Danny Duffy will start the Royals’ season opener for the third time in his career
Kansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny made it official Tuesday afternoon: Veteran left-hander Danny Duffy will take the ball for the club in its season opener on July 24.
Duffy, 31, will make the third Opening Day start of his career when the Royals begin their 60-game slate against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Duffy previously started season openers in 2017 and 2018.
Last year’s Opening Day starter, Brad Keller, remains on the injured list following a positive test for COVID-19. Keller is one of four players the club has reported as sidelined with positive coronavirus results since the start of spring training 2.0.
“He’s throwing the ball well, he feels strong and I put a lot of weight on that position of being the guy that throws that first game,” Matheny said. “It’s just one game, really, in the bigger picture, but Danny has all those attributes — has the success, has the longevity — to set the tone.
“We’re pushing him to embrace that role, and his stuff absolutely lends itself to being in the conversation for him taking the ball that first day and helping us get off to a great start.
Duffy began last season on the injured list with a shoulder ailment and had one other IL stint in August after straining a hamstring running sprints during a pregame workout in Boston’s Fenway Park.
Duffy finished the 2019 season with a 7-6 record after posting a 4.34 ERA with 115 strikeouts, 46 walks, a .251 opponent’s batting average and 1.31 WHIP in 130 2/3 innings (23 starts).
“I’m honestly really pumped about it,” Duffy said. “It means a lot to me. I put in a lot of work. I feel so bad for Brad. I wanted this to be a competition. I thought it would be a heated one.”
Duffy said he threw roughly 75 pitches on Monday night, and he expects to throw one more intrasquad outing this weekend before the season opener.
“The job is still clear, but it is definitely going to be an adjustment,” Dufffy said of starting with no fans in the stands. “I’m looking forward to it. I know we’re not going to have the atmosphere, the flyovers — of maybe they will, that would be kind of cool if they just did it for the boys.
“It is going to be different, but we’ll be ready for it. You can normalize anything if you put your mind to it. I think that’s kind of where we’re at.”
Salvy’s return
All-Star catcher Salvador Perez cleared the MLB health and safety protocols and rejoined the club on Tuesday.
The Royals activated Perez, who went in the injured list on July 4 after testing positive for COVID-19, prior to their intrasquad game at Kauffman Stadium. Perez had been in isolation in Lee’s Summit since testing positive for the coronavirus. He had not been with the club since the start of spring training 2.0.
The Royals went into the week with all three catchers currently on their 40-man roster inactive. Perez and backup catcher Cam Gallagher were placed on the IL following positive coronavirus tests. Meibrys Viloria, who caught games at the major-league level late in the season in 2018 and 2019, is on the IL with an undisclosed injury.
A six-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove Award winner, Perez missed the entire last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in March 2019.
He did not catch in the intrasquad, but he did hit. He hit an RBI single into center field off of right-hander Jakob Junis in his first at-bat of Tuesday’s scrimmage. He also singled against relief pitcher Kevin McCarthy.
“Through this things there have been a couple different times where we’ve been kicked in the gut,” Matheny said. “I think the timing is beautiful for Salvy’s smiling face to come walking into that clubhouse. ... It’s just a great shot in the arm.”
Boom Boom
First baseman Ryan McBroom crushed a two-run home run to left-center field in his first at-bat of the night off of Junis. McBroom was all over Cactus League pitching in the initial portion of spring training in Arizona (.314/.368/.657).
In an inning when pitcher Glenn Sparkman started with two men on base, Maikel Franco hit a grand slam to center field. Franco also had a single against left-handed pitching prospect Kris Bubic.
“I think he’s in really good physical shape,” Matheny said of Franco. “He looked like he just had a really nice feel for his swing day one. His timing looked really close. He was one of those guys that right out of the gate, first live, it was like he’s almost timed up for this.”
Other standouts from Tuesday night included minor-league first baseman Nick Pratto, who smashed a solo shot off right-hander Tyler Zuber. Former first-round draft pick Bobby Witt Jr. ripped a single in his first at-bat of the day against McCarthy.
Gutierrez on the mend
Royals third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez has suffered a grade 2 UCL sprain. He’d been with the club for spring training 2.0 at Kauffman Stadium earlier this month. Now, he’s hitting and throwing in Arizona. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Gutierrez batted .260 with a .304 OBP and a .356 slugging percentage in 20 games in the majors last season. In 75 games at Triple-A, he slashed .287/.367/.427 with 43 RBIs and 20 extra-base hits.
Make some noise
Matheny said they plan to pipe in some generic crowd noise for Wednesday night’s scrimmage to add a small measure of atmosphere to the ballpark.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 3:31 PM.
