Royals Rumblings - News for July 11, 2022

Royals Rumblings - News for July 11, 2022

Andrew Benintendi was happy to hear he was named an All-Star.

“I think this year, especially, my approach has been the best it has been,” Benintendi said. “Kind of knowing myself as a player now and playing in this big ballpark. Obviously, everyone wants to go up there and hit home runs. For me, I’ll run a few out — but running 30 out and 20 out a year is a little different.

Zack Greinke threw the 50,000th pitch of his career in a win on Sunday.

“You never know how teams respond, but I’ve watched this team,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “Getting walked off two out of three games on the road and guys just come back and play really hard. ... I thought they did a real nice job all the way around today. Zack set the tone for us.”

Whit Merrifield had to leave the game with toe discomfort.

“I didn’t even see it mid-game,” Matheny said. “Found out he’d broke towards a ball towards the line, and as he pushed off he felt something and came back in. He got an X-ray and the X-rays came back negative.”

Matheny said Merrifield was getting an MRI after the game, but the team had not yet learned the results of that MRI, the manager said. Merrifield did not speak with reporters after the game.

Matheny explains why he didn’t challenge a play when Kyle Isbel appeared to make a catch on Friday.

“I got a picture as soon as I got to my desk, and you see the ball is in the grass,” Matheny said. “We trust what (our guys) see. We don’t have a monitor. If it’s a 50-50 and that’s something that we believe could get overturned, we’ll take a shot, especially in the last third of the game.”

“But, we get a clear no? The answer is going to come from me as a no.”

Jonathan Heasley was lit up on Saturday.

“I think it was just one of those days, kind of a dead-arm day,” Royals manager MIke Matheny said. “Didn’t really see anything going into it that would lead us to believe that would happen. He went short in his bullpen, barely threw many at all. It just wasn’t coming out, couldn’t find the feel. Just chalk it up to one of those days and move forward.”

The Royals placed him on the Injured List and brought up Foster Griffin.

One day after Kansas City Royals right-hander Jonathan Heasley took the mound and felt like the ball simply “wasn’t coming out” with its normal zip and velocity, the club placed him on the 15-day injured list with right-shoulder tendinitis.

Michael A. Taylor was willing to volunteer a stint on the mound in Saturday’s blowout.

“I thought it’d be something fun to say I threw in a game,” Taylor said. “It wasn’t something that I was like, looking forward to on the schedule. But I can say I did it. Obviously it’s not the situation you want whenever a position player comes in, but it happened.”

Alec Lewis writes how the Royals are preparing for the draft.

It was 9 p.m. this past week, and Danny Ontiveros, the Royals’ amateur scouting director, had not left Kauffman Stadium. He sat inside the Royals’ glass-walled draft room, stationed on the sixth floor, and scanned the whiteboards filled with names, some of whom the club could select in about a week’s time....

“I’ve done this job 25 years,” Ontiveros said, “and I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many injuries prior to a season starting and as a season has gone on to college players and high school players — in terms of the pitching. (The challenge is) trying to figure out medically how you’re going to approach that, and piecing together what you’ve seen in the past without actually getting to see these guys. It’s definitely a very odd year.”

Jon Heyman reports the Yankees are discussing trying to acquire Andrew Benintendi.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter writes that Michael A. Taylor continues to be a success story.

Trey Donovan at Inside the Royals writes that Scott Barlow continues to fly under the radar.

All-Star pitchers and reserves were announced on Sunday.

Former Royals pitcher Jorge López had a cool moment finding out he was an All-Star.

Who are the MLB All-Star snubs?

The Reds win on just the 23rd walk-off balk in MLB history.

Carlos Santana hits a walk-off home run to give the Mariners an eight-game winning streak.

The Orioles have their first eight-game winning streak since 2005.

Keith Hernandez has his number retired by the Mets.

The Padres trade Robinson Cano to the Braves for cash.

Yordan Alvarez lands on the Injured List with a hand injury.

The big names who could turn things around in the second half.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob says he has a standing offer to buy the Athletics.

Who will the Orioles select with the #1 pick in the draft?

Why James Caan was unlike any other leading man.

Novak Djokovic defeats Nick Kyrgios for his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title.

The WNBA will expand from 36 to 40 games in 2023.

Does Twitter have the edge in a legal battle with Elon Musk?

Why the simulation hypothesis is a dangerous illusion.

How Minions beat Disney at the copyright game.

Your song of the day is Guns N’ Roses with Sweet Child O’ Mine.