What’s your definition of clutch hitting?

If it is two-out situations with runners in scoring position — which is probably the clutchiest stat that baseball regularly tracks — then the Royals are better than anyone else.

A lot better.

The Royals entered Thursday’s series finale against Texas with a .292 average with two outs and runners in scoring position. Detroit was second at .2683, followed by Texas at .2676. No other American League team was better than .250.

The New York Mets, at .263, were the only National League team better than .254.

“It doesn’t mean anything, if you’re not scoring runs,” manager Ned Yost countered. “We’re still down in the run department.”

Those stats show the Royals have 188 runs with two outs. Texas and Minnesota, each with 205, are the only AL teams with more … but Yost is pointing to runs overall. There, the Royals rank 12th among the 14 AL teams.

“When we score three runs or less,” he said, “we’re 15-49. When we score more than three runs, we’re 46-26. So we’ve got to find a way to score more than three runs every game.

“I just think we have a lot of room for growth in our offense. When I envision our offense … seriously, I envision our offense more like Texas’ offense. Maybe that’s lofty expectations, but that’s where I’d like to get to.”

The Rangers led the majors in runs scored.

“The majority of guys in our lineup are capable of hitting somewhere between 15 and 30 home runs a year,” Yost said. “We have the ability to hit with two strikes. We don’t strike out much. Now, we’ve got to add the power component to our game.”

Injury updates

Outfielder Jarrod Dyson is likely to be limited to pinch-running duties — and, perhaps, an occasional pinch-hitting assignment — the rest of the season because of a strained lat muscle.

Dyson had hoped for a quick recovery, but Yost said doctors now believe the strain to be severe. The injury primarily affects Dyson’s ability to throw. It doesn’t hamper his legs.

“You just have to get through it,” Dyson said. “It seemed like every time I’ve had a chance to prove myself this season, something happened.”

Dyson, 28, is batting .270 with a .333 on-base percentage in 89 games. He also has 25 stolen bases in 29 attempts.

• Rookie outfielder David Lough continues to nurse a strained right hamstring, which occurred Wednesday in the ninth inning.

Additional call-ups

Yost expects the Royals to call up “a couple of more guys” once Class AAA Omaha

completes its season. That could be as soon as Sunday or not until Sept. 19.

All indications suggest those promotions will be limited to players already on the 40-

man roster or those who need to be added this winter to avoid exposure in the Rule 5

Draft.

That probably means no Wil Myers, an outfielder/third baseman who was selected

earlier this week by Baseball America and USA Today as the minor-league player of the

year. Myers isn’t draft eligible.

It does suggest right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who is draft-eligible, is a possibility. But

Odorizzi has already worked 145 1/3 innings this season with more possible if the Storm

Chasers advance in postseason.

Omaha has eight players currently on the 40-man roster: pitchers Nate Adcock, Tommy

Hottovy and Ryan Verdugo; catcher Adam Moore; infielders Irving Falu and Clint

Robinson; and outfielders Jason Bourgeois and Derrick Robinson.

Minor details

Class AAA Omaha settled for a split in two home games against Albuquerque, a

Dodgers affiliate, in its best-of-five series in the Pacific Coast League playoffs. The

Storm Chasers blew a three-run lead Thursday in a 5-3 loss.

The series continues tonight and Saturday in Albuquerque. A fifth game, if necessary,

will be Sunday in Albuquerque. Omaha is the defending PCL champion.

Right-hander Jason Adam, a former Blue Valley Northwest standout, helped keep

Class A Wilmington square its best-of-three series against Lynchburg, a Braves

affiliate, in the Carolina League playoffs. Adam permitted one earned run over

seven-plus innings in a 12-3 road victory. The decisive third game is tonight at

Lynchburg.

Security guard calls it quits

Sgt. Darren Ivey of the Kansas City Police Department logged his final game after 18 years of security work at Kauffman Stadium. Ivey spent most of that time as the security officer in the Royals’ dugout.

Responsibilities attached to a pending KCPD promotion to captain forced Ivey to surrender his stadium duties. The Royals recently gave him a special jersey that contained the autographs of all players.

Attendance watch Thursday: 15,332 2012 season (through 68 home dates): 1,489,970 2011 season (through 68 home dates): 1,378,210 Ahead: 111,760 2012 average: 21,911 2011 average: 20,268