Dotel could end up on DL

According to MLB.com, the Royals could be without their new closer, Octavio Dotel, for more than just opening day. Dotel is feeling discomfort in his left oblique and won't pitch Monday against the Red Sox. He will be re-evaluated Wednesday. "There is a chance that he could be put on the disabled list," manager Buddy Bell said before the Royals' public workout Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. "We don't think it is a long-term situation." GM Dayton Moore said the team does not want to rush Dotel and risk further injury. "He wants to go, but we want to be cautious," Moore said.

Bell doesn't know who will close while Dotel is out, but said Joakim Soria and Todd Wellemeyer could pitch in the later innings. "We are going to play it by ear right now," Bell said. The sad part for Dotel is that he had a great spring training and looked as good as ever. Fantasy owners should keep Dotel out of active Fantasy lineups until further notice. Soria has closer's experience, but that came in the Mexican Pacific League last season. He would be the likely candidate to close games, if Dotel is out for an extended period. Although the team could go with Wellemeyer because he is more accustomed to the MLB game. Either way, all three players are just low-end options because the Royals might have a hard time getting their closer save opportunities.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com

Greinke begins season as Royals No.3 starter

Thirteen months after he left the Royals' camp to deal with social anxiety, Zack Greinke is back in the Kansas City Royals' starting rotation. Greinke will be the Royals' No. 3 starter and will pitch in their opening series against theRed Sox, manager Buddy Bell said after Greinke's five-inning stint Sunday. "He doesn't need to do any more than he is doing now," Bell said. "I just hope he stays this way and he's encouraged by all this." Greinke allowed four hits and three runs, two of those unearned, against the Brewers. He struck out seven and has a 3.32 ERA in five spring appearances. "I'm pitching good right now, but the key is who is going to be the best during the season," he said.

Greinke abruptly left the Royals' 2006 camp in February and returned to his home in Orlando, Fla. When he did return, he spent much of the season with Double-A Wichita. Consider the immensely talented right-hander a third-year starting pitcher sleeper candidate in deeper leagues on Draft Day. The Royals won't come close to .500, but Greinke could prove useful when the match ups are right.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com

Gordon: Officially named Royals starting third baseman

Alex Gordon was officially named the Royals' starting third baseman. Not a huge surprise here, as Gordon has done little to shed his advanced billing in camp, going 16-for-41 (.390) with a .650 slugging percentage. Topping it off, Royals manager Buddy Bell is leaning toward batting Gordon fifth in the lineup, giving the 23-year-old blue chipper a fair amount of RBI possibilities. Having slugged .588 with 29 homers and 22 steals at Double-A Wichita last season, Gordon makes for a legitimate top 10 third baseman in mixed formats.
Source: MLB.com

Royals Have Not Confirmed Gordon As Starting 3B

Royals officials continue to resist confirming rookie Alex Gordon will be the club’s starting third baseman when the regular season opens two weeks from today.

"It’s still early," general manager Dayton Moore insisted, "but he’s doing everything that we expected that he would do. We’ll have some more meetings at the start of (this) week and look at some things." “He’s been great,” manager Buddy Bell said. “I’ll say this: I don’t think he has to play any better to make the team.”

Gordon is batting .394 this spring after hitting a homer in Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants. That includes a seven-for-15 surge over his last six games since returning from a bruised shoulder suffered in a March 9 game against the Angels. Gordon, 23, was the consensus minor-league player of the year in 2006 when he batted .325 at Class AA Wichita with 29 homers and 101 RBIs in 130 games.

The Royals are unlikely to make any official move until the end of spring training because Gordon is, technically, a minor-league invite who must be added to the 40-man roster. Stay Tuned.
Source: The Kansas City Star

Berroa Could Lose Job As Royals' Shortstop

Angel Berroa has gone from 2003 AL Rookie of the Year to possibly losing his job as the Kansas City Royals' starting shortstop. After the Royals defeated the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, manager Buddy Bell worked with Berroa in the batting cages. Giants left-hander Barry Zito struck out Berroa twice -- giving Berroa 12 strikeouts in 26 at-bats during spring training with no walks. Bell said Berroa will be competing for the starting job with Alex Gonzalez, who has started for the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, and prospect Andres Blanco.

"It is open," Bell said. "We still want Angel to be the shortstop. We still expect him to be the shortstop, but that could change in the next couple of days. He has to play better. He knows that. He wants to play better. Angel is still ahead. That is a decision that more than likely will go down to the end."

Berroa hit .287 with 17 homers, 92 runs and 21 steals as a rookie. In 2006, Berroa faded to .234 with nine homers, 68 runs and three stolen bases in four attempts. He grounded into 21 double plays and his .190 road batting average was the worst in the AL.
Source: AP

Greinke: Contending For Rotation Spot

Contending for a spot in the Royals rotation, Zack Greinke had his best outing of the spring on Wednesday, striking out six and walking none over four shutout innings vs. the Rockies. Few Kansas City starters have Greinke's upside, even with his 2006 sabbatical. After all, not many 20-year-olds rack up a 1.16 WHIP and a 100/26 K/BB ratio in the Majors, which Greinke did as a rookie in 2004. Sure, it will probably take some time for him to regain such advanced strike-zone command, but he'll likely be good enough to make a rotation that sported baseball's worst ERA last year (5.65).
Source: MLB.com

2007 Royals Projected Lineup

2007 Kansas City Royals

Batting Order

1. CF David DeJesus
2. 2B Mark Grudzielanek*
3. RF Mark Teahen
4. DH Mike Sweeney
5. 1B Ryan Shealy
6. 3B Alex Gordon
7. LF Emil Brown / Reggie Sanders
8. C John Buck / Jason LaRue
9. SS Angel Berroa


On the assumption that super-prospect Gordon can successfully make the jump from Double-A to the majors, Teahen moves to right. Gordon will hit lower in the order for now to ease the pressure, but will soon be a fixture in the No. 3 spot. DeJesus could develop into a Grady Sizemore-type leadoff man, albeit one with slightly less home-run power. Sweeney's health is always a concern, but the emergence of Shealy will ease the pain. LaRue arrives from Cincinnati to give Buck competition behind the plate.

*Mark Grudzielanek had arthroscopic surgery on March 5th to repair a medial meniscus cartilage tear in his left knee, and is out indefinately. Utilityman Esteban German is a good bet to handle the second-base duties while Grudzielanek is sidelined.


Rotation

Gil Meche
Odalis Perez
Luke Hudson

4th & 5th spots up for grabs
Jorge De La Rosa
Brian Bannister
Zach Greinke.

* Scott Elarton is not typically mentioned in the mix, but the rehabbing right-hander could be ready by May 1.

Closer: Octavio Dotel

Sweeney Will Try To Stay Healthy

After being held out of the Royals' first four Spring Training games, Mike Sweeney went 1-for-3 in his Cactus League debut on Monday. Manager Buddy Bell plans to regulate Sweeney's playing time in Spring Training so as to keep his captain healthy for Opening Day. Sweeney, who played in just 60 games last season because of a bulging disk in his back, is scheduled to appear in Wednesday's "B" game against the Rangers and hopes to get 40-50 Spring Training at-bats this spring "in a perfect world."
Source: MLB.com

Grudzielanek To Have Knee Surgery

Mark Grudzielanek will undergo arthroscopic surgery Monday to repair a medial meniscus cartilage tear in his left knee. Grudzielanek, 36, suffered the injury during pregame workouts on Saturday. There is no timetable for his return. Utilityman Esteban German is a good bet to handle the second-base duties while Grudzielanek is sidelined. Grudzielanek won a Gold Glove last season for defensive excellence at second base and led the club’s regulars with a .297 average while playing 134 games.
Source: KansasCity.com

Teahen Moved To Right, Gordon To Play Third

A third baseman throughout his short career, Mark Teahen will be the starting right fielder in Thursday's exhibition contest. The Royals' decision to transition Teahen to right this early in Spring Training speaks volumes about their feelings for blue-chip third-base prospect Alex Gordon and the rookie's readiness for prime time. Barring a huge setback, look for Gordon, a five-category stud in the Minors, to receive the large majority of starts at third in 2007.
Source: MLB.com

Bannister Hopeful

Starter Brian Bannister developed a two-seam fastball during his monthlong stint in the Mexican League while the Mets competed in the National League Division Series and National League Championship Series last October.

Bannister, 26, hopes the new pitch will help him sneak into the Royals rotation, a strong likelihood considering the team traded promising reliever Ambiorix Burgos for him this past offseason.
Source: MLB.com