The Royals were never going to make a big move before baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline Thursday. They were always going to nibble at the corners and dig in their heels with the guys on the roster. Because the Royals are stuck in what is now their new normal — not good enough to expect in the playoffs, and not bad enough to blow up and start over.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed Steve Gregory, 31-year-old veteran, to aid a secondary that has been beset by injuries early in training camp. Gregory previously played for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. Sanders Commings, who was contending for a starting position next to Pro Bowler Eric Berry, broke a bone in his ankle Wednesday. And Berry left practice early on Thursday because of a sore ankle.

The Country Club Plaza’s upscale department store is scheduled to close Sunday after nearly 50 years of operations. It is consolidating with a new 60,000-square-foot Halls store in Crown Center that is scheduled to open in mid-September.

Warped Tour, a festival founded as a showcase for punk and other forms of alternative rock, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Startlingly few concessions to nostalgia were evident at Thursday's tour stop at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater. Even fans with narrow tastes couldn't fail to notice that the music once closely associated with Warped Tour was occasionally difficult to locate. The transformation was welcome.

Kansas City, whose offensive struggles have been well-documented, capitalized on a four-run seventh inning to overcome a leadoff home run and a pair of costly errors. They defeated Minnesota 6-3 on Thursday night to win their third consecutive series and improve to 55-52.