KC Royals News: TV games, the WBC, and a big retirement

Fans eager and able to see the KC Royals in action should enjoy tonight.

Kansas City, atop the Cactus League at 10-2 half-way through the second full week of exhibition games, didn't play Tuesday. But they'll be back at it this evening when they take on the White Sox in a televised contest.

Game time is slated for 7:05 p.m. CT on Bally Sports Kansas City.

Brad Keller, striving to return to the rotation after finishing last season in the bullpen, gets the start against the Sox, who are now managed by former Kansas City bench coach Pedro Grifol and boast five former Royals on their roster. Keller has six strikeouts in 4.2 innings; he's surrendered three runs, but two of those came during a shaky inning in his first outing.

The Royals will be without the services of Bobby Witt Jr. and Brady Singer, both of whom have left camp to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. That doesn't mean you can't see them tonight, though—the U.S. plays the San Francisco Giants in a televised exhibition game on MLB Network starting at 8 p.m. CT.

Fans wanting a look at Robbie Glendinning, one of the Royals' hottest hitters this spring, can tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 9 p.m. CT when his Australian team takes on Korea in the opening game for both clubs.

MLB Network has the telecast when MJ Melendez and Team Puerto Rico play the Red Sox in a pre-WBC exhibition tilt at 10 p.m. CT.

And for those who really don't mind missing some sleep, MLB Network has Venezuela, featuring Salvador Perez, Carlos Hernández, Max Castillo and Ángel Zerpa, vs. defending World Series champion Houston starting at 2 a.m. CT.

KC Royals great Lorenzo Cain has announced his retirement

Kansas City fans knew this moment was coming, but Wednesday's news that Lorenzo Cain is retiring is indeed bittersweet.

Some talk of a Royal reunion with Cain, who worked so much magic in center field and slashed .289/.342/.421 in seven Kansas City seasons, surfaced almost immediately after Milwaukee DFA'd and then released him last June. Nothing ever came of the chatter, though, and Cain, who'll turn 37 next month, now heads for a well-deserved retirement with 13 major league seasons behind him.

Cain came to the Royals via the 2010 trade that sent Zack Greinke, winner of the 2009 American League Cy Young award, and Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers for him, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi. Somewhat controversial at the time, the deal turned out to be one of the best ever made by Kansas City. Cain's subsequent KC career was stellar.

He returned to Milwaukee as a free agent in 2018 and won his first (and curiously only) Gold Glove a year later. Cain hit .270 with a .344 OBP after rejoining the Brewers.

He'll also be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame next month.