By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The Kansas City Royals offense exploded in spring training action on Tuesday, defeating the Texas Rangers 15-6 and remaining unbeaten during their time in Surprise, Arizona.
Seth Lugo made his spring training debut, pitching two innings and giving up three runs, all on a three run home run from Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras, and walking two batters. Kansas City got home runs from two non-roster invitees, infielder Tyler Tolbert and newly signed catcher Luke Maile.
For the first time in Michael Massey’s career, he took the field and veered toward the outfield grass rather than the infield dirt. Massey got his first chance at playing left field logging four innings in the field and going 2-for-3 at the plate.
“A little different being out there,” Massey told reporters following the game. “I haven’t played out there since I was a kid. But just seeing the ball and getting reps, I feel like it’s going to be really good for me. … I’m excited. Any way I can help the team is what I’m trying to do. It’s a good challenge.”
And he was challenged right with two opportunities in the first inning. Starter Seth Lugo allowed a few harder-hit balls and more fly balls during his spring debut, which is to be expected in Arizona.
“I was glad to get him some work,” said Lugo, who allowed three runs in two innings over 41 pitches. “Pitching in Arizona, some breaking balls just don’t perform like you’d expect them to, so they get above the barrel and get more fly balls out here.”
Corey Seager hit a fly ball to left in the first inning, and Massey was able to track it down, park under it with his glove up to shade the sun and make a clean and easy catch. Two batters later, Adolis García hit a fly ball to left that Massey broke back on, but he wasn’t able to run an efficient route after losing it in the air. Massey still made the inning-ending catch on a run.
“The first one, I was just so nervous that I was hoping to catch it and don’t even remember it,” Massey said. “But the second one was tough. It was to my right, I broke back, and I’ve been trying to work on being able to take my eye off the ball and then find it again. Took my eye off it, looked up, saw the sun, didn’t see the ball, and then just the work I’ve been doing with [outfield coach Damon Hollins took over], figuring out how to shift myself and see the ball again and get a different angle.”
As the Royals audition both Massey and Jonathan India, two career infielders, in left field this spring, both are learning on the fly and getting game reps under a sunny and high sky in Arizona -- perhaps the best place to learn because it’s one of the hardest places to play outfield. India learned that Sunday when he wasn’t wearing sunglasses in the second inning and lost a ball in the sun, watching it drop in front of him for a “sun ball” double. He went out to the field in the third with sunglasses.
Royals are back in spring training action on Wednesday, taking on the Colorado Rockies. Michael Wacha will make his spring training debut, Daniel Lynch and St. Joseph's Noah Cameron are also scheduled to pitch after throwing a combined four scoreless innings in the spring opener.
First pitch is at 2:05 against the Rockies, pregame can be heard at 2pm on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.