Spring Training Game XII: Royals at Brewers

The Royals are 11 games into their Spring Training schedule and, as it stands right now, are the best offense in baseball. Kansas City leads all teams with a .904 OPS, 22 homers, and a .546 team SLG%.

They’ll look to continue that today against Josh Lindblom and the Milwaukee Brewers. Lindblom has a unique story, hopping around the league until 2014 before signing with the Lotte Giants of the KBO league. After two seasons there, he returned to the MLB for a brief stint with the Pirates in 2017 before returning to the KBO, spending two dominant years with the Doosan Bears and winning KBO league MVP in 2019.

The Brewers rewarded him with a three-year contract at the end of 2019, but struggled in his first season in Milwaukee. Our friends over at Brewcrew Ball believe that he could be a strong bounce-back candidate in 2021.

Kansas City will send Mike Minor to the mound in his second start of the spring after an impressive spring debut. Minor struck out three batters in two scoreless innings of work.

Lorenzo Cain won’t be in the lineup, as he has yet to make his spring debut due to a quad injury, but he is expected to be ready for Opening Day. We will get to see old friend Manny Piña, however.

Here are your lineups for this afternoon’s action, with a slight amendment on the Royals side.

Update: Michael A. Taylor was a late scratch due to back tightness.

Up Next: Kansas City Royals v. Chicago Cubs, Saturday, March 13, 2:05 PM CST, Surprise Stadium.