What to know for Monday night’s Royals exhibition vs. the Astros at Kauffman Stadium
The Kansas City Royals last took the field against another team in March during Cactus League play in Arizona. More than four months have passed since, but this week they dive into exhibition games in advance of Friday’s season opener.
The Royals host the Houston Astros Monday night at Kauffman Stadium in the first of three exhibition games ahead of the regular season. They’ll host the Astros again Tuesday at 1 p.m., then travel to play the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Their regular-season opener is Friday at Cleveland.
“It’s exciting to play against someone in a different color uniform,” Royas outfielder/infielder Whit Merrifield said of the. “We’re tired of facing our guys. It’s weird to face your guys. … It’s going to be exciting to go out there and try to beat the hell out of whoever we’re playing against. Tonight, it’s the Astros.”
The Royals began spring training 2.0, or “summer camp” workouts, on July 3, in Kansas City, and they’ve held team workouts, as well as intrasquad scrimmages, at Kauffman Stadium every day.
Merrifield explained that he welcomed a game setting against another opponent because it takes away some of the awkwardness of using games to prepare for the season while others are using them to win jobs and roster spots.
“I think it was plenty,” Merrifield said of the second session of spring training. “Personally, I’ve never been good at situations like this because, one, facing your own guys is never comfortable. Two, situations like this — live BPs, intrasquads, stuff before the game — in the situation a lot of these guys like are in like myself, (Alex Gordon), Salvy (Perez), where we’re no longer fighting for that roster spot and we’re trying to get ready for the season, you’re more concerned with seeing pitches or working on certain things.”
Merrifield, who led the majors for the second year in a row last season, will start Monday’s game in center field. Perez, a five-time Gold Glove winner who sat out last season following Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm, will start at catcher.
Royals left-hander Mike Montgomery is scheduled to start Monday’s game, while right-hander Glenn Sparkman is slated to start Tuesday and right-hander Jesse Hahn is scheduled to start Wednesday.
Later this week, the club will have to select 30 players for its active Opening Day roster from the 60-player pool allowed each team for spring training.
The group has included many of the organization’s top prospects, including pitchers Brady Singer, Jackson Koward, Daniel Lynch and Kris Bubic as well as shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and outfielder Khalil Lee.
After the 30-man roster has been set, the remaining players will continue to work out and train at the club’s alternate site — T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kansas — during the season.
The Royals will also be able to take a three-player “taxi squad” of players not on the active roster on the road with them during the season. If they elect to take a three-player group, one must be a catcher.
“These guys are hungry,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “I’m anticipating and what the guys are kind of planning for is getting some work tonight and most of them want to get right back in there tomorrow. I was surprised with the day game following the night game.
“You’re going to see a number of guys who are starting (Monday night) who will all be in there (Tuesday), but it will all be (tentative). You take a foul ball off the shin, that plan probably changes. You get locked in and feel really good, plan changes. Maybe you have some at-bats where your timing is not right and you make some first-pitch outs, you don’t get any action defensively — that plan may change the other way.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 5:10 PM with the headline "What to know for Monday night’s Royals exhibition vs. the Astros at Kauffman Stadium."
