Royals Rumblings - News for July 23, 2018

Royals Rumblings - News for July 23, 2018

The Royals had fun with Drew Butera’s inside-the-park home run on Sunday.

“Just add it to the list of really weird things I’ve done in my career,” Butera said.

Joked manager Ned Yost: “We clocked him, and from the time he hit third to home it was 15.7 seconds. It was quite a long time. ... He was increasingly slowing down. Just like Evel Knievel, he pulled the parachute too early. As soon as he hit third base, I mean, he looked like he was running underwater.”

Jorge Soler may be out awhile longer.

Outfielder Jorge Soler, who fractured his left first metatarsal in mid-June, is still in a cast. Although he expects to have his crutches taken away when he’s re-evaluated on Friday, he is still weeks away from baseball activities.

“I was frustrated at the beginning, but I just want to make sure I’m healed,” he said in Spanish on Sunday morning at Kauffman Stadium.

Goodbye, Enny Romero.

Brian Flynn is finally healthy and contributing.

“I’ve just had a lot of success in this last month with powering the sinker down,” Flynn said Saturday night after pitching three scoreless innings and earning the victory in the Royals’ 4-2 win over the Twins. “I’ve been really driving to the bottom of the zone, being able to repeat that ahead and behind in the count. Slider’s started coming around these last few outings, so that’s definitely made things easier.”

Jakob Junis regained his form over the weekend, writes Rustin Dodd of The Athletic.

The Royals were still cautious, limiting him to a pitch count of around 75. That will change the next time out. But as the night wore on, Junis appeared to refine his stuff.

“It got better every inning,” he said. “I think the first inning, it was a little shaky. And the more I threw it, the more comfortable I felt with it.”

Dodd also catches up with Billy Butler, who is dominating his local softball league.

Maria Torres of the Star talks to prospect Brewer Hicklen.

“I’m just trying to attack the fastball and it’s working out for me so far,” Hicklen said last week when the Legends played the Augusta Greenjackets in North Augusta, S.C. “There’s definitely areas for me to improve, but I’m seeing it pretty well, and I’ve got some good guys behind me, able to drive me in.”

David Laurila at Fangraphs talks to Seuly Matias about his development.

“I’m working on seeing the ball and contacting it,” Matias told me in work-in-progress English, with an interpreter on hand to help when needed. “I’m taking a two-strike approach, trying to eliminate strikeouts. I’m working on shortening my swing. My coaches are helping me with that.”

Noah Syndergaard goes to the disabled list with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease.

The A’s pick up Jeurys Familia from the Mets.

The Nationals have hope, with or without Bryce Harper.

Who has the hardest and easiest remaining schedule?

Realistic goals for all 30 MLB teams this year.

The biggest years by the smallest players.

A kid at a Cubs fan loses out on a foul ball, but gets something far better.

Rare color footage of Ted Williams’ last game has been discovered.

Rafael Palmeiro is out-hitting his son on an independent league team.

Some veterans are speaking out against the militarization of sports.

Tiger Woods gave us drama at The Open.

The most impressive rookies from the NBA Summer League.

Solar and wind power are coming, but the power sector isn’t ready.

The mysterious sarcophagus in Egypt was opened, and now people want to drink its bone juice.

The messed up timeline of the Mamma Mia movies.

Your song of the day is The Dead South with In Hell I’ll Be in Good Company.