Royals Rumblings

Royals Rumblings - News for May 13, 2021

The season is slipping away.

By Max Rieper@maxrieper May 13, 2021, 8:00am EDT

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Royals Rumblings - News for May 13, 2021

Lynn Worthy writes about Jorge Soler’s slow start and some recent signs of improvement.

Soler acknowledged his recent struggles in his postgame comments on Tuesday, but said he’d been working really hard in the batting cage to make the needed adjustments to get on track. He has been focused on staying toward the middle of the field and “working with” his hands. He’s remained confident that if he’s able to put a good swing on the ball, then good things will happen.

“I’ve had a few days where I’ve felt pretty good about where my swing is at,” Soler said.

Anne Rogers asked Mike Matheny about Albert Pujols.

“My real impression is the person that I got to know, and that was usually away from the field, time spent in the offseason. This is a top-tier person, a friend and somebody that I respect — how he went about his business, but also how he used the game and his opportunities and platform to go and help people. … It’s always a tough conversation when you’re talking about players toward the end of their career of how this exit strategy looks.”

She also wrote about Ervin Santana’s career renaissance.

“You just don’t know, when a guy’s been in a certain role for so long, to give him a unique challenge, but this guy is a pleasure to have,” Matheny said. “He’s a pro’s pro. I just enjoy watching him do his thing. And then how he’s investing in the other players. We make a big deal about that. We believe that that’s a multiplier — a guy that’s making other people better.

“And also, by the way, doing a great job with his own job.”

Matheny after the #Royals were held to three hits in Wednesday's 4-2 loss: "In general, it's not big swings in counts that are getting us into trouble... We've had a lot of times guys put a good barrel on it, but not a lot to show for it." pic.twitter.com/VNu1BYhmUX
— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) May 13, 2021

Alec Lewis searches for optimism with Tigers beat writer Cody Stavenhagen.

This is a results-based business. Those inside the game know that. But the processes matter, too, and Mike Matheny’s approach has impressed from the day he was introduced as manager. He admitted to having blind spots. He expressed a desire to improve in his usage of analytics and interactions with media members. He’s backed that up. He’s also instilled a win-first mindset every day in response to a clubhouse that told Matheny it was tired of losing. Everything has been tailored to doing everything in every capacity to win. This skid is the first test of Matheny’s tenure. The results will tell a tale. But the truth is, players produce. They haven’t of late. Matheny’s job is to remain upbeat and realistic. And that’s what he’s done.

David Lesky analyzes Brady Singer’s start on Tuesday, as does Craig Brown.

Kyle Zimmer joined Omaha on a rehab assignment and faced his brother last night.

Adalberto Mondesi and Jesse Hahn will also begin rehab assignments.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter looks at five players in Omaha who could help the Royals soon.

The Mets call up former Royals farmhand Khalil Lee.

The history behind the baseball card of Rex Hudler milking a cow.

Orioles pitcher Matt Harvey gets emotional in his return to CitiField.

What do Miguel Cabrera’s struggles mean for his future?

Where could Rockies shortstop Trevor Story end up being dealt?

Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard hates the unwritten rules and thinks the game is getting soft.

How the biggest off-season moves look so far.

An early look at the Cy Young Award races.