Royals Rumblings - News for March 17, 2023

Mar 17, 2023 - 12:16 PM

The Royals signed pitcher Jake Brentz to a two-year deal and added him to the 40-man roster.

Brentz opened the 2022 season with Kansas City but pitched in only eight games while trying to play through injury. He went on the injured list at the end of April with a left flexor strain. After trying to come back without surgery, Brentz eventually had season-ending Tommy John surgery at the end of July. A typical recovery from Tommy John is one year, so Brentz could make rehab appearances in the second half of this season.

Anne Rogers writes about what’s next for Jackson Kowar after being optioned.

The Royals want and need Kowar to help them this year. The key to finding success, they believe, is unlocking his slider. In a meeting on Wednesday that included Kowar, manager Matt Quatraro, general manager J.J. Picollo, pitching coach Brian Sweeney, assistant pitching coach Zach Bove and director of pitching performance Paul Gibson, the message was clear. They reinforced Kowar’s progress with the slider and urged him to continue working on it....

“It seems like an insurmountable hill sometimes when you get optioned. Like, ‘Oh, here we go again, how am I going to get out of this?’ But there will be opportunities. The department’s been great about the messaging from top to bottom, and that’s all I can really ask for.”

Bobby Witt Jr. has been soaking up knowledge from his Team USA teammates.

There are a couple of factors that could explain his sharp dip in decision-making around that midway mark of the season.

The first reason is more universal: pitchers adjusted to Witt, and Witt took some time to make his own adjustment. By the time he did, it wasn’t enough to really push him back to those early-season runs-added marks.

The second reason could be contributed to an injury he suffered against the Rays on July 24th, and how Mike Matheny handled him during that timespan.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter writes about what fans can expect from Witt this year.

Edwin Diaz ruptured his patella tendon and is out for the year.

How could the Mets deal with the Diaz injury?

Why the benefits from the World Baseball Classic still outweigh the risks.

MLB will intensify the hunt for illegal substances.

Which teams could go from a losing record to the playoffs this year?

Free agent pitcher Matt Harvey is still looking for another shot.

Which players are out of options?

Inside Furman’s upset over Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

What version of Aaron Rodgers will the Jets be getting?

Here are the sports stadiums using facial recognition technology.

YouTube TV announces a price hike.

The 20 best Irish movies, ranked.

Your song of the day is Flogging Molly with Drunken Lullabies.