KC Royals Spring Training: A new, but short, schedule

The KC Royals, idled by the frustrating lockout that ended Thursday afternoon, are back at work. While players aren’t required to report to the club’s Surprise, Arizona, spring training headquarters until Sunday, some are already there, joining the club’s minor leaguers who arrived and started workouts several days ago.

Time, however, is short. So, too, is Kansas City’s revised exhibition game schedule, which the club released Friday.

The Royals were originally slated to play 30 spring games, 21 of which MLC canceled during the lockout. Now, and starting Friday—less than a week after Sunday’s official report date—they’ll squeeze 17 games into 19 days. Game times have yet to be announced.

Not surprisingly, Kansas City will open against Texas, with whom they share spring training facilities, in Friday’s belated exhibition opener. The Royals will take Saturday off, then embark on a 13-straight day slate of contests beginning next Sunday with a home game against the Diamondbacks.

That schedule also includes two dates with Oakland and single games with the Angels, Rockies, Cincinnati, the Dodgers, the Cubs, Cleveland, the Mariners, San Francisco, the Padres, and another contest with the Rangers.

After another day off April 2, the Royals finish their abbreviated Cactus League schedule with games against Seattle, the Reds and Milwaukee before heading back to Kansas City for Opening Day against the Guardians. Game time is set for 3:10 p.m. CT April 7.

What should KC Royals fans expect from the short spring training schedule?

Kansas City has a lot of spring work to do in less time than usual. The Royals have little more than three weeks from Sunday’s report date until they play their last exhibition game and break camp April 5.

So, will things be much different? Not drastically, although the club’s regulars will likely play a bit more than usual. Regardless of whether he heads north with the team when spring training ends, expect Bobby Witt Jr. to see a lot of action, especially at third base as the Kansas City brain trust tries to determine where he’ll eventually fit in the lineup. Adalberto Mondesi will also get time at third.

Don’t look for manager Mike Matheny to extend his starting pitchers beyond their typical spring workload; he’s not about to risk injury by rushing any of his potential rotation members.

Otherwise, it will be business as usual in Surprise. Only the time frame has changed.

The Royals have released their truncated Cactus League schedule.