Royals’ Danny Duffy ‘good’ after being hit by comebacker and leaving his start in Arizona
Despite leaving the mound in the middle of an inning flanked by the trainer, Kansas City Royals left-hander Danny Duffy came away from his outing on Thursday feeling good about where he stands in relation to his readiness for the start of the regular season.
Duffy allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings as the Royals rolled to a 10-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a Cactus League game at Surprise Stadium. Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler, Carlos Santana, and Ryan McBroom all smashed home runs for the Royals (14-7-3).
“I feel like I controlled my effort pretty good, stepped on the gas a little bit when I had to,” Duffy said. “I was pleased with my changeup to lefties. I finally got a changeup that I executed to a leftie, then lose it up and in. I’m going to key in on that. That’s a victory for me.”
Duffy particularly liked the way his fastball and slider played on Thursday.
Duffy allowed four hits and didn’t walk a batter. He struck out three. The lone extra-base hit Duffy allowed came on a 3-2 pitch to Diamondbacks left-handed hitter Pavin Smith with two outs in the second inning.
Duffy exited the game with one out in the fifth inning after Wyatt Mathisen lined a comebacker up the middle that ricocheted off of Duffy and towards Mondesi.
Royals manager Mike Matheny and head athletic trainer Nick Kenney came out of the dugout to check on Duffy, who was hit in the lower body.
“Somehow it hit both of my legs,” Duffy said. “Can’t explain it, but I’m good. Skip came out, and I told him I was good. He was like, ‘You know, really good effort today. Let’s just call it right there.’ I’ll have one more here, so I’ll stretch it out to six or maybe six in some change next time.”
Of the three singles he allowed, one was a broken-bat single and the other was an infield single on a slow roller that Mondesi couldn’t field cleanly while charging.
“It just looks different,” Matheny said. “Whatever he’s doing right now, his confidence, his rhythm, he’s in a really nice place.”
Royals pitching handcuffed Diamondbacks hitters throughout the game. Jake Brentz came in after Duffy left the game, and Brentz tossed 1 2/3 innings without giving up a hit or a walk.
Ervin Santana provided a lights-out performance out of the bullpen. The vetaran right-hander has made just three major-league relief appearances in his entire career, the last coming in 2009.
He’s looking like a strong candidate for a “hybrid” role Matheny has mentioned for starters such as Santana and Jakob Junis, who may be asked to pitch in traditional relief roles or as long relievers depending on the scenario.
Santana didn’t allow anyone to reach base in three innings, and he struck out seven in what Matheny described as a “pretty dominant” performance. Santana’s fastball reached the mind 90s according to the stadium scoreboard readings.
Mondesi’s homer was his first of the spring. He jumped on a first-pitch curveball from Diamondbacks starter Luke Weaver with two outs in the first inning.
The Royals scored four runs in the first inning with two outs. Salvador Perez doubled and Carlos Santana singled to set up a Jorge Soler opposite-field, 403-foot, three-run homer after Mondesi broke the ice.
Carlos Santana went 2 for 2 with two runs scored.
Hollie is ready
Right-handed reliever Greg Holland threw his sixth appearance in Cactus League games on Wednesday, but he’s also gotten plenty of work in on back fields in simulated and/or “B” games. The veteran has cleared just about every hurdle he typically needs before the season starts.
“I did my back-to-back before the off day, and that’s kind of a benchmark for me,” Holland said. “I like to get to that point, kind of get some soreness built up and get over it. Now, it’s just kind of a transition, kind of working backwards from being ready for Opening Day.”
Last spring training, Holland came into camp on a minor-league deal and as a non-roster invitee.
This offseason, he signed a major-league contract to remain with the club. He has not allowed a run and has given up just one hit and one walk in six innings during Cactus League games this year.
“It’s a fine line for me because I run into where you kind of feel like you’re throwing a bullpen out there,” Holland said. “But you want to be getting in that game mode where you’re competing against major-league hitters and you’re working to work counts and thinking about situations and stuff. I would say the working on stuff at this point in camp is kind of in the back of your mind. You kind of go into an outing saying, “I’m going to compete. But if I get the opportunity and I get ahead in a few counts, I’m going to try some different things.’”
On the back fields
The Royals and Dodgers played a minor-league game on Field 4 of the Royals complex on Thursday morning. Royals hitters enjoyed an abundance of success. Bobby Witt Jr. and Nick Heath blasted home runs, while Jarrod Dyson, Erick Pena and Nick Pratto hit doubles.
Witt’s homer came in the second inning following Dyson’s double. Witt smoked a pitch from Dodgers right-hander Andre Jackson, who is on the club’s 40-man roster, on a line over the left-center field wall.
Witt did not play the field in the game, nor did Dyson.
Left-handed pitchers Angel Zerpa and Eric Skoglund performed well. Zerpa allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings. He worked around a leadoff double in his second inning to strand a runner. Skoglund gave up one run in 2 1/3 innings on a solo homer by Miguel Vargas. Skoglund struck out five.
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Royals’ Danny Duffy ‘good’ after being hit by comebacker and leaving his start in Arizona."
