The Cactus League ends today. The Royals will finish with more than twice as many losses as wins, thanks to losing the core of their team to the WBC for two weeks. But the boys are back in town. Until tomorrow, when they head to Texas for two more exhibition games before finally, blessedly, beginning the regular season in six days from now, when Cole Ragans takes on Chris Sale in a game that will make lefties everywhere cringe in support.
Today’s lineup:
Things start pretty normally with Maikel Garcia leading off and Bobby Witt Jr. batting second but quickly get very weird. Three guys who are in this lineup still probably won’t be on the team next week, and two of them may not even be in the organization. Cole Ragans gets his final tune-up before the regular season starts. Scheduled to pitch behind him are:
No more minor league cannon fodder for the Rockies. The Royals are just about ready to get serious, here.
Knock on wood, but if the Royals make it through today’s game safely, they will have accomplished what is always the most important goal of Spring Training: they will have gotten through it mostly healthy. Stephen Kolek is already throwing again, and other players who missed time have been back in the lineup and on the field. Our long winter is just about over, and the summer gets started next week. Go Royals!
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