Royals Rumblings - News for August 20, 2024
Folks, we have a pennant race.
Jaylon Thompson writes about Seth Lugo getting back on track last night.
He said that fastball command was one of his key adjustments over the last few days.
“I saw my fastballs were a little higher in the (strike) zone and trying to go down,” Lugo said. “The vert on my fastball wasn’t how I like it to be. So I think I fixed those two things — got vert open and made some better pitches down. It opened up the top of the zone.”
Both the fastball and slurve were particularly useful in the fifth inning.
John Schreiber returns from the Injured List.
“I’ve been dealing with tendinitis in my knee for a few years now,” Schreiber said. “Just something, you know, minimal stuff I could play through. And, stepping on first base, the knee kind of popped right there and kind of gave out.
“Being able to get a few weeks off, going through rehab, the injection and all that, everything has been feeling really good. So I’m excited where I’m at.”
David Lesky takes a look at the upcoming schedule.
This might be weird to say, but I feel like we’re rooting for the Yankees this week. Hang on, let me go barf. Okay, I’m back. But if the Yankees can have a big week, that means they’ll take care of Cleveland and if they do that while the Orioles stumble with a tough schedule, that means the Royals could gain ground on that top Wild Card spot. The Twins have a tough go, at least to start the week, with three in San Diego against one of the hottest teams in baseball. There is a world where the Royals are tied for the division lead by the time they take the field against the Phillies.
That seems unlikely, but the fact that it’s even possible is crazy.
Pete Grathoff also looks at the remaining schedule.
Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter writes about the progress of pitching prospect Noah Cameron.
So far, it seems like that work has paid off. He posted a K% of 27% with the Naturals, and with the Storm Chasers, his K rate was 31.5% before Sunday’s game. It likely will be higher after his seven-strikeout performance.
Regarding the metrics, the four-seamer doesn’t showcase eye-popping velocity, with an average velocity of 91.3 MPH. However, he has demonstrated excellent command and movement with the pitch, which explains its above-average PLV of 5.03.
Vahe Gregorian writes about the baseball card of a four-year old boy that sits in the Royals dugout.
The Royals acquire the 3&2 baseball complex off Bannister Road to provide opportunities for youth players.
Yainier Diaz walks it off for the Astros over the Red Sox.
Braves third baseman Austin Riley is out 6-8 weeks with a fractured hand.
Miami designated former Royals third baseman Emmanuel Rivera for assignment.
How the Mariners blew a 10-game lead in the division.
ESPN Insider comes up with a formula to determine the most overrated and underrated players.
Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte lands on the Injured List with an ankle injury.
There don’t appear to be any powerhouse teams this year.
Could San Diego’s Jackson Merrill win National League Rookie of the Year?
Overlooked players in each division.
There is a new theory on how baseball was introduced to Japan.
Ohio State has four players on the AP preseason All-American team.
The Las Vegas Raiders name Gardner Minshew their starting quarterback.
Human innards are teeming with viruses that infect bacteria.
Disney+ cancels The Acolyte after just one season.
Your song of the day is Fatboy Slim with Weapon of Choice.