Spring Training Game 21: Royals v. Rangers

The Royals face an old friend

A lot of improbable things happened for the Royals in the 2015 postseason. They came back from down four runs in the 8th inning in game four of the ALDS while facing elimination. They knew that Jose Bautista would throw the ball to second on a ball hit to the corner, allowing Lorenzo Cain to score the winning run in game six of the ALCS. They knew that Lucas Duda couldn’t throw.

But one thing that kinda got forgotten was when Edinson Volquez dipped his fastball and changeup into a vat of radioactive chemicals before game one of the ALCS. The results were absolutely disgusting.

In fact, he saw pretty legitimate increases to the vertical and horizontal movement on his fastball for the duration of the postseason.

After missing all of 2018 after having Tommy John surgery, Volquez is back on a Major League roster with the Rangers and will take the mound today in split squad action against the Royals.

Jakob Junis will be on the bump for Kansas City, making his second start of the spring after striking out four Diamondbacks across his three innings of work last week.

Here are your lineups for this afternoon’s action.