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Dyson likely a temporary fix until Chen activated
The Kansas City Star
The Royals opted for a temporary boost in speed Tuesday by recalling outfielder Jarrod Dyson from Class AAA Omaha to fill the roster vacancy created by Sunday’s decision to option right-handed pitcher Vin Mazzaro to the same minor-league club.
“We were going to activate (left-handed pitcher) Bruce Chen,” manager Ned Yost explained, “but Bruce’s spot (in the rotation) doesn’t come up until Friday.
“We knew we were going to make the move with Mazzaro, but it didn’t make any sense to have Mazzaro sitting here for five days when we could get a guy like Dyson who we could bring up for three days to help us win.
“When we need Bruce to be activated, Dyson will probably go back (to Omaha).”
Dyson, 26, was in uniform for Tuesday’s series opener against Arizona at Kauffman Stadium. He batted .288 with 14 stolen bases in 29 games for the Storm Chasers following his May 19 demotion after opening the season in the big leagues.
The move adds a potent weapon as a pinch-runner — Dyson stole nine bases in 17 games prior to going to Omaha — but comes at a time when the Royals can find little playing time for Mitch Maier, their primary backup outfielder, despite a .316 average.
The decision also fails to address the club’s need for a backup middle infielder, a role currently served by Wilson Betemit. Second baseman Chris Getz and shortstop Alcides Escobar have played every inning since Mike Aviles was optioned June 9 to Omaha.
Chen, 34, was 4-1 with a 3.59 ERA in seven starts before he suffered a strained lat muscle in his lower back prior to a scheduled May 11 start in New York. He made three minor-league rehab appearances to test his recovery.
Davies stays on hold
Plans call for right-hander Kyle Davies to make one more rehab start in his recovery from inflammation in his right rotator cuff before an anticipated July 1 return to the rotation.
That means rookie left-hander Danny Duffy will make one more start, Saturday against the Cubs, before likely returning to Omaha – although Yost stopped short of saying Davies will replace Duffy.
Just short.
Yost said Duffy needs to improve his pitch efficiency after averaging few than five innings in his seven starts while going 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA.
“Personally, I would like for him to just go ahead and do it (in the majors),” Yost said. “But when you’ve got guys like Kyle Davies and Bruce Chen, two guys who are pretty important to your starting rotation, you can’t just move them out.
“You let Bruce get back to being the pitcher that he was. He was the best pitcher we had on our staff when he got hurt. Kyle probably has as good of stuff as anyone we’ve got on our staff. We need him to get on a bit of a roll.”
Davies left a May 16 start against Cleveland in the first inning because of a sore shoulder. Duffy arrived two days later from Omaha.
“If he goes back down,” Yost said, “he goes with the knowledge that `I can do this.’ Before he came up, this was all like a big black hole. … Now he knows, going back down, that he can (handle it).
“He knows exactly what he needs to work on and improve on to be successful at this level. And when he gets back, he knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that he can handle it.”
Francoeur now 12th
Right fielder Jeff Francoeur fell to 12th among outfielders in the latest update on balloting to determine the American League’s starting lineup for the All-Star Game on July 12 at Arizona’s Chase Field.
No other Royals player drew mention in the release from Major League Baseball, which only shows the vote totals for the top 15 outfielders and top five vote-getters at other positions.
The starters and reserves for both teams will be announced July 3 on TBS except for one player on each 34-man roster. That final player will be determined through an online vote from five candidates.
The Star is conducting an online vote through noon June 30 to determine which Royals player deserves to be selected.
Might be a redneck
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy, friend of Ned Yost, took part in pre-game drills along with his brother, Jay, and friends Larry Burns and Glenn Garner.
“I know the Royals are looking for 52-year old injury-prone comedian to fill a few gaps for them,” Foxworthy joked. “I thought maybe I’d fill them.”
Yost said he met Foxworthy at Bible study almost 15 years ago, and they currently own neighboring residences in Georgia. The group often spends their winters palling around, which provides Foxworthy with a different slant on Yost’s personality.
“He’s one of the funniest people I know,” Foxworthy said. “We love watching him during the baseball season because he’s very intense, very competitive.”
Command priority
Right-hander Sean O’Sullivan begins a minor-league rehab assignment tonight for Omaha at Nashville to gauge his recovery from tendinitis in his right biceps. He’ll also look to sharpen his command after compiling a 2-5 record and 6.92 ERA.
“He works real hard at it,” pitching coach Bob McClure said, “but he was moved real fast through the Angels’ organization. Then we got him and put him right in the big leagues.
“It’s an adjustment you have to learn, just knowing that location is a lot better than velocity.”
Minor stars
Here’s an updated list of Class AA and Class A players selected to play in their league’s all-star games. The Class AAA teams have not yet been announced. The Class A all-star games were played Tuesday.
•Class AA Northwest Arkansas: Anthony Seratelli, starting designated hitter; Salvador Perez, reserve catcher; Wil Myers, reserve outfielder; Jeff Bianchi, reserve infielder; and Kelvin Herrera, relief pitcher. Also, the Northwest Arkansas staff (manager Brian Poldberg, pitching coach Larry Carter, hitting coach Terry Bradshaw and trainer Tony Medina) will serve as the North Division staff.
•Class A Wilmington: Rey Navarro, starting second baseman; Whit Merrifield, starting outfielder; John Whittleman, reserve infielder; Jake Odorizzi, starting pitcher; Michael Mariot, relief pitcher.
•Class A Kane County: Gerard Hall, reserve infielder; Leonel Santiago and Sugar Ray Marimon, starting pitchers; and Greg Billo and Chase Boruff, relief pitchers.
Peña’s homer
Arizona purchased Wily Mo Peña’s contract prior to Tuesday’s game from Class AAA Reno in order to add a designated hitter with an impact bat to their lineup.
Peña responded with a 422-foot homer in the fifth inning that reached the fountains to the right of dead center field. It was a line drive that tied the game at 1-1.
It was Peña’s first big-league homer June 24, 2008 when he was playing for the Nationals against the Angels.
Peña’s resume also includes the 13th-longest homer in Kauffman Stadium history. He hit a 451-foot bomb on Aug. 8, 2006 against Luke Hudson while playing for Boston.
Etc.
•Alex Gordon’s homer was his ninth of the season. That’s one more than he had last year, and it pulled him into a tie for the club lead with Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francoeur. Gordon’s career high was 16 in 2008.
•Billy Butler’s single in the fourth inning extended his consecutive-series hitting streak to 130.
•Cabrera collected the 200th extra-base hit of his career with a double in the fifth. He has 133 doubles, 18 triples and 49 homers.