Perez Reinstated From IL Before Royals’ Game vs. Twins
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With a 1-0 series advantage following Thursday's game, the Kansas City Royals squandered their lead on Friday evening with a loss.
In game No. 44 for the Royals, the club surrendered a whopping 10 runs to their division rivals. The Minnesota Twins' bats were hot all night, and starting pitcher Brad Keller had arguably his worst outing of the year. In four innings of work, the 26-year-old allowed 11 hits and six runs with a pair of home runs and a trio of walks. It wasn't the outing the Royals needed and despite their ability to claw back to score seven runs overall, it wasn't enough in the end.
On Saturday, the 15-29 Royals are back at Target Field and will be looking to secure at least a series split against the first-place Twins. Pitching probables for Sunday's series finale are Zack Greinke for Kansas City and Sonny Gray for Minnesota. Continuing their American League Central road trip after Sunday, the Royals will travel to Cleveland to square off against the Guardians up next.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this afternoon's game:
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: RHP Brady Singer (1-0, 1.83 ERA)
Minnesota: RHP Chris Archer (0-1, 3.86 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Whit Merrifield (R) - CF
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- Bobby Witt Jr. (R) - SS
- Salvador Perez (R) - DH
- MJ Melendez (L) - C
- Hunter Dozier (R) - RF
- Carlos Santana (S) - 1B
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) - 3B
- Nicky Lopez (L) - 2B
Salvador Perez reinstated from 10-day Injured List
After dealing with a sprained thumb that caused him to land on the 10-day Injured List, catcher Salvador Perez is activated and will be in Saturday's lineup for the Royals. While the veteran star has struggled this season, he's fared much better when playing out of the designated hitter spot. This not only allows Perez to ease his way back into the swing of things, but it also provides rookie MJ Melendez with opportunities to get quality reps behind the plate. In a corresponding move to Perez's activation, the Royals optioned catcher Sebastian Rivero to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Brady Singer looking to continue reaching high notes
In two starts since being promoted from Triple-A Omaha, Brady Singer has tossed 14 innings of eight-hit, three-walk, 12-strikeout ball without allowing a single run. In fact, Singer hasn't been charged with a run since his season debut back on April 10. The "secret" to his improvement has been increased changeup usage, as the pitch works off his other offerings and has flashed the ability to be a competent option overall. For the second time in a row, Singer will take the mound looking to secure a win against Minnesota. He landed a no-decision last time out, so both he and the Royals will be hoping for a different outcome this time around.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: KCSP 610 AM
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Jordan Foote is the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals, as well as the deputy editor of Arrowhead Report and a producer for Kansas City Sports Network. Jordan is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media with a minor in Sports Administration. Follow him on Twitter @footenoted.