KANSAS CITY ROYALS NEWS

Nathan Webb - Beginning year at Double-A The Royals optioned Webb to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on March 21.

Impact Kansas City thought enough of Webb to protect him from the Rule 5 draft by adding him to the 40-man roster over the winter, but he's unlikely to reach the big leagues in 2022. The 24-year-old right-hander split the 2021 campaign between Low-A Columbia and High-A Wilmington, producing a 3.94 ERA while striking out 89 batters over 59.1 innings.

APRIL 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Reds 10, Royals 6

APRIL 5, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Royals pitcher Brad Keller talks about his final outing of the spring Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller talks with reporters after his final outing of spring training. He gave up eight runs (six e...

APRIL 5, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

MLB 2022: 40 things to watch this baseball season

FOX Sports' MLB Writers get you ready for Opening Day with their lists of the players, teams and events to watch this season.

APRIL 4, 2022

Join the Royals for an Opening Day hype event In anticipation of MLB Opening Day, the Kansas City Royals and MLB are hosting a “Road To Opening Day” event at the University of Missouri-K...

APRIL 4, 2022 • MLB.COM

Jon Heasley - Optioned to Triple-A Heasley was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Monday.

Impact Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Heasley could have made the Opening Day bullpen, but the Royals want him to stretch out as a starter in the minors. The 25-year-old made three major-league starts last season but spent the bulk of the year with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he recorded a 3.33 ERA and a 27.7 percent strikeout rate.

APRIL 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Daniel Lynch on Making Royals: 'I Feel Like I've Done Everything That I Could' As the Kansas City Royals are set to wrap up their spring training slate, LHP Daniel Lynch reflects on the spring and discusses whether he d...

APRIL 4, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

An Infusion of Youth Is Ready to Spark the 2022 Royals The Kansas City Royals’ infusion of young talent could make or break their 2022 season.

APRIL 4, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Kansas City Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch makes his final pitch for a rotation spot Daniel Lynch made his final start of spring training for the Royals. Plus, will MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto be tracking down fly balls this...

APRIL 4, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

Mariners 10, Royals 8

APRIL 3, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Why the KC Royals have switched gears on load management approach for Adalberto Mondesi The club has backed off the idea of having a set schedule of forced days off for their snake-bitten shortstop.

APRIL 3, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

Royals Announce Rotation, Option Angel Zerpa Ahead of Game vs. Mariners Ahead of their spring training game against the Seattle Mariners, the Kansas City Royals are beginning to map some things out in advance of...

APRIL 3, 2022 • SACBEE.COM

Carlos Hernández - Starting season in rotation Hernandez will start the Royals' fourth game of the season April 11 versus the Guardians, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Impact Despite a tough pair of appearances so far in spring training, Hernandez is set to begin the year in the rotation. The 25-year-old showed promise in 85.2 innings last season, logging a 6-2 record, 3.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 74:41 K:BB across 24 appearances (11 starts). Rogers adds the Royals plans are to roll with a five-man rotation with multiple pitchers stretched out in bullpen roles. Hernandez starting the season in the rotation is encouraging, but he'll have to perform to keep that job.

APRIL 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Angel Zerpa - Sent to Double-A The Royals optioned Zerpa to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Sunday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Impact Zerpa was summoned from the minors to make a spot start for the Royals late in the 2021 season, and though he acquitted himself well by striking out four while allowing two unearned runs in five innings in a Sept. 30 loss to Cleveland, he never looked like a serious threat to win a spot on Kansas City's Opening Day roster. Instead, Zerpa will return to the Double-A level in search of better results after he submitted a 5.96 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 45.1 innings for Northwest Arkansas in 2021.

APRIL 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Bobby Witt Jr. - Earns roster spot Witt has won an Opening Day roster spot, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Impact Witt tore through the upper minors last season, hitting .290/.361/.575 with 33 homers and 29 steals split between the two highest levels. He's carried that momentum through to this spring, hitting .407/.448/.741 in 10 Cactus League games. A shortstop by trade, Witt is expected to open the year as the Royals' third baseman, with Adalberto Mondesi occupying his primary position.

APRIL 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Hunter Dozier - Raking in spring Dozier is batting .467 (14-for-30) with a triple, two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored through 10 Cactus League games.

Impact The expected addition of Bobby Witt at third base blocks another path to regular playing time for Dozier, but he's still expected to be a near everyday option as the designated hitter. Dozier can also fill in for Carlos Santana at first base, but he's unlikely to get as much playing time in the corner outfield spots as he has in previous years. After a mediocre 2021 that saw Dozier hit .216/.285/.394 with 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 55 runs scored and five stolen bases in 543 games, he'll need to carry his momentum from spring into the regular season to maintain his place in the lineup.

APRIL 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Carlos Santana - In good form Santana has gone 10-for-26 with two doubles, six RBI and three runs scored through nine Cactus League games.

Impact Santana's always been a bit questionable from a batting average standpoint -- he's only hit at or above .260 in three of his 12 major-league campaigns. He's usually more solid with plate discipline, but he faltered there in 2021 as well with career-low marks in walk rate (13.2 percent) and on-base percentage (.319) in 158 games. He added 19 home runs, 69 RBI, 66 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. He'll turn 36 a day after Opening Day, so it's tough to bet on a bounce-back campaign here. If Santana declines further, Hunter Dozier, Ryan O'Hearn or prospect Nick Pratto could get a longer look at first base.

APRIL 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Predicting the Royals' Opening Day 28-Man Roster The Kansas City Royals’ Opening Day roster is on the verge of being solidified, so let’s take a look and see if it’s possible to predict the...

APRIL 2, 2022 • SACBEE.COM

Mike Matheny Is Ready to Lead the Royals Into a New Era The Kansas City Royals are ready to call up their highly regarded prospects, and manager Mike Matheny is the right coach to lead this moveme...

APRIL 2, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Mike Matheny Is Ready to Lead the Royals Into a New Era The Kansas City Royals are ready to call up their highly regarded prospects, and manager Mike Matheny is the right coach to lead this moveme...

APRIL 2, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

Royals pitcher Jonathan Heasley on his start against the Padres Kansas Royals pitcher Jonathan Heasley discusses his spring training performance and his latest start against the San Diego Padres in Peoria...

APRIL 2, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

Padres 4, Royals 2

APRIL 2, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jake Brentz - Dominant in spring training Brentz has allowed just one hit and one walk with three strikeouts over four innings in four Cactus League games.

Impact Brentz is looking to build off of a solid rookie campaign -- he went 5-2 with two saves, 15 holds, a 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 76:37 K:BB across 64 innings last season. The southpaw's strong start to the spring should keep him in the mix for high-leverage situations, along with the likes of Scott Barlow, Josh Staumont and Amir Garrett. Brentz isn't likely to see a lot of save chances early on, but he could help in fantasy formats that count holds.

APRIL 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Staumont - Struggling in spring Staumont has allowed five runs on three hits and six walks while striking out three over 3.2 innings in four Cactus League games.

Impact It's too early to worry much about his performance, but it's a little concerning to see him struggle. The right-hander was excellent as part of a closer committee last season, logging five saves, 16 holds, a 2.88 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 72:27 K:BB in 64 appearances. He only allowed 0.8 HR/9 while flexing a 96.6 mph average on his fastball. Staumont enters the season in the mix for high-leverage innings again, though Scott Barlow is expected to get the majority of the save chances at the start of 2022.

APRIL 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Kris Bubic - Good start to spring Bubic has allowed just one run and three hits over five innings across his two spring starts so far. He's struck out four and walked two.

Impact Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports Bubic was satisfied with his breaking balls as he struck out three in three innings versus the Athletics on Thursday. In addition to a curveball, the lefty has debuted a slider in spring training, which could make him harder to hit in 2022. He's also working on upping his velocity on his fastball from the 90.9 mph average he had last season. Bubic is expected to work more toward the back end of the Royals' rotation, though he'll likely face pressure from prospects like Jonathan Hernandez, Jackson Kowar and Daniel Lynch to maintain a starting role this season.

APRIL 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE