Royals Rumblings - News for June 29, 2021

Royals Rumblings - News for June 29, 2021

Danny Duffy knows he let his team down with his start on Monday in Boston.

“My expectations far surpassed my performance today,” Duffy said. “My team spotted me five runs today and I gave four of them right back.”

Mike Matheny explains why he moved Jorge Soler to the #2 spot in the batting order.

“What can we do to get this guy going?” Matheny asked rhetorically. “To continue the same route, it’s not working right now. So I had a very clear conversation with him.

“What this is not is him taking the same at-bats in a different spot in the lineup. Let’s truly start rethinking your at-bats. That two-spot is a guy that gets things done. Yeah, he’ll take a walk, but he’ll also move a runner. He’ll grind through at-bats. We want good at-bats all the way through.”

Anne Rogers also gets Matheny’s reaction to the Emmanuel Rivera promotion.

“We’re working on having the best offense we can while also just giving guys opportunities when they show that they’ve prepared and are ready,” Matheny said. “He’s having a great season there offensively and very consistent on the offensive side. Those are the times that we give them a shot.”

Alec Lewis writes about the scout that discovered Rivera.

One day, when Rivera was 16 years old, Ramos showed up to a field in Mayaguez, where Rivera’s father, Miguel, was throwing batting practice. Rivera barreled multiple balls and even hit one on line over the fence toward a palm tree. The hitting session convinced Ramos of Rivera’s power. Another day, Ramos drove from his home to watch Rivera in a game. Rivera played shortstop, flashing a capable glove and arm. He also did not swing at pitches outside the strike zone. Ramos began to believe in Rivera’s contact ability.

“He was so young,” Ramos said. “So I kept following him.”

David Lesky at Inside the Crown comments on Matheny’s decision to put Duffy in a hybrid role.

The idea is that a lot of the pitching staff is going to be sort of a hybrid of reliever and starter, at least how I understood it. It’s something that I think would be seen as forward-thinking and intriguing if an organization like the Rays did it, but with the Royals, it maybe seems desperate. I have my doubts that they can handle this the right way with their current coaching leadership, but I do like the concept behind it. Whether it’ll work is another story, but given the desire to limit innings of their arms after last season, this makes some sense to me.

Jon Morosi thinks Duffy could be a trade target for the Padres.

Craig Brown at Into the Fountains also reacts to the hybrid role.

Mike Gillespie at Kings of Kauffman lists three urgent moves the Royals need to make.

Nick Pratto jumps on the Royals Farm Report podcast.

Angels pitcher Dylan Bundy has to exit the game after vomiting on the mound.

Mike Trout was moved to the 60-day Injured List.

Mark Feinsand at MLB.com looks at some trade candidates for July.

Rockies shortstop Trevor Story will participate in the Home Run Derby in Coors Field.

Who has the most “mistake pitches”?

Wander Franco is already playing like a veteran.

How effectively are MLB teams utilizing depth against high volume of injuries?

Who do scouts like better - Jack Leiter or Kumar Rocker?

Why does someone in Finland root for the Miami Marlins?

Vanderbilt jumps all over Mississippi State early in Game One of the College World Series finals.

A look at the strengths and weaknesses of USA Men’s Basketball’s Olympic team.

The Montreal Canadiens are on a Cinderella run, but it needs to end.

A f ederal court dismisses FTC’s bid to unwind Instagram from Facebook.

Wyoming wants to be the cryptocurrency capital of the U.S.

A ranking of Jeopardy guest hosts.

Your song of the day is Eels with Novacaine for the Soul.