Royals Rumblings

Royals Rumblings - News for March 9, 2020

Will Mondesi be ready for the start of the season?

By Max Rieper@maxrieper Mar 9, 2020, 8:00am EDT

Royals Rumblings - News for March 9, 2020

Vahe Gregorian profiles new manager Mike Matheny.

“One of the greatest gifts we can give them is that we will not waste their time,” said Matheny, speaking with the constant eye contact he seems to maintain with everyone he encounters. “There’s a purpose to every single thing we do, or we just don’t do it. If we don’t have a good ‘why,’ then we shouldn’t be doing it at all.”

This is what general manager Dayton Moore means when he says Matheny is engaged and inviting and “very intentional about interacting.” This is what Merrifield is talking about when he says Matheny is “super hands-on … doing all the things you like to see a manager do.”

”Mike’s been incredible,” Merrifield said. “It was really needed.”

Adalberto Mondesi still hasn’t appeared in a Cactus League Game.

“As he has been pushed, it has created this little pause here,” Matheny said. “So [Mondesi] just wanted some reassurance, and the surgeon got his hands on him and said everything looks really good. That’s the green light to keep pushing and whatever he’s feeling is completely normal.”

Matheny said he isn’t sure how many actual Cactus League games Mondesi nears to appear in to be ready for the opener.

“I don’t have that perfect number,” Matheny said. “It would be more about how he looks and how the work he has been doing can translate into games. You can mimic some of the things.”

Jeffrey Flanagan writes about goals for this season.

Both general manager Dayton Moore and new manager Mike Matheny routinely cringe whenever the term “rebuilding” is attached to this team.

“We can’t even be thinking in those terms,” Moore said. “We are done with that. We have an obligation to win as many games as possible. There is an expectation for these players to perform and to win. That’s what we’re here for.

Nicky Lopez wants to prove he belongs in the big leagues, writes Griffin Fabits in a special to the Star.

Lopez walks with a little more swagger these days. He said being in the major leagues and proving he belongs has meant “getting back to my old self.” His old self is what propelled him to everyday second-baseman status in the first place.

”I know how everything works, where to go about my business, that kind of stuff,” he said. “I know what to expect.”

Alex Weiner writes about how the Chiefs’ success may inspire the Royals

“We saw how it took over the city,” first baseman Ryan O’Hearn said. “It’s motivation to work towards that. That’s the goal, to compete and bring those people out and bring that atmosphere that we all love to play in.”

Danny Duffy struck out six in four innings against the Reds in a sharp outing.

“It was a good outing,” Duffy said. “I still want to work on getting my fastball down a little bit more and fastball command arm-side, but everything comes with time. I can fine-tune that.”

The Royals make their first round of reassignments to minor league camp.

The Kansas City Royals announce they have optioned right-handed pitchers Scott Blewett to Omaha and Carlos Hernandez to Wilmington. They also have assigned pitchers Conner Greene, Jackson Kowar and Daniel Lynch to minor league camp.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) March 7, 2020

Remember Ashe Russell?

For those asking, Royals RHP Nolan Watson, the 33rd overall pick of the 2015 Draft, had Tommy John surgery last May (like Ashe Russell) and is rehabbing down here. Both Watson and Russell are expected to throw in extended spring training and possibly be sent to Wilmington in June
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) March 7, 2020