Martinez smacked a two-run homerun against Angel Zerpa in the first inning, and the Reds made their lead hold up throughout in dispatching the Royals 4-3 to open their series with Cincinnati.

Coming into the series, Hunter Renfroe owned a slash line of .310/.372/.549 since the beginning of June, and has been the hottest hitter on the Royals in that timeframe. He hit another solo homerun in the second inning, but it was as close as the Royals would get throughout the contest.

Later on, with the Reds up 4-1 in the seventh, Maikel Garcia punched a two-run single up the middle against Nick Lodolo, chasing the Reds' starter from the game and pulling Kansas City to within one.

They mounted a rally in the ninth against closer Alexis Diaz, with pinch-hitter MJ Melendez coming in for Dairon Blanco to lead off the inning with a single.

However, Kyle Isbel's bunt attempt went awry, lining a bunt to first baseman Mark Canha for the first out. They did eventually get runners on the corners with two outs and Salvador Perez at the plate, but the Royals catcher flew out to deep center to end the game.

"That bunt out was a tough one," said manager Matt Quatraro. "The lack of execution on that really changed the complexion of that inning, even though we did eventually get into a position to tie or take the lead later on."

Four pitchers were used by the Royals, with Zerpa taking the loss in 1 2/3 innings of work. Mitch White allowed just one earned run in 3 1/3 innings of relief before giving way to Edward Cabrera, who only hit a batter in two hitless, scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.

Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds
Aug 17, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (68-56)	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	3	9	1
Cincinnati Reds (66-59)	1	1	0	1	4	0	1	1	X	9	10	0
W: Tyler Gilbert (4-2) L: Alec Marsh (4-5) S: None

Saturday, August 17th, 2024
In Alec Marsh' first three starts since returning from the injured list, he's failed to get out of the fifth inning of any of them, and the Royals have gone 1-2 in those starts.

It wasn't any better on Saturday night, as Marsh allowed six earned runs in four-plus innings, including a trio of homeruns in a 9-3 defeat to Cincinnati.

The six earned runs ballooned his ERA to 5.25, as his record also dropped to 4-5, a game below .500. Marsh started the fifth inning, but a single, homerun, and walk knocked him from the game in favor of James McArthur, who pitched two innings of relief with four strikeouts.

"Well, it's not the first time in my career I've been through a rough stretch of games," Marsh lamented said afterwards outside his locker. "There aren't any ill effects from the shoulder injury earlier this season, and I've felt good every time I've gone out there. It just hasn't gone the way I'd hoped."

The Royals were stymied up and down the lineup by lefty Tyler Gilbert, allowing three earned runs over eight innings, striking out five. Gilbert scattered eight hits with no walks, moving to 4-2 on the season.

Kansas City Royals at Cincinnati Reds
Aug 17, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals (69-56)	0	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	5	8	1
Cincinnati Reds (66-60)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
W: Daniel Lynch IV (2-1) L: Frankie Montas (10-8) S: None

Sunday, August 18th, 2024
Continuing to swing a hot bat, Hunter Renfroe went 2-for-4 with a three-run homerun as the Royals salvaged the final game of their series in Cincinnati, shutting the Reds out 5-0 as Daniel Lynch picked up his second win in three starts since joining the Royals earlier this month.

In five shutout frames, Lynch scattered five hits and three walks while fanning three. In his three starts, he's now 2-1 in since coming up with a 1.74 ERA, and figures to stay in the rotation for the time being as Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo sit on the injured list.

"He's really answered the call with a couple of our big contributors out," said manager Matt Quatraro. "He's giving us some really quality innings in a time of need."

Lynch was also backed up with some solid relief, getting two innings from Chris Stratton and one scoreless frame each from Will Smith and then Hunter Harvey in a non-save situation where he struck out the side.

Michael Massey and CJ Alexander chipped in with two hits apiece to help back up Renfroe's efforts, each scoring once.

UP NEXT: vs Los Angeles Angels (8/19 -- 8/21)

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MLB News (8/19)

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Cleveland, Arizona stay red-hot; Tigers' pitching staff decimated in one weekend

By MLB.com staff
08/19/2024

TOP STORIES
Guardians, D-Backs win streaks reach double digits: In what could be a potential World Series matchup down the road, the two hottest teams in the league are the Guardians and the Diamondbacks as they hold current win streaks of twelve and ten games, respectively, as they enter play today.

Cleveland, now 22-6 since the All-Star break, has also benefitted from an upstart Kansas City squad that has struggled on the road all season long, as they lost four of six combined from the Twins and Reds away from home.

Cleveland now has a commanding five-game lead in the AL Central, which was one of the most competitive divisional races at the break, with Detroit on top and Cleveland, Kansas City, and even Minnesota all within four games. Now, it looks like the real race in that division is now in the wildcard, where the Royals and Tigers hold the second and third positions there.

The Rangers are two games back of the Tigers for that last spot, while the Red Sox are 3.5 games back. Minnesota has faded badly in the division, but still have a puncher's chance at the wildcard, as they are 4.5 games back of the third and final wildcard position.

On the NL side, Arizona has surged into the lead in the NL West by two games, and that division was also closely contested as of the break, with Arizona up on the Dodgers and Giants by one game. Since July 23rd, Arizona went from two games down to two up on the Dodgers, and the Giants have faded in the divisional race; although they are only two down from the final spot in the NL Wildcard, as they are looking up at Cincinnati currently.

Arizona only made one major move at the deadline in acquiring Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals, but he's solidified the back end of the D-Backs bullpen with six saves in six chances, and fourteen strikeouts to just one walk in just eight innings (nine appearances).

Rangers' Yates moved to 60-day injured list: The worst statistical bullpen in the league received more bad news yesterday, as it was announced that righty reliever Kirby Yates would be moved to the 60-day injured list after suffering a setback in his rehab.

Already dealing with a flexor strain in his right elbow, Yates reported additional discomfort in the joint after a bullpen session on Saturday, leading the Rangers to shut him down for the remainder of the season.

GM Chris Young had indicated that Yates would begin a rehab assignment in the coming weeks, but those plans have been put on hold with the move to the 60-day IL; making it tough to surmise that he could re-join the team at any point this season.

With the trade deadline already behind them, and the trades beforehand for relievers such as Jordan Weems, Kyle Finnegan, Sean Newcomb, and Jose Cisnero not really working out so far; there are fewer avenues to acquire talent at this point with only free agents, non-roster players eligible for trade, and waiver acquisitions being the only means.

Detroit suffers one-two-three injury punch: In the span of three days, the Detroit Tigers lost not one, not two, but three pitchers to the injured list as southpaws A.J. Puk and Andrew Chafin, along with righty Jason Foley, all landed on the 15-day injured list with various arm problems.

Chafin (forearm) left after two innings of work on Saturday, while both Puk (shoulder) and Foley (forearm) left early with injuries the following day on Sunday.

OTHER HEADLINES
Giants lose C Patrick Bailey (broken hand) for remainder of '24
Royals grab OF Tommy Pham off waivers from Tampa Bay

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Royals News (8/19)

ROYALS NEWS AND NOTES
Pham set to join the Royals tonight after waiver claim

By artoodeetoo
08/19/2024

TOP STORIES
Pham claimed off waivers from Tampa: Kansas City added some additional offensive firepower with the claim of outfielder Tommy Pham off waivers from the Rays, who are fading fast in the wildcard race.

Dairon Blanco, who has spent the entire season on the active roster, was optioned to Omaha to make room for him on the active roster, but it figures to be a short stint there for him as rosters expand to twenty-eight beginning September 1st.

Vinnie Pasquantino was transferred to the 60-day injured list to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for Pham, who is now on his ninth MLB team in just his 10th MLB season.

It's an interesting move given that the Royals' bigger need was a left-handed bat (and Hunter Renfroe is white-hot!), but Pham is an experienced veteran that has been part of several playoff runs, including last year's run by the Diamondbacks that ended in a World Series defeat to the Rangers.

In three of the last five seasons, Pham has put up an OPS+ of over 100, including a solid 109 OPS+ in his age-35 season just last year in 2023 between Arizona and the New York Mets.

Wacha expected back prior to September: Veteran right-hander Michael Wacha is not expected to make any rehab starts before returning later this month, according to sources close to the team.

He's only been on the injured list since August 5th, but it was reported last week that his return would be postponed for seven to ten days to ensure that he'd be fully rested for the stretch run towards the postseason.

Daniel Lynch IV, who was re-called to take Wacha's spot on the roster, has been very good in his place with a 1.47 ERA over 18 1/3 innings; and figures to hold down a starting role the remainder of the season and into the post-season if the Royals can hang on.

"We've had a tough run of luck with pitching injuries lately," said manager Matt Quatraro. "But thankfully, we've been able to utilize the depth in the upper minors to help us get through some of the attrition that happens this time of the season."

OTHER ROYALS HEADLINES
Former second-round pick to move to bullpen full-time

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LA Angels vs Kansas City (8/19 -- 8/21)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Los Angeles Angels

By artoodeetoo | Kansas City Star | August 22nd, 2024

Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Aug 19, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (59-66)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	7	0
Kansas City Royals (70-56)	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	1	X	5	8	0
W:Brady Singer (8-6) L: Patrick Sandoval (8-11) S: None

Monday, August 19th, 2024
The Royals and Angels were locked in a tight pitcher's duel early on, with both teams putting up zeroes in the first four innings. But Salvador Perez woke up a pretty sleepy home crowd with a grand slam in the fifth inning, sparking a 5-1 victory over Los Angeles in the home series opener between the two teams this season. The Royals lost three of four from the Angels back in May at Anaheim.

Matt Barnes got the start as the 'opener' for the Halos, giving way to Patrick Sandoval for the bulk innings with one out in the second. Sandoval cruised through the Royals lineup for one rotation, but the fifth inning is where the Royals began to figure him out. Newcomer Tommy Pham led off the inning with a walk before Kyle Isbel singled him to second two hitters later. With two out, Bobby Witt Jr would single to load the bases for Perez, who parked the first pitch from Sandoval into the visitors' bullpen.

"That really gets you fired up as a pitcher," said starter Brady Singer, who was brilliant in holding Los Angeles to just one run over 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts. "You can go out there and pitch a little more freely and it really opens up what you can attack hitters with."

Singer blazed through six shutout innings, but ran into some issues as he crossed the century mark in pitches in the seventh. He hit Brandon Drury with a pitch to lead off the seventh before Miguel Sano's double put runners at second and third with no one out. He managed to get Anthony Rendon and Arol Vera, but a walk to Kyren Paris pushed him out; and Matt Quatraro called upon JoJo Romero to get lefty hitter Matt Thaiss, who popped out to end the inning.

CJ Alexander added an insurance run in the eighth, scoring Freddy Fermin on a sac fly. Quatraro was pleased with the slam from Salvy, but lamented that the offense hasn't been as consistent as it has been most of the season in the last few weeks.

"I think we've become a little reliant on the big inning to get our offense," he said. "That's okay in short bursts, but you need to have a big inning like that every game to get your offensive output. That's not sustainable over an extended period of time, so I'd like to see us get some consistent rallies, string some hits together more often."

Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Aug 20, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (59-67)	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	0	0	4	11	0
Kansas City Royals (71-56)	0	2	2	3	1	2	0	0	X	10	13	0
W:Edward Cabrera (2-6) L: Andrew Wantz (6-6) S: None

Tuesday, August 20th, 2024
Despite not one, but two rain delays, the Royals managed to pound out ten runs on thirteen hits to post a 10-4 victory over the Angels to claim at least a series victory. It was the longest game of the season time-wise for the Royals, extending for four hours and twenty-three minutes.

Drew Waters jump-started the Royals' offense in the second inning, hitting a two-run homerun for his fifth dinger of the season, followed by two more in the third inning. They could have had even more in that third frame; but a bases-loaded, no-out situation fizzled quickly.

"I thought to myself early on, if we end up losing this game, that the third inning would have been the big reason why," said manager Matt Quatraro. "Luckily, the offense kept firing and made that inning a non-issue."

The two rain delays also kept Cole Ragans from finishing the fifth inning, as the second delay forced Matt Quatraro to turn to his bullpen a little earlier than he would have liked.

"Cole was at a hundred pitches, but we felt good about getting him through that inning," he said of his starter. "But once that second delay came around and ended up being about a half-hour, it was just too much."

Edward Cabrera relieved Ragans once play resumed, and picked up the win in relief despite not being terribly sharp, allowing an earned run in 1 1/3 innings of work. He struck out a pair while giving up two hits and a walk.

Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals
Aug 21, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Angels (59-68)	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	8	0
Kansas City Royals (72-56)	1	2	1	0	0	1	0	0	X	5	12	0
W:Austin Adams (3-0) L: Reid Detmers (11-9) S: Hunter Harvey (27)

Wednesday, August 21st, 2024
After winning by a combined ten runs over the first two games of the series, the final game of the series came down to a nail-biting ending, with Hunter Harvey and the Royals hanging on for a 5-4 win to sweep the series. The win also gives the Royals a season series triumph over the Halos, four games to three.

Harvey picked up his ninth save (27th overall) with the Royals, working around a two-out double from Kyren Paris that put the go-ahead run at the plate. Harvey fanned pinch-hitter Matt Thaiss to strand Paris at second.

Now sixteen games over .500, that's a season-best mark for Kansas City, and they sit just 3.5 games back in both the AL Central and for the top wildcard spot.

"There's still a lot of work to do, but we think we're in a pretty good spot at this point," said manager Matt Quatraro when asked about the state of the races. "Health is going to be a big key for us, and while we've taken some hits there recently, we're getting a few guys back and that should help with the depth somewhat."

Bobby Witt Jr fell just a double short of the cycle, going 4-for-4 with with a couple of runs scored, a walk, a stolen base, and a homerun. Maikel Garcia and CJ Alexander also homered, each hitting their sixth homeruns of the season in the victory.

They'll have a day off today with Philadelphia coming into Kansas City for a three-game set starting tomorrow night.

UP NEXT: vs Philadelphia Phillies (8/23 -- 8/25)

[artoodeetoo]

MLB News (8/22)

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Adell signs five-year extension with Halos

By MLB.com staff
08/22/2024

TOP STORY
Adell, Angels reach extension agreement: In the midst of a breakout season, Angels outfielder Jo Adell and the Angels have agreed to a five-year, $72 million extension that will buy out his three remaining arbitration seasons in addition to a couple of free agency seasons.

He's set to earn only $4.25 million and $9.9 million the next two seasons, but his salary in 2027 and 2028 are $17.5 and $20 million per, with another $20 million for 2029. He'll still only be 31 entering free agency for the first time at the end of the deal.

General manager Perry Minasian took questions from the media regarding the contract finalization, saying that it was important to get 'one of the best young outfielders in the game locked in'.

"We're seeing what he can do completely healthy and unburdened by injuries," he said. "There's a combination of speed and power here that few players his age can match. It was pretty important to get one of the best young outfielders in the game locked in for multiple years, and we're glad that he wants to stay on board."

Adell has twenty-six homeruns, twenty-eight doubles, eleven steals, and sixty RBI on the season, posting a 124 OPS+ (.837 OPS) in 513 plate appearances this year.

OTHER HEADLINES
Rays' Caminero activated from injured list; will embark on rehab stint
Philadelphia signs veteran LHP Madison Bumgarner to minor league deal
Cardinals' Goldschmidt collects 2000th MLB hit in 7-6 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday

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Royals News (8/22)

ROYALS NEWS AND NOTES
Veteran righty to make first start since IL stint on Saturday

By artoodeetoo
08/22/2024

TOP STORIES
Wacha activated from IL; Marsh sent down: As expected, Michael Wacha will not make any rehab starts in Omaha and will instead be activated off the 15-day injured list for the upcoming home series with Philadelphia.

Alec Marsh, who has struggled since returning from the injured list, was optioned to Omaha to make room. Daniel Lynch IV was originally re-called to take Wacha's place earlier in the month, but has pitched well enough to retain his spot on the active roster.

In 17 1/3 innings (covering four starts), Marsh has allowed fourteen earned runs, albeit with a decent 21/8 K/BB ratio since returning. All fourteen of his earned runs have come in the last three starts, and has failed to get out of the fifth inning in each of his four outings.

"With Danny pitching so well, it was still tough to go to Alec and tell him that he's being sent down," said manager Matt Quatraro. "But he knows that there's something not right currently, and there are some fixable things that he can get right in Omaha. I think he'll be back up pretty quickly."

Schreiber still out; return delayed another week: Just as the Royals received good news on finally getting Wacha back, the Royals also received some not-so-good news on another pitcher, with reliever John Schreiber's return delayed another week after reporting minor discomfort in his straight right oblique during a bullpen session over the last few days.

He's been out since the end of July with a strained oblique, posting a 1.83 ERA and five saves through 39 1/3 innings (39 appearances), while striking out fifty-four with just ten walks.

Blanco injured in first game back in Omaha: After playing the entire season on the active roster, Dairon Blanco could miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign with a foot injury in his first game with Omaha this season.

In the sixth inning of their 7-3 loss to Buffalo on Monday night, he suffered a foot fracture as he planted to make a sliding catch. He stayed in to finish the inning, but was replaced by pinch-hitter Cam Devanney in the seventh inning.

Blanco was optioned to Omaha when Tommy Pham was claimed off waivers, but it was expected that he'd be back with the club shortly after the September 1st roster expansion. Now, his status for the remainder of the season is in doubt.

OTHER ROYALS HEADLINES
Supplemental first-rounder Josh Hartle tosses 3 1/3 scoreless innings on Wednesday for Single-A squad

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Philadelphia vs Kansas City (8/23 -- 8/25)

Team Roster/Records | MLB Standings | Statistics

Series Recap: Philadelphia Phillies

By artoodeetoo | Kansas City Star | August 26th, 2024

Philadelphia Phillies at Kansas City Royals
Aug 23, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia Phillies (58-70)	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	0	4	9	14	0
Kansas City Royals (72-57)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
W:Zack Wheeler (9-13) L: Daniel Lynch IV (2-2) S: None

Friday, August 23rd, 2024
Despite the best efforts of Daniel Lynch IV, the Royals' bullpen collapsed in the late innings, scoring seven of their nine runs in the seventh inning and beyond as the Phillies cruised to a 9-1 win over the Royals, in the second-largest margin of defeat for the Royals this season at home.

Kansas City led 1-0 after three, but the Phils rolled off nine unanswered runs to finish out the ball game.

Lynch took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season, but it wasn't his fault at all -- he went 6 1/3 innings and was charged with three earned runs while fanning seven. The third of his three earned runs came after he left the game, when JoJo Romero let Rafael Marchan score in his outing.

Marchan singled with one out in the seventh; and with Lynch already nearing the 100-pitch mark, Matt Quatraro turned to Romero with two lefties coming up.

"Just didn't work out for us," Quatraro mused. "Danny really put us in a nice position to win, but the walls caved in during the late innings, and aside from a solo homerun, couldn't do much at the plate."

Maikel Garcia's homerun in the third against Zack Wheeler was the only run the Royals could come up with; and they scattered four other hits, all singles. Garcia's homerun was his seventh of the season, and his third in his last seven games.

"He has some nice pull-side power, we'd like to see that tapped into more often," said Quatraro of his young second baseman.

Philadelphia Phillies at Kansas City Royals
Aug 24, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia Phillies (58-71)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	8	0
Kansas City Royals (73-57)	0	0	1	0	1	1	2	1	X	6	11	0
W:Edward Cabrera (4-6) L: Kolby Allard (8-9) S: None

Saturday, August 24th, 2024
Just forty-nine pitches into his initial start since coming off the injured list, Michael Wacha doubled over in pain, wincing while pointing to his right shoulder as manager Matt Quatraro, pitching coach Brian Sweeney, and the training staff rushed to the mound.

Nick Castellanos, who grounded out to third on that pitch, went out to the mound after being thrown out and checked on the Royals' pitcher.

Quatraro would go on to term the issue as a shoulder injury in the post-game press conference, but didn't get too much into specifics after the game, other than to say that Wacha was in 'some amount of pain' as he and Sweeney walked with him back to the dugout.

"The first half of the season was pretty clean in terms of injuries, but it seems like the worm has turned a bit against us in the second half," he said after the game. "We'll know more tomorrow, but right now we're just in limbo with this."

The Royals' offense pounded out a half-dozen runs on eleven hits, including a trio of solo homeruns -- Kyle Isbel in the fifth, Freddy Fermin in the sixth, and then Michael Massey in the eighth. Maikel Garcia was also a big factor in the win, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, with an RBI single in the third and a two-run double in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia didn't get on the board until the very last inning, getting an RBI single from Brandon Marsh; fresh off signing a lucrative extension with their club.

Philadelphia Phillies at Kansas City Royals
Aug 25, 2024	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia Phillies (59-71)	1	1	4	2	0	4	0	0	0	12	16	0
Kansas City Royals (73-58)	1	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	5	9	1
W:Taijuan Walker (6-7) L: Brady Singer (8-7) S: None

Sunday, August 25th, 2024
Maikel Garcia homered for the third time in his last four games; and Michael Massey became the fifth Royal to reach double-digit homeruns with two solo homeruns. But Brady Singer was smacked around for a half-dozen earned runs in 2 2/3 innings as the Phillies scored early and often in dealing Kansas City a 12-5 loss to close the series.

Singer's loss snapped a six-game winning decision streak, as he had won six of his last ten starts, with the Royals going 9-1 in those starts. Singer's last loss was on June 14th during the Dodgers series in Los Angeles, which was more than two months ago.

Philly scored eight runs through the first four innings in amassing an 8-3 lead; and after the Royals cut the lead to four in the fifth, the Phillies tacked on another four-spot in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Only when Mitch White entered the game in the sixth in place of Austin Adams did the Philadelphia bats cease to make much noise.

The schedule now enters a very precarious stretch for the Royals, as they'll play the division-leading Guardians for six of the next ten days. As play begins on Monday, they'll be six games back of the Guardians in the division.

They have a real opportunity to make up some serious ground on Cleveland, or it could end up cementing the division title for the Guardians. In between series with Cleveland, they'll play four at Houston, who is currently up a half-game on the Rangers in the AL West.

"I mean, I don't know how else to say it, but this is a pretty important stretch of games over the next few weeks," manager Matt Quatraro said flatly. "I think the mindset is going to have to be one game at a time, and we can't be constantly scoreboard-watching the rest of the way out. We just need to take care of the things we can control and let the chips fall where they may."

UP NEXT: at Cleveland Guardians (8/26 -- 8/28)