Royals drop final exhibition game in wake of losing Jesse Hahn and Hunter Dozier
Wounded and with heavy hearts the Kansas City Royals will now turn their attention to games that count in the standings, starting with Friday night in Cleveland.
The Royals lost the third of three exhibition games 6-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium. As a group, Royals pitchers allowed nine walks and hit one batter in eight innings.
“The free bases — we’ve been talking about this since day one,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “We’re very clear with the pitching staff. You want to be a part of what we’re doing here, we can’t afford to give them up.”
The only spectators in attendance for the Royals’ final dress rehearsal for the 2020 season were an estimated 20-30 people watching from the Cardinals Nation Rooftop bar across the street plus a few stragglers who stopped along the street and watched through the fence behind the left-center field stands.
While Alex Gordon delivered an inning-ending double play and Salvador Perez and Bubba Starling each blasted their second home run of the week, the club also announced it will lose outfielder Hunter Dozier for the start of the regular season following a positive COVID-19 test.
The loss of Dozier wasn’t even the news that hit hardest in the previous 24 hours.
The teams held a moment of silence prior to the national anthem in honor of the family of Royals pitcher Jesse Hahn.
Hahn, a right-hander who returned last season from a surgery and rehab that kept out of the game for more than a year, was scratched from his start on Wednesday. He was not with the team after his mother died unexpectedly.
Hahn, who turns 31 on July 30, and his wife, Jessica, are also expecting the birth of their first child in the coming weeks.
“I could feel it in that clubhouse (Tuesday) before we ever got on the field,” Matheny said of the feeling before their second game against the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium. “The kick in the gut that everybody knew about pretty quick was with Hunter (Dozier). Then you get this other one. You could just feel how the guys were hurting for their friend and their teammate. It’s just a sad deal.”
Last impression
While Royals pitching overall struggled with command, right-handed reliever and Lee’s Summit native Trevor Rosenthal came back to the place where he was an All-Star closer and flashed that old form.
Rosenthal pumped fastballs that reached the upper 90s — as high as 98 mph — in a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one and allowed one hit.
He’s been arguably the most-consistent reliever throughout both portions of spring training.
“I feel really good right now, especially these last couple times against Houston and St. Louis,” Rosenthal said. “I feel really confident with just my daily routine from the time I show up to the time I get in the game. I feel like I have a good thing going.
“My stuff has been good. My command has been good. I’ve been competitive ahead or making good pitches behind in the count.”
Roster/injury updates
With Dozier going on the injured list to start the season, recently acquired outfielder Franchy Cordero is expected to fill Dozier’s spot on the Opening Day 30-man roster. Cordero, who came over on July 16 in the trade that sent reliever Timmy Hill to the San Diego Padres, had been slated to begin the year working out at the club’s alternate site.
It’s not clear yet who will likely start in right field in place of Dozier. Outfielders Brett Phillips and Starling could play center or right and Whit Merrifield could also play either outfield spot.
Left-handed reliever Randy Rosario will not break camp as part of the 30-man roster, Matheny said on Wednesday. Rosario experienced tightness in his throwing arm that forced him to back off of his throwing progression. That apparently leaves Gabe Speier and Richard Lovelady as the leading left-handed reliever candidates.
First baseman Ryan O’Hearn, who had tested positive for COVID-19, has been medically cleared to resume baseball activities. He’ll work out at the alternate site until activated from the injured list.
See you in Cleveland
Royals outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler was not with the team on Wednesday because of a family matter. He’ll join the club in Cleveland for Friday’s season opener.
Soler led the American League with 48 home runs last season. He was also one of two Royals to play in all 162 games in 2019. Merrifield was the other.
