Witt Jr. Out of Lineup for Second Straight Game vs. Astros
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The Kansas City Royals have scored runs in bunches thus far in their series against the Houston Astros, and their offensive brilliance finally paid off in game three.
On Wednesday night, Kansas City hung seven runs on Houston and had an offensive onslaught fueled by the likes of Whit Merrifield, Hunter Dozier, Emmanuel Rivera, Andrew Benintendi and MJ Melendez. The club displayed both power and on-base ability against Christian Javier, who had been one of the more impressive starters in the American League leading up to the outing. On the mound, Brad Keller went 52/3 innings and allowed four runs before the bullpen behind him didn't surrender a single run the rest of the way.
Jun 25, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller (56) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
On Thursday, the 30-50 Royals are back at Minute Maid Park and will square off against the 53-28 Astros looking to escape Houston with a split of their four-game series. On Friday, Kansas City is in Cleveland and will play the first of three games against the Guardians. Pitching probables for that weekend set are Brady Singer vs. Aaron Civale, Jonathan Heasley vs. Triston McKenzie and Zack Greinke vs. Zach Plesac.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this afternoon's game:
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: LHP Kris Bubic (1-5, 7.06 ERA)
Houston: RHP Justin Verlander (10-3, 2.03 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Whit Merrifield (R) - 2B
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- MJ Melendez (L) - DH
- Vinnie Pasquantino (L) - 1B
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) - 3B
- Edward Olivares (R) - RF
- Kyle Isbel (L) - CF
- Nicky Lopez (L) - SS
- Cam Gallagher (R) - C
Bobby Witt Jr. to miss yet another game with hand injury
Jun 21, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) celebrates after the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
After injuring his hand in Tuesday's loss to the Astros, Bobby Witt Jr. underwent some tests to determine further damage. While his X-rays came back negative, the club is being very cautious with its young budding star and doesn't have plans of rushing him back before he's ready. Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Witt took morning grounders in Houston on Thursday but still has some swelling on that right hand. Royals manager Mike Matheny added that all of Witt's scans and tests from Wednesday are clear. Kansas City will take the field without him for the second game in a row, and that loss in the lineup can't exactly be replaced fully in regards to production.
Kris Bubic looking for second win of 2022 season
Jul 2, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic (50) pitches in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Kris Bubic has experienced a mixed bag of outcomes in his last three outings, getting a win but then following it up with a loss and a no-decision. The good news is that he's tossed at least 42/3 innings in each of those starts and has 13 combined strikeouts in them to boot. In Bubic's last appearance against Houston, on June 4, he pitched five scoreless innings and gave up five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He didn't factor into the decision that time, so he'll be looking to change that trend on Thursday afternoon. Houston's lineup is one of the more potent ones in all of baseball, but Bubic is one of the best at inducing double plays (best ground ball double play rate in baseball since 2021). If he does allow a multitude of baserunners in the series finale, that's something to keep an eye on.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: KCSP 610 AM
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