KC Royals News: Hot Miami is in town, Walter Pennington isn't, and more

Tonight, and for the first time in 10 days, the KC Royals will play at home, where they're a comfortable 25-14. On tap for this evening's 7:10 p.m. CDT first pitch, another night game Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoon's series finale, is Miami and its unsightly 11-23 road record.

On paper, the Marlins could be considered easy pickings for Kansas City. But because the Royals, once one of this season's hottest teams, have lost 18 of their last 26 games, Miami's status as one of the majors' worst clubs doesn't matter. Add that the Marlins are 4-1 in their last five games (including two walk-offs against St. Louis and another against Seattle in consecutive contests), and just took a series from the American League West-leading Mariners, and what once projected as an easy series for the Royals doesn't look that way anymore.

That the Marlins are looking better should give Kansas City pause. As their recent success, and 14-13 May record prove, they can play decently, which doesn't bode particularly well for the Royals when they're performing as badly as they are.

So the Royals, just a day removed from suffering a series sweep for the first time this season, need to right the ship. Now. A big four-game series with the Guardians begins Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.

While KC's bullpen struggles, a hot reliever remains in the minors

Take a few moments and peruse Royals-related social media. Ablaze with complaints and concerns about the team, also at its forefront are cries for Omaha reliever Walter Pennington's immediate promotion.

Considering the club's all-too-obvious bullpen problems, those cries may well be justified.

Pennington, after all, is 4-2 with two saves in 29 appearances for the Triple-A Storm Chasers; more importantly, he's surrendered only 10 earned runs in 50 innings, giving him a stingy 1.80 ERA. His 0.86 WHIP, .153 OBA, 13.14 K/9, and 2.88 BB/9 are superb.

Why, then, haven't the Royals called him up to Kansas City? That's a good question, and one general manager J.J. Picollo will be hearing more and more often if his bullpen doesn't get better soon.

Two ex-Kansas City pitchers are back in the majors

A pair of former Royals relievers have new big league jobs.

Aaron Brooks is the most recent of the two to land major league work. The A's designated him for assignment June 3 and, after no team claimed him on waivers, outrighted him to Triple-A Las Vegas, then brought him back to Oakland Sunday. He was 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA in four games for the Athletics before they DFA'd him.

Brooks pitched for the Royals during their 2014 and 2015 World Series seasons. He later went to Korea and put together an excellent 14-9, 2.79 ERA record in two campaigns (2020 and 2021) with the KBO's Kia Tigers.

Tim Hill, released by the White Sox last Tuesday, signed on with the Yankees late last week. A Royal in 2018 and 2019, Hill was 1-0, 5.87 for Chicago; in his first New York appearance Thursday, he gave up three unearned runs, all on Anthony Santander's home run, in the one inning he worked against Baltimore.

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