Lorenzo Cain Returns and Other Royals Rumblings

Its another gorgeous Monday here in Kansas City. The weather is a comfortable 80 degrees, Sporting Kansas City sits in first place, and the Royals are eight years into what looks to be the most fantastic comeback in the history of sports. What, you're not impressed by their 14-16 record and one winning season in the last decade? Why can't you just appreciate them the way the rest of baseball does!

Among the good news today is Lorenzo Cain is back from the disabled list. Cain had missed nearly three weeks with a strained groin. To make room for him, the Royals shipped Jimmy Paredes back to Omaha. In case you missed it, the club also activated little Tim Collins on Sunday, shipping sacrificial lamb Aaron Brooks to Omaha. You know what all of those guys have in common? NONE OF THEM PLAY MIDDLE INFIELD. This club still does not have a reserve middle infielder. Oh Dayton, you so crazy.

In other Royals notes:

The Star's Vahe Gregorian wriites that it's early, but its not that early for the Royals. He reminds us that Dayton said he envisioned a team in 2014 that would compete from day one through the last game. I guess he forgot about the sabbatical at the beginning of May.

"Its all about who gets the last laugh," center fielder Jarrod Dyson said. "That's how I look at it."

Well, we ain't laughing.

Royals beat writer Andy McCullough did a Q&A session with fans. Among the gems:

• Kyle Zimmer is still in Surprise, but is scheduled to head to Northwest Arkansas the last week of May.
• He is hearing that Aoki has "lost a step" on defense.
• Third base is a platoon now with Mike Moustakas and Danny Valencia, and that if Moustakas continues to struggle, a decision will have to be made this winter.
• The pho scene in Kansas City is surprisingly good.

Sam Mellinger points out the "undefeated when scoring four runs or more" thing is kinda flukey and probably not something to be proud of.

Hunter Samuels at Kings of Kauffman notes the Royals are struggling against left-handers. Left-hander Eric Stults is starting against them tonight. Of course, they aren't exactly setting their hair on fire against right-handers either. But man, they would hit the crap out of a guy that threw with his feet!

Sugar Ray Marimon and Jorge Bonifacio headline the Royals minor league performers from yesterday. I had also missed that former second round pick pitcher Cody Reed has joined the Lexington Legends.

The Royals begin a series against the Padres tonight. Say what you will about Luke Hochevar, but the Royals have not busted at an epic level with the #1 pick the way the Padres have. Bill Almon, Mike Ivie, and Dave Roberts were all very underwhelming choices, and then there is the epic flameout and sad story of Matt Bush, who former-MLBer-turned-surprisingly-good-writer Gabe Kapler visited recently in the Hamilton Correctional Institute.

Wil Myers (remember him?) hit an inside-the-park home run yesterday. I bet in our home-run-killing stadium it would only be like, a single.

Beyond the Boxscore asks whether the full-time designated hitter is about to become a thing of the past. KCStengel has a few ideas about that I'm sure.

Bill Murray once tried to kill Martin Mull. So he has that going for him. Which is nice.

The title of the new Star Wars film may or may not have leaked. I think it is called "Star Wars, Episode 7: The Money Grab."

Finally, Hodor?