Jorge Lopez building his case for a rotation spot with the Royals
Jorge Lopez doesn’t know what the final decision will be on him earning or not earning a rotation spot, but the groove he found in his start against the San Diego Padres left him unable to contain his smile.
Lopez allowed one run on five hits and didn’t walk a batter in 4 1/3 innings at the onset of what eventually became a 11-6 loss in front of an announced 7,148 at Surprise Stadium on Sunday afternoon. He also struck out five, all on swinging third strikes.
“When you get those swing and misses, you’re telling yourself just keep pounding the zone where you have to,” said Lopez, who gave up a solo home run in his final inning. “It’s been something (I’ve) been working out in bullpens, trying to be low with movement.”
Last season, Lopez made 17 appearances (seven starts) in the majors for the Royals. He went 2-5 with a 5.03 ERA, while opponents batted .273 against him.
This spring, he’s now allowed two earned runs in 9 1/3 innings, struck out seven and walked just one batter.
“I’m going to keep working,” Lopez said of getting into the starting rotation. “You never know. I don’t know yet what’s going to happen in the next couple days. I just keep working hard every day, (get) a connection with the guys and simplify everything.”
The Royals other rotation candidates include Ian Kennedy, Danny Duffy, Brad Keller, Jacob Junis, Home Bailey and Heath Fillmyer.
Homer happy: Sunday’s game included a combined seven home runs, including homers by Royals hitters Whit Merrifield, Adalberto Mondesi and Cam Gallagher.
Not done yet: The Royals have yet to officially announce the signing of free-agent catcher Martin Maldonado. A source confirmed to The Star on Saturday that an agreement was in the works, but that a deal hand not been finalized. Maldonado, a Gold Glove catcher, would need to pass a physical before a deal could become official. Maldonado also changed agents in the middle of negotiations.
First cuts: The Royals announced that they’ve optioned pitchers Arnaldo Hernandez, Ben Lively and Jake Newberry to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. Pitchers Jake Kalish and Andres Machado were reassigned to minor league camp.
The Royals had 59 players in big-league camp going into Sunday’s game. That number included pitcher Eric Skoglund, who will be placed on the restricted list as he serves an 80-game suspension to start the season, as well as pitcher Jesse Hahn (60-day injured list).
Up next: The Royals will play split-squad games against the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers on Monday night. They’ll play the Mariners in Peoria at 8:40 p.m. (CDT), and that game will be televised on MLB Network. Pitcher Heath Fillmyer is scheduled to start for the Royals.
The Royals will play the Rangers split squad in Surprise Stadium at 9:05 p.m. (CDT). Fox Sports Kansas City will have the telecast of that game, and KCSP 610 AM will broadcast it on the radio. Pitcher Homer Bailey is scheduled to start for the Royals.
This story was originally published March 10, 2019 at 7:00 PM.
