Royals Assign 9 Players to Minor League Camp
The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have assigned nine players to minor league spring training camp. The list includes four members of the 2017 Storm Chasers squad in pitchers Kevin Lenik and Josh Staumont , in addition to catcher Parker Morin and infielder Ryan O'Hearn . University of
The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have assigned nine players to minor league spring training camp. The list includes four members of the 2017 Storm Chasers squad in pitchers
Lenik, 26, was outstanding in 12 appearances with the Storm Chasers in 2017, posting a 1-1 record and 1.88 ERA (5 ER/24.0 IP) with 24 strikeouts and a 0.79 WHIP. He was signed by the Royals as a minor league free agent on June 15, 2017. He also enjoyed a strong Cactus League campaign this year, accumulating a 1.00 ERA (1 ER/9.0 IP) in seven outings. The California native was signed by the Texas Rangers as a non-drafted free agent on February 23, 2016.
Staumont, 24, tallied a 5.63 ERA (5 ER/8.0 IP) with five punchouts in six Cactus League appearances in Spring Training with the Royals. He began 2017 with Omaha, recording a 3-8 mark and 6.28 ERA (53 ER/76.0 IP) with 93 strikeouts over 16 outings (15 starts), before finishing the year with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. In ten starts with the Naturals, the right-hander compiled a 3-4 clip and 4.62 ERA (24 ER/48.2 IP) in 45 punchouts. Prior to this season he was rated the fourth-best prospect in the Royals system by Baseball America. He was selected by Kansas City in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
Morin, 26, split time between Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2017. In 23 contests with the Storm Chasers he accumulated a .167 average (12-72) with four runs, three doubles, one homer and ten RBI. Over 18 tilts with the Naturals the backstop tallied a .179 clip (10-56) with five runs, one doubles and four RBI. Morin has also played with Omaha during parts of the 2014 and 2016 campaigns, and was selected by the Royals in the 14th round of the 2012 MLB Draft.
O'Hearn, 24, impressed in Cactus League play, accumulating a .419 average (13-31) with nine runs, four doubles, one triple, five homers and 13 RBI, with ten of his 13 hits going for extra-base knocks. The left-handed slugger spent the majority of 2017 with the Storm Chasers, tallying a .252 mark (104-413), adding 48 runs, 26 doubles, one triple, 18 homers and 53 RBI. He was rated as the 15th-best prospect in the Royals system prior to this season, and was selected by Kansas City in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.
Asche, 27, hit .280 (7-25) with eight runs, three doubles, one homer and five RBI in 15 Spring Training games with the Royals. In 87 contests with Triple-A Charlotte, he accrued a .292 clip (85-291) with 42 runs, 15 doubles, one triple, 14 homers and 57 RBI, in addition to a .392 on-base percentage. A five-year Major League veteran, Asche has totaled a .234 average (290-1238) along with 129 runs, 71 doubles, four triples, 32 homers and 129 RBI between the Philadelphia Phillies (2013-16) and Chicago White Sox (2017). He was originally selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2011 MLB Draft after attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 2008-11.
Lovelady, 22, posted a 2.70 ERA (1 ER/3.1 IP) in four Cactus League relief outings with the Royals in 2018. The southpaw split 2017 between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas, combining for a 4-2 mark and 1.62 ERA (12 ER/66.2 IP) with ten saves in 42 appearances. Prior to this season he was rated the 28th-best prospect in the Royals organization by Baseball America, in addition to being recognized as possessing the "Best Slider" in the system. Lovelady was selected by the Royals in the tenth round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
Mejia, 23, tallied a .370 average (10-27), adding nine runs, three doubles, two triples and five RBI in 18 Cactus League contests this year. he played most of 2017 with Double-A Tulsa, accumulating a .289 mark (103-356) with 61 runs, 17 doubles, three triples, seven homers and 30 RBI over 102 games. Mejia this past offseason was acquired by the Royals as part of a January 4, 2018 trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers that sent former Storm Chasers lefty
Dini, 24, collected two hits in 11 at-bats with the Royals over eight Spring Training contests, including a home run. He spent the majority of the 2017 campaign with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, recording a .310 clip (67-216) with 22 runs, nine doubles, two homers and 25 RBI in 64 games with the Naturals. The backstop was selected by Kansas City in the 14th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
Following the announced moves, the Royals have 39 players in Major League camp. Of the 39 players remaining, 11 are non-roster invitees.