OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, welcome back. Great to be back (at) Missouri Western State University, man. We love this place, and it’s a great place to have training camp. We appreciate all the people and the jobs that they do for us here. They roll out the red carpet and again, take care of us like no other. So, we appreciate all of that and we look forward to getting this camp going. As far as any of the injuries go, I can update you real quick. PUP, the people that will start on PUP, (Kristian) Fulton will start on PUP, Jawaan Taylor and Tre Watson. Those three will start there but everybody else is good to go. We should be ripping and ready by tomorrow. We jump right into it with testing tomorrow and then we have meetings, both business meetings for the NFL and also meetings for the football part of it. Other than that, we look forward to the season getting started. It should be a great environment up here for learning and for conditioning with the heat that we are going to have – and we normally have up here. It should get us ready and build a nice foundation for us to start the season. As far as Rashee (Rice) goes, I mean that is obvious news out there. Now, we’re going to progress as normal with him, he’ll go in and take all the reps that he'd normally take. We always rotate that position, so depending on what happens here, in the future, whoever needs to play will be able to step in, and they’ll know what they’re doing and be in good shape to do it. But like I said, just progress as normal. Other than that, time is yours.”

Q: Do you have any idea of the timeline for the punishment handed down from the NFL for Rashee Rice?

REID:&nbsp;“No. I don’t have anything.”

Q: Have you had any conversations about it?

Q: What is the length of absence you expect for Kristian Fulton and Jawaan Taylor?

REID:&nbsp;“Well we’re hoping that – we’re hoping that its relatively fast. I’d tell you, Jawaan (Taylor) is probably closer right now.”

Q: Is there anything different about coming to training camp after a Super Bowl loss?

REID:&nbsp;“This part stays tough. It’s never an easy camp and it builds you a foundation that you can bank on. It’s important that the guys come in with the right frame of mind, (and) they know that. They pass a word down to the young guys that they better be ready to go. That helps us in the long haul.”

Q:&nbsp;What would it mean to be able to sign George Karlaftis to a long-term deal to this organization?

REID:&nbsp;“That would be a great deal. I think that’s already done, just so if you need some breaking news (laughter). That’s a great thing. And he’s a heck of a player, and he’s done a great job here, and he’s profited from that. Our team also profits from him being around, so it’s a win-win there.”

Q<a>:</a>&nbsp;What did&nbsp;you&nbsp;<a>see in</a>&nbsp;him late in the season last year?

REID:&nbsp;“He is a relentless player, I mean that’s what you get with George (Karlaftis). He’s&nbsp;<a>smart;</a>&nbsp;relentless. You can trust and know that he is reliable, so you can trust that he is going to be there and do the right things and go 100 miles an hour doing them. Very well respected that way.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you plan to start with the initial left tackle rotations with Josh Simmons and Jawaan (Taylor)?

REID:&nbsp;“Oh, Jawaan (Taylor) is out for the beginning, so we’ll just flip those two guys, and they’ll&nbsp;<a>work in</a>&nbsp;there, and we’ll&nbsp;<a>go from</a>&nbsp;there. (Offensive Line Coach) Andy (Heck) rotates all those guys anyways.”

Q:&nbsp;How important was it for you as a coach to have these young, core guys locked up for long term deals?

REID:&nbsp;“I mean it’s great to have, great from a coach's standpoint to have that. The tough job is with each, having to juggle the financial part of it. But we love having that. Continuity is a big thing, with your good, young players, and (General Manager Brett) Veach has done a&nbsp;<a>real</a>&nbsp;nice job with his group in the drafts. So, to sort all of that out, (Assistant General Manager) Chris Shea and the guys, they have to work through all of that, the money part of it, and they do a heck of a job with it. So, it’s an ongoing thing, as you go, you&nbsp;<a>got</a>&nbsp;to really have a good&nbsp;<a>feel</a>&nbsp;and a good plan for the future as you do it.”

Q:&nbsp;On Trey Smith being a sixth-round pick to being the highest paid guard in NFL history.

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, how great is that? How great is that man? Sixth round pick. Came in with a lung situation and the blood clots and was able to work through that and it’s a great thing they were able to work through that, just for his (Trey Smith) overall health, football or no football; but to be able to come in and play at the level that he’s played at and that toughness that he brings with it.&nbsp;<a>He’s</a>&nbsp;an aggressive personality on the field. Teddy&nbsp;<a>bear</a>&nbsp;off the field, aggressive personality on the field, man. He brings it every game.”

Q:&nbsp;Can you give us an overview of what you’re going to be looking for at left tackle with that position and training camp?

REID:&nbsp;“You look, you got to look for the best guy, I mean, to start with, that can fill in that spot, (so) that we can have a little consistency there. We didn’t have that last year and so let’s work&nbsp;<a>at</a>&nbsp;it and see what we come up with. We’ve got some good candidates for it, and you know, we’ll just see where it goes.”

Q: You always wanted your camps to be hard for a reason. How moderated are they since you first became a head coach? I know the rules changed a little bit.

REID:&nbsp;“I’ve been in this with you (laughter), so you know. We’ve been around awhile, so it’s way different than when we first got into it, but within the rules, you’re always player safety (conscious). That is number one on this thing, so you don’t want to put those guys in a bind. But at the same time, it is a tough sport. It’s tough. So, there is a point where you gotta reach down and you got to be able to push yourself through some things and these camps still do that, it’s just at a different level then maybe what it was when I first became a head coach.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you still feel that late in the season in the December games, you can picture how they draw from this and this time?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I listen to the players. That’s what I do. I use those guys as kind of the thermometer on things. They tell you. They go, ‘Man, I’m glad we did those long drive drills - we hate them, but I’m glad we did them.’ They pay off in the end.”

Q:&nbsp;When it comes to Josh Simmons, how much of that are you interested in? Just the conditioning part of it and has he been given the all clear to fully participate?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, he (Josh Simmons) stayed up here this whole break, he has been here and working his tail off, and so it looks like - and the way he finished phase three – but it looks like he is ready to go. We’ll keep an eye on him and see where he is at but his conditioning was good when he was out there, and he seems to be a worker so we’ll just have to see. He’s never been through one of these. So we gotta see how it goes.”

Q:&nbsp;We always ask the players what they bring. For many years when you come here what do you bring when you come and stay at the dorms?

REID:&nbsp;“It seems like I brought less this year (laughter) so I don’t know. Maybe Shrop (Assistant Equipment Manager Chris Shropshire) took care of me (laughter) I don’t know. It felt like I didn’t bring very much. They got all the shorts and everything for us and that is all you wear up here.”

Q:&nbsp;Is the first team meeting tomorrow? Are the players reporting?

Q:&nbsp;Given you’ve had some time to think about it, is there a certain message you want to start training camp with for the guys?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ll hit them with that (the) first day, but expectations are always high. That’s a plus and the guys that have been here have earned that right to have it that way. But at the same time, you gotta maintain that and even strive to be better. The AFC West is a tough conference and it’s not getting any worse, that’s for sure. These guys have good coaching, and they have good players so just that alone is a great challenge for us and so here we sit and we have an opportunity to put ourselves in a position to make ourselves better every day we go through this thing so let’s do that.”

Q:&nbsp;How important will this camp be for Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, sure. It’ll be great to have them (Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy) out there. When they were together out there last year, that was – for camp – for the part of camp that they were there, that was a positive for us.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you find yourself having to place a timeline on when you expect to have a decision on who is starting at left tackle?

REID:&nbsp;“I think by the time you get out of this thing you’d like to have an idea of who that is, right? You want to have a feel on it. So, we evaluate these guys every play, Herbie (Teope). For – whether it’s a light practice or a hard practice they’re evaluated and graded, and so on. So, we’ll see how it all sorts out.”

Q: On having a battle at left guard and left tackle.

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’m okay with that. These are young guys that are going to get in there and compete, and I think that’s a positive thing, and we’re going to come out with somebody that’s a good player. So, I’m good with it. Yeah.”

Q: On Rashee Rice returning from injury.

REID:&nbsp;“We’ll keep an eye on that, yeah, for sure. Yeah, Sam (McDowell) – we’ll keep an eye on that part. But as far as pulling back because of suspensions, or whatever that whole thing is, then you know, we’re going forward with it and then we’ll monitor him as far as the injury goes.”

Q: But he came out good from the summer?

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, welcome back. Great to be back (at) Missouri Western State University, man. We love this place, and it’s a great place to have training camp. We appreciate all the people and the jobs that they do for us here. They roll out the red carpet and again, take care of us like no other. So, we appreciate all of that and we look forward to getting this camp going. As far as any of the injuries go, I can update you real quick. PUP, the people that will start on PUP, (Kristian) Fulton will start on PUP, Jawaan Taylor and Tre Watson. Those three will start there but everybody else is good to go. We should be ripping and ready by tomorrow. We jump right into it with testing tomorrow and then we have meetings, both business meetings for the NFL and also meetings for the football part of it. Other than that, we look forward to the season getting started. It should be a great environment up here for learning and for conditioning with the heat that we are going to have – and we normally have up here. It should get us ready and build a nice foundation for us to start the season. As far as Rashee (Rice) goes, I mean that is obvious news out there. Now, we’re going to progress as normal with him, he’ll go in and take all the reps that he'd normally take. We always rotate that position, so depending on what happens here, in the future, whoever needs to play will be able to step in, and they’ll know what they’re doing and be in good shape to do it. But like I said, just progress as normal. Other than that, time is yours.”Q: Do you have any idea of the timeline for the punishment handed down from the NFL for Rashee Rice?REID:&nbsp;“No. I don’t have anything.”Q: Have you had any conversations about it?REID:&nbsp;“No.”Q: What is the length of absence you expect for Kristian Fulton and Jawaan Taylor?REID:&nbsp;“Well we’re hoping that – we’re hoping that its relatively fast. I’d tell you, Jawaan (Taylor) is probably closer right now.”Q: Is there anything different about coming to training camp after a Super Bowl loss?REID:&nbsp;“This part stays tough. It’s never an easy camp and it builds you a foundation that you can bank on. It’s important that the guys come in with the right frame of mind, (and) they know that. They pass a word down to the young guys that they better be ready to go. That helps us in the long haul.”Q:&nbsp;What would it mean to be able to sign George Karlaftis to a long-term deal to this organization?REID:&nbsp;“That would be a great deal. I think that’s already done, just so if you need some breaking news (laughter). That’s a great thing. And he’s a heck of a player, and he’s done a great job here, and he’s profited from that. Our team also profits from him being around, so it’s a win-win there.”Q<a>:</a>&nbsp;What did&nbsp;you&nbsp;<a>see in</a>&nbsp;him late in the season last year?REID:&nbsp;“He is a relentless player, I mean that’s what you get with George (Karlaftis). He’s&nbsp;<a>smart;</a>&nbsp;relentless. You can trust and know that he is reliable, so you can trust that he is going to be there and do the right things and go 100 miles an hour doing them. Very well respected that way.”Q:&nbsp;How do you plan to start with the initial left tackle rotations with Josh Simmons and Jawaan (Taylor)?REID:&nbsp;“Oh, Jawaan (Taylor) is out for the beginning, so we’ll just flip those two guys, and they’ll&nbsp;<a>work in</a>&nbsp;there, and we’ll&nbsp;<a>go from</a>&nbsp;there. (Offensive Line Coach) Andy (Heck) rotates all those guys anyways.”Q:&nbsp;How important was it for you as a coach to have these young, core guys locked up for long term deals?REID:&nbsp;“I mean it’s great to have, great from a coach's standpoint to have that. The tough job is with each, having to juggle the financial part of it. But we love having that. Continuity is a big thing, with your good, young players, and (General Manager Brett) Veach has done a&nbsp;<a>real</a>&nbsp;nice job with his group in the drafts. So, to sort all of that out, (Assistant General Manager) Chris Shea and the guys, they have to work through all of that, the money part of it, and they do a heck of a job with it. So, it’s an ongoing thing, as you go, you&nbsp;<a>got</a>&nbsp;to really have a good&nbsp;<a>feel</a>&nbsp;and a good plan for the future as you do it.”Q:&nbsp;On Trey Smith being a sixth-round pick to being the highest paid guard in NFL history.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, how great is that? How great is that man? Sixth round pick. Came in with a lung situation and the blood clots and was able to work through that and it’s a great thing they were able to work through that, just for his (Trey Smith) overall health, football or no football; but to be able to come in and play at the level that he’s played at and that toughness that he brings with it.&nbsp;<a>He’s</a>&nbsp;an aggressive personality on the field. Teddy&nbsp;<a>bear</a>&nbsp;off the field, aggressive personality on the field, man. He brings it every game.”Q:&nbsp;Can you give us an overview of what you’re going to be looking for at left tackle with that position and training camp?REID:&nbsp;“You look, you got to look for the best guy, I mean, to start with, that can fill in that spot, (so) that we can have a little consistency there. We didn’t have that last year and so let’s work&nbsp;<a>at</a>&nbsp;it and see what we come up with. We’ve got some good candidates for it, and you know, we’ll just see where it goes.”Q: You always wanted your camps to be hard for a reason. How moderated are they since you first became a head coach? I know the rules changed a little bit.REID:&nbsp;“I’ve been in this with you (laughter), so you know. We’ve been around awhile, so it’s way different than when we first got into it, but within the rules, you’re always player safety (conscious). That is number one on this thing, so you don’t want to put those guys in a bind. But at the same time, it is a tough sport. It’s tough. So, there is a point where you gotta reach down and you got to be able to push yourself through some things and these camps still do that, it’s just at a different level then maybe what it was when I first became a head coach.”Q:&nbsp;Do you still feel that late in the season in the December games, you can picture how they draw from this and this time?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I listen to the players. That’s what I do. I use those guys as kind of the thermometer on things. They tell you. They go, ‘Man, I’m glad we did those long drive drills - we hate them, but I’m glad we did them.’ They pay off in the end.”Q:&nbsp;When it comes to Josh Simmons, how much of that are you interested in? Just the conditioning part of it and has he been given the all clear to fully participate?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, he (Josh Simmons) stayed up here this whole break, he has been here and working his tail off, and so it looks like - and the way he finished phase three – but it looks like he is ready to go. We’ll keep an eye on him and see where he is at but his conditioning was good when he was out there, and he seems to be a worker so we’ll just have to see. He’s never been through one of these. So we gotta see how it goes.”Q:&nbsp;We always ask the players what they bring. For many years when you come here what do you bring when you come and stay at the dorms?REID:&nbsp;“It seems like I brought less this year (laughter) so I don’t know. Maybe Shrop (Assistant Equipment Manager Chris Shropshire) took care of me (laughter) I don’t know. It felt like I didn’t bring very much. They got all the shorts and everything for us and that is all you wear up here.”Q:&nbsp;Is the first team meeting tomorrow? Are the players reporting?REID:&nbsp;“Yes.”Q:&nbsp;Given you’ve had some time to think about it, is there a certain message you want to start training camp with for the guys?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ll hit them with that (the) first day, but expectations are always high. That’s a plus and the guys that have been here have earned that right to have it that way. But at the same time, you gotta maintain that and even strive to be better. The AFC West is a tough conference and it’s not getting any worse, that’s for sure. These guys have good coaching, and they have good players so just that alone is a great challenge for us and so here we sit and we have an opportunity to put ourselves in a position to make ourselves better every day we go through this thing so let’s do that.”Q:&nbsp;How important will this camp be for Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, sure. It’ll be great to have them (Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy) out there. When they were together out there last year, that was – for camp – for the part of camp that they were there, that was a positive for us.”Q:&nbsp;Do you find yourself having to place a timeline on when you expect to have a decision on who is starting at left tackle?REID:&nbsp;“I think by the time you get out of this thing you’d like to have an idea of who that is, right? You want to have a feel on it. So, we evaluate these guys every play, Herbie (Teope). For – whether it’s a light practice or a hard practice they’re evaluated and graded, and so on. So, we’ll see how it all sorts out.”Q: On having a battle at left guard and left tackle.REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’m okay with that. These are young guys that are going to get in there and compete, and I think that’s a positive thing, and we’re going to come out with somebody that’s a good player. So, I’m good with it. Yeah.”Q: On Rashee Rice returning from injury.REID:&nbsp;“We’ll keep an eye on that, yeah, for sure. Yeah, Sam (McDowell) – we’ll keep an eye on that part. But as far as pulling back because of suspensions, or whatever that whole thing is, then you know, we’re going forward with it and then we’ll monitor him as far as the injury goes.”Q: But he came out good from the summer?

Chiefs Quotes: 7-20-25

MIAMI (AP) — Kris Bubic pitched five shutout innings, Salvador Perez homered and doubled and the Kansas City Royals beat Miami 7-4 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep and end the Marlins' winning streak at four.

Bubic (8-6) gave up three hits and a walk. Andrew Hoffmann came on in the ninth and gave up four runs — none earned — in two-thirds of an inning before Carlos Estévez got the final out for his 26th save.

Perez hit his 15th homer of the season in the eighth.

Kansas City took a 3-0 lead in the fourth, and made it 6-0 in the fifth.

In the fourth, Bobby Witt Jr. scored on Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly, Perez hit a ground-rule double and Jac Caglianone followed with a two-run double off starter Janson Junk (4-2). In the fifth, Jonathan India had a two-run double and Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI sacrifice fly.

Xavier Edwards and Agustín Ramírez each had two RBIs for Miami.

After India popped out to open the fourth, Witt hit his major league-leading 33 double of the season and moved to third on a single by Pasquantino to spark Kansas City's three-run fourth inning.

The Royals, who went into the game with the fourth-most doubles (172) in the major leagues behind the Boston Red Sox (202), Arizona Diamondbacks (178) and New York Yankees (175), had five doubles by five players.

Miami's Eury Pérez (3-2, 3.18 ERA) was scheduled to start Monday night at home against San Diego. Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.31) was set to start for Kansas City on Monday night in Chicago against the Cubs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753051874824.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) gestures as he scores after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) gestures as he scores after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — Kris Bubic pitched five shutout innings, Salvador Perez homered and doubled and the Kansas City Royals beat Miami 7-4 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep and end the Marlins' winning streak at four.Bubic (8-6) gave up three hits and a walk. Andrew Hoffmann came on in the ninth and gave up four runs — none earned — in two-thirds of an inning before Carlos Estévez got the final out for his 26th save.Perez hit his 15th homer of the season in the eighth.Kansas City took a 3-0 lead in the fourth, and made it 6-0 in the fifth.In the fourth, Bobby Witt Jr. scored on Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly, Perez hit a ground-rule double and Jac Caglianone followed with a two-run double off starter Janson Junk (4-2). In the fifth, Jonathan India had a two-run double and Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI sacrifice fly.Xavier Edwards and Agustín Ramírez each had two RBIs for Miami.<h2>Key moment</h2>After India popped out to open the fourth, Witt hit his major league-leading 33 double of the season and moved to third on a single by Pasquantino to spark Kansas City's three-run fourth inning.<h2>Key stat</h2>The Royals, who went into the game with the fourth-most doubles (172) in the major leagues behind the Boston Red Sox (202), Arizona Diamondbacks (178) and New York Yankees (175), had five doubles by five players.<h2>Up next</h2>Miami's Eury Pérez (3-2, 3.18 ERA) was scheduled to start Monday night at home against San Diego. Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.31) was set to start for Kansas City on Monday night in Chicago against the Cubs.

⚾ Bubic pitches 5 scoreless innings, Perez homers to help the Royals beat the Marlins

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (July 19, 2025)—Kyler Fedko homered for the 18th time this year in a 5-4 Wichita Wind Surge win over the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field. Wichita evens the series heading into tomorrow’s series finale and gives the Cardinals their first loss at Hammons Field since June 17.&nbsp;

Kaelen Culpepper reached on a two-base error on the game’s first pitch before scoring on a double play in the top of the first. Kyler Fedko and Rubel Cespedes followed with a pair of solo home runs to left and right an inning later to make the score 3-0 Wind Surge after a frame and a half. Fedko’s blast is his 18th of the year, improving upon his Texas League lead.&nbsp;

Chase Davis pulled a broken bat single into right field to bring in Noah Mendlinger and get the Cardinals on the board in the home half of the third. John Klein would finish his start with just that lone run given up over four innings alongside four hits, one walk, and six strikeouts.&nbsp;

Walker Jenkins connected on a two-out triple to the right center alley in the top of the fifth, then Gabby Gonzalez singled him in on a knock to right field to give Wichita a 4-1 advantage halfway into the game. Culpepper worked a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for another Wind Surge run.&nbsp;

Springfield worked back-to-back RBI doubles to right field from Darlin Moquete and Noah Mendlinger to put themselves within two runs at 5-3 after the stretch in the seventh. A double play in the home half of the eighth whittled the Wichita lead down to one, though Fedko recorded an outfield assist on a throw to second base to end the frame.&nbsp;

John Stankiewicz shut the door with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to notch his fourth save of the year and finish a 5-4 victory for the Wind Surge. Jacob Wosinski also earned the win to jump up to 3-1 with Wichita after retiring all three batters that he faced in the fifth with a strikeout out of the bullpen.&nbsp;

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (July 19, 2025)—Kyler Fedko homered for the 18th time this year in a 5-4 Wichita Wind Surge win over the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field. Wichita evens the series heading into tomorrow’s series finale and gives the Cardinals their first loss at Hammons Field since June 17.&nbsp;Kaelen Culpepper reached on a two-base error on the game’s first pitch before scoring on a double play in the top of the first. Kyler Fedko and Rubel Cespedes followed with a pair of solo home runs to left and right an inning later to make the score 3-0 Wind Surge after a frame and a half. Fedko’s blast is his 18th of the year, improving upon his Texas League lead.&nbsp;Chase Davis pulled a broken bat single into right field to bring in Noah Mendlinger and get the Cardinals on the board in the home half of the third. John Klein would finish his start with just that lone run given up over four innings alongside four hits, one walk, and six strikeouts.&nbsp;Walker Jenkins connected on a two-out triple to the right center alley in the top of the fifth, then Gabby Gonzalez singled him in on a knock to right field to give Wichita a 4-1 advantage halfway into the game. Culpepper worked a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for another Wind Surge run.&nbsp;Springfield worked back-to-back RBI doubles to right field from Darlin Moquete and Noah Mendlinger to put themselves within two runs at 5-3 after the stretch in the seventh. A double play in the home half of the eighth whittled the Wichita lead down to one, though Fedko recorded an outfield assist on a throw to second base to end the frame.&nbsp;John Stankiewicz shut the door with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to notch his fourth save of the year and finish a 5-4 victory for the Wind Surge. Jacob Wosinski also earned the win to jump up to 3-1 with Wichita after retiring all three batters that he faced in the fifth with a strikeout out of the bullpen.&nbsp;POSTGAME NOTES<ul>
 <li>Gabby Gonzalez is up to a 22 Game On Base Streak.&nbsp;</li><li>John Klein, Jacob Wosinski, and Aaron Rozek combined to retire 11 straight Cardinals hitters following Chase Davis’ RBI single in the bottom of the third.&nbsp;</li><li>John Klein records his fifth appearance with six or more strikeouts this season.</li><li>Walker Jenkins tallies three hits for the second straight game.&nbsp;</li><li>Wichita snaps a six game losing streak, Springfield’s eight game winning streak, and the Cardinals’ nine game home winning streak. They hand Springfield their first loss at home since June 17 against Corpus Christi.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Wind Surge edge out Cardinals, snap six-game losing streak

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Recent K-State graduate Serena Sundell will continue her active summer with an international 3x3 tournament, as she will play for the 2025 USA Basketball 3x3 Women’s Nations League Team at the FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League Americas in Punta Arenas, Chile, on July 21-27.

Sundell, a product of Maryville, Missouri, has been selected as one of six players for the team for the six-day event. The event features pool play and a title game on each day of the event with the standings resetting each day. Joining Sundell on the roster are Taylor Bigby of TCU, Joyce Edwards of South Carolina, MiLaysia Fulwiley of LSU, Lazaria Spearman of Tennessee and Rachel Ullstrom of Richmond.

Earlier this summer, Sundell helped her team, B&amp;B, win the 3XBA event at the Spokane Hoopfest on June 27-28 in Spokane, Washington. The 3XBA event featured 32 of the most elite basketball players in the nation. With the win, Sundell and her teammates qualified for the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on August 1-2.

A 2025 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Associated Press (AP) All-America honorable mention selection, Sundell led the nation with a career-high and school record for total assists (262) and paced the nation and led the Big 12 with a career-high for assists per game (7.28 apg) and was second in the Big 12 for assist-turnover ratio (2.52). She recorded a league-best nine games with 10 or more assists.

Sundell was K-State’s second-leading scorer with an average of 14.1 points per game and led the Wildcats with 508 points, which was the second-highest total of her career, on a .501 field goal percentage. Sundell was the only player in the nation in the 2024-25 season and the third player since 1993-94 to register a season with 500 or more points, 250 or more assists and shoot 50.0 percent or better from the field.

With her point (508) and assist (262) totals in the 2024-25 season, Sundell was the first player in Big 12 history to record four seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists. She joined former Wildcat Kayla Goth as the only two players in program history with 500 or more points and 200 or more assists in a season.

In her career, Sundell set the school records for career starts (139) and games played (139). She established the school record and ranks fourth in Big 12 history for career assists with 811 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.83 apg). She ranks sixth on the K-State career scoring list with 1,771 points. She ranks tied for seventh in school history for career blocks (104).

She was the first player in school history and the 14th&nbsp;in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history with 1,700 or more career points and 800 or more career assists.

Sundell was a 2025 WNBA Draft selection by the Seattle Storm. She was the ninth player in program history to be selected during the WNBA Draft.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Recent K-State graduate Serena Sundell will continue her active summer with an international 3x3 tournament, as she will play for the 2025 USA Basketball 3x3 Women’s Nations League Team at the FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League Americas in Punta Arenas, Chile, on July 21-27.Sundell, a product of Maryville, Missouri, has been selected as one of six players for the team for the six-day event. The event features pool play and a title game on each day of the event with the standings resetting each day. Joining Sundell on the roster are Taylor Bigby of TCU, Joyce Edwards of South Carolina, MiLaysia Fulwiley of LSU, Lazaria Spearman of Tennessee and Rachel Ullstrom of Richmond.Earlier this summer, Sundell helped her team, B&amp;B, win the 3XBA event at the Spokane Hoopfest on June 27-28 in Spokane, Washington. The 3XBA event featured 32 of the most elite basketball players in the nation. With the win, Sundell and her teammates qualified for the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on August 1-2.A 2025 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Associated Press (AP) All-America honorable mention selection, Sundell led the nation with a career-high and school record for total assists (262) and paced the nation and led the Big 12 with a career-high for assists per game (7.28 apg) and was second in the Big 12 for assist-turnover ratio (2.52). She recorded a league-best nine games with 10 or more assists.Sundell was K-State’s second-leading scorer with an average of 14.1 points per game and led the Wildcats with 508 points, which was the second-highest total of her career, on a .501 field goal percentage. Sundell was the only player in the nation in the 2024-25 season and the third player since 1993-94 to register a season with 500 or more points, 250 or more assists and shoot 50.0 percent or better from the field.With her point (508) and assist (262) totals in the 2024-25 season, Sundell was the first player in Big 12 history to record four seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists. She joined former Wildcat Kayla Goth as the only two players in program history with 500 or more points and 200 or more assists in a season.In her career, Sundell set the school records for career starts (139) and games played (139). She established the school record and ranks fourth in Big 12 history for career assists with 811 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.83 apg). She ranks sixth on the K-State career scoring list with 1,771 points. She ranks tied for seventh in school history for career blocks (104).She was the first player in school history and the 14th&nbsp;in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history with 1,700 or more career points and 800 or more career assists.Sundell was a 2025 WNBA Draft selection by the Seattle Storm. She was the ninth player in program history to be selected during the WNBA Draft.

Sundell to Play for USA Basketball in FIBA 3x3 Event in Chile

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Three players –&nbsp;Brendan Hausen,&nbsp;Max Jones&nbsp;and&nbsp;David N’Guessan&nbsp;– were selected to the 2024-25 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court in announcement by the organization on Thursday (July 17).

The NABC Honors Court is bestowed upon juniors, seniors and/or graduate students who post a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher in a given academic year.

N’Guessan earned the honor for the third consecutive season. He was also named to the 2025 Winter Academic All-Big 12. It was the first NABC honors for Hausen and Jones.

In addition to head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;and Chief of Staff&nbsp;Marco Borne, several individuals play a pivotal role in support of the team’s academic success, including Senior Associate AD&nbsp;Kristin Waller, academic counselor&nbsp;Jamie Cherry&nbsp;and the staff in the Evans Student-Athlete Success Program.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Three players –&nbsp;Brendan Hausen,&nbsp;Max Jones&nbsp;and&nbsp;David N’Guessan&nbsp;– were selected to the 2024-25 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court in announcement by the organization on Thursday (July 17).The NABC Honors Court is bestowed upon juniors, seniors and/or graduate students who post a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher in a given academic year.N’Guessan earned the honor for the third consecutive season. He was also named to the 2025 Winter Academic All-Big 12. It was the first NABC honors for Hausen and Jones.In addition to head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;and Chief of Staff&nbsp;Marco Borne, several individuals play a pivotal role in support of the team’s academic success, including Senior Associate AD&nbsp;Kristin Waller, academic counselor&nbsp;Jamie Cherry&nbsp;and the staff in the Evans Student-Athlete Success Program.

Trio Selected to NABC Honors Court

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State Athletics announced today that limited tickets remain for the first three home football games, and fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their seats inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the highly anticipated season.

Fewer than 2,000 tickets are available for the season opener&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2025/6/11/football-k-state-to-stripe-out-bill-snyder-family-stadium-for-home-opener-vs-north-dakota" target="_blank">Stripe Out game against North Dakota</a>&nbsp;on August 30. The matchup with Army on September 6 has fewer than 1,000 tickets remaining, while there are fewer than 600 tickets left for the Big 12 home opener against UCF on September 27.

Kansas State is coming off its third-straight season of at least nine wins as the Wildcats are one of four Power 4 teams to claim that feat in addition to a conference championship over that timeframe, joining Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oregon. K-State brings back 45 letterwinners, including 13 players that started at least five games last year and seven that earned All-Big 12 honors in 2024.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State Athletics announced today that limited tickets remain for the first three home football games, and fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their seats inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the highly anticipated season.Fewer than 2,000 tickets are available for the season opener&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2025/6/11/football-k-state-to-stripe-out-bill-snyder-family-stadium-for-home-opener-vs-north-dakota" target="_blank">Stripe Out game against North Dakota</a>&nbsp;on August 30. The matchup with Army on September 6 has fewer than 1,000 tickets remaining, while there are fewer than 600 tickets left for the Big 12 home opener against UCF on September 27.Kansas State is coming off its third-straight season of at least nine wins as the Wildcats are one of four Power 4 teams to claim that feat in addition to a conference championship over that timeframe, joining Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oregon. K-State brings back 45 letterwinners, including 13 players that started at least five games last year and seven that earned All-Big 12 honors in 2024.

Limited Tickets Remain for K-State’s First Three Home Games

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that they have acquired infielder/outfielder&nbsp;Adam Frazier&nbsp;from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for infielder&nbsp;Cam Devanney.

Frazier, 33, has played in 78 games (63 starts) for the Pirates this season, slashing .255/.318/.336 (60-for-235) with 17 walks, 10 doubles, 21 RBI and 22 runs scored. He’s batting .310 (27-for-87) with runners on base, including a .289 clip (13-for-45) with runners in scoring position.

He’s made starts at second base (47), left field (12) and right field (4) with the Pirates this year, and over the course of his 10-year Major League career, he’s appeared at every position except pitcher and catcher.

Frazier returns to Kansas City, where he spent the entire 2024 season and played in 104 games for the Royals, while reaching base safely in 46 of his 72 starts. He won Major League Baseball’s Electric Play of the Week Award for&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1785048515506315358" target="_blank">his play on April 26, 2024</a>&nbsp;in Detroit, where he robbed&nbsp;Parker Meadows&nbsp;of a home run at the right field fence, before throwing out&nbsp;Javier Báez&nbsp;at first base to turn the double play.

He’s spent most of his time playing second base, however, as his 673 games played as a second baseman since the start of 2019 are the 4th most in the Majors, behind only&nbsp;Ozzie Albies&nbsp;(749),&nbsp;Jose Altuve&nbsp;(715) and&nbsp;Marcus Semien&nbsp;(712). His .989 fielding percentage at second base during that span is tied for the 2nd-best rate in the Majors, trailing just Albies (.990).

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that they have acquired infielder/outfielder&nbsp;Adam Frazier&nbsp;from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for infielder&nbsp;Cam Devanney.Frazier, 33, has played in 78 games (63 starts) for the Pirates this season, slashing .255/.318/.336 (60-for-235) with 17 walks, 10 doubles, 21 RBI and 22 runs scored. He’s batting .310 (27-for-87) with runners on base, including a .289 clip (13-for-45) with runners in scoring position.He’s made starts at second base (47), left field (12) and right field (4) with the Pirates this year, and over the course of his 10-year Major League career, he’s appeared at every position except pitcher and catcher.Frazier returns to Kansas City, where he spent the entire 2024 season and played in 104 games for the Royals, while reaching base safely in 46 of his 72 starts. He won Major League Baseball’s Electric Play of the Week Award for&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1785048515506315358" target="_blank">his play on April 26, 2024</a>&nbsp;in Detroit, where he robbed&nbsp;Parker Meadows&nbsp;of a home run at the right field fence, before throwing out&nbsp;Javier Báez&nbsp;at first base to turn the double play.He’s spent most of his time playing second base, however, as his 673 games played as a second baseman since the start of 2019 are the 4th most in the Majors, behind only&nbsp;Ozzie Albies&nbsp;(749),&nbsp;Jose Altuve&nbsp;(715) and&nbsp;Marcus Semien&nbsp;(712). His .989 fielding percentage at second base during that span is tied for the 2nd-best rate in the Majors, trailing just Albies (.990).

Royals acquire Adam Frazier from Pittsburgh

ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber was nervous.

He had played in Game 7 of the World Series, homered for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

But he had never walked up to the plate in an All-Star Game swing-off.

“That’s kind of like the baseball version of a shootout,” he said after homering on all three of his swings, going down to his left knee on the final one, to overcome a two-homer deficit. That held up when Jonathan Aranda fell short on the American League’s final three swings, giving the National League a 4-3 swing-off win after a 6-6 tie Tuesday night in which it wasted a six-run, seventh-inning lead.

Schwarber earned the MVP award, going 0 for 2 with a walk as the NL won for the second time in its last 12 tries. He became the first non-pitcher MVP without a hit.

“It will be interesting to see where that goes,” said AL manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees. “There’s probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it’s in some regular season mix. I wouldn’t be surprised if people start talking about it like that.”

Concerned about running out of pitchers in an era where no All-Star throws more than one inning,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-new-york-mets-brian-snitker-38d3dc0ea869992ebcab83a4ef4c960b">Major League Baseball and the players’ association made the change in 2022</a>.

In baseball’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kicks shootout, the game was decided by having three batters from each league take three swings each off coaches.

Boone picked Brent Rooker, Randy Arozarena and Aranda on Monday, and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts picked Eugenio Suárez, Schwarber and Pete Alonso for the NL. Because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eugenio-suarez-allstar-game-3a86937e6a6e74ade4399711717f1f9b">Suárez was hit</a>&nbsp;on the left hand by a fastball in the eighth inning, the NL turned to its alternate, Kyle Stowers.

Players from both teams stood outside their dugouts, some already in street clothes, jumping and shouting after each long ball from their side. Yankees coach Travis Chapman threw to the AL batters and Dodgers coach Dino Ebel to the NL hitters.

Rooker put the AL ahead by homering on his last two swings, and Stowers hit one. Randy Arozarena boosted the AL lead to 3-1.

Ebel had thrown BP to Schwarber two years ago at the WBC.

“He asked me right before, he was like, where do you want it?” Schwarber recalled “I’m like, just middle. And he’s like, `I gotcha.’”

He took two pitches and deposited the third just over the center-field fence. Schwarber took another, then hit a 461-foot drive over the right-center bullpen. After letting two more go by, he dropped to a knee while pulling the third, craned his neck and held his bat it the air as the ball landed in the fourth row of the Chop House seats.

“I didn’t hit it, obviously, my best, but I was thinking I got enough of it,” Schwarber said. “And I was just kind of down there, hoping, saying: go, go, go. And it went. And it was awesome.”

Aranda followed with a fly well short of the center-field warning track, drove a pitch about a foot shy of the top of the right-field wall and hit an opposite-field pop that dropped in medium left.

Alonso, a two-time Home Run Derby champion, didn’t have to bat and patted Schwarber on the head as fireworks went off at Truist Field.

“I felt like a closer like a closer going into a game,” Alonso said, “and then it’s like, wait, the guy in the field got a double play to end the inning. You’re not going in.”

MLB, after consulting with the Elias Sports Bureau,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-college-football-soccer-sports-baseball-3e3fc1fa9ba55a1ec4e563353e69db56">said in 2022</a>&nbsp;that All-Star Games ending in a swing-off would be listed as tied, with a notation of the game being decided in a swing-off. MLB’s official postgame notes listed Tuesday’s outcome as a 7-6 NL victory.

Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first had put the NL ahead, and Alonso’s three-run homer off Kris Bubic and Corbin Carroll’s solo shot against Casey Mize opened a 6-0 lead in the sixth.

The AL comeback began when Rooker hit a three-run pinch homer against Randy Rodríguez in a four-run seventh that included Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI groundout. Robert Suarez allowed consecutive doubles to Byron Buxton and Witt with one out in ninth, and Steven Kwan’s infield hit on a three-hopper to third off Edwin Díaz drove in the tying run.

Paul Skenes, the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game each of his first two seasons, reached 100 mph on four pitches in a perfect first. Jacob Misiorowski,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/misiorowski-allstar-game-534280740b0ceafc9dcc10c011df6cbb">a controversial inclusion</a>&nbsp;after pitching in just five major league games in his rookie season, fired nine pitches of 100 mph or more in a one-hit eighth 34 days after his major league debut. The 23-year-old righty, added to the NL roster by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, reached 102.3 mph. There were 21 pitches of 100 mph or more, down from a record 23 last year.

Four of five challenges were successful in the first use of the robot umpire in the All-Star Game

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-allstar-game-uniforms-8f3891854c6aab41e02a8a08c4263ea2">Teams were back in their regular-season club jerseys</a>&nbsp;— whites for the NL, mostly grays for the AL — after four years of special All-Star uniforms that were much criticized. The AL leads 48-45 with two ties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752638555921.png" alt="Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber celebrates after winning the tiebreaker at the MLB baseball All-Star game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)" />
 <figcaption>Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber celebrates after winning the tiebreaker at the MLB baseball All-Star game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber was nervous.He had played in Game 7 of the World Series, homered for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.But he had never walked up to the plate in an All-Star Game swing-off.No one had.“That’s kind of like the baseball version of a shootout,” he said after homering on all three of his swings, going down to his left knee on the final one, to overcome a two-homer deficit. That held up when Jonathan Aranda fell short on the American League’s final three swings, giving the National League a 4-3 swing-off win after a 6-6 tie Tuesday night in which it wasted a six-run, seventh-inning lead.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPhillies%2Fvideos%2F1417266409542562%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Schwarber earned the MVP award, going 0 for 2 with a walk as the NL won for the second time in its last 12 tries. He became the first non-pitcher MVP without a hit.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPhillies%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02XNpxrnGZ7iF5FMjnbLHBLNaARVvie18rfnjxQ4RMwadDvabWET3tRafAFsRC3nwul&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="590" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>“It will be interesting to see where that goes,” said AL manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees. “There’s probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it’s in some regular season mix. I wouldn’t be surprised if people start talking about it like that.”Concerned about running out of pitchers in an era where no All-Star throws more than one inning,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-new-york-mets-brian-snitker-38d3dc0ea869992ebcab83a4ef4c960b">Major League Baseball and the players’ association made the change in 2022</a>.In baseball’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kicks shootout, the game was decided by having three batters from each league take three swings each off coaches.Boone picked Brent Rooker, Randy Arozarena and Aranda on Monday, and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts picked Eugenio Suárez, Schwarber and Pete Alonso for the NL. Because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eugenio-suarez-allstar-game-3a86937e6a6e74ade4399711717f1f9b">Suárez was hit</a>&nbsp;on the left hand by a fastball in the eighth inning, the NL turned to its alternate, Kyle Stowers.Players from both teams stood outside their dugouts, some already in street clothes, jumping and shouting after each long ball from their side. Yankees coach Travis Chapman threw to the AL batters and Dodgers coach Dino Ebel to the NL hitters.Rooker put the AL ahead by homering on his last two swings, and Stowers hit one. Randy Arozarena boosted the AL lead to 3-1.Ebel had thrown BP to Schwarber two years ago at the WBC.“He asked me right before, he was like, where do you want it?” Schwarber recalled “I’m like, just middle. And he’s like, `I gotcha.’”He took two pitches and deposited the third just over the center-field fence. Schwarber took another, then hit a 461-foot drive over the right-center bullpen. After letting two more go by, he dropped to a knee while pulling the third, craned his neck and held his bat it the air as the ball landed in the fourth row of the Chop House seats.“I didn’t hit it, obviously, my best, but I was thinking I got enough of it,” Schwarber said. “And I was just kind of down there, hoping, saying: go, go, go. And it went. And it was awesome.”Aranda followed with a fly well short of the center-field warning track, drove a pitch about a foot shy of the top of the right-field wall and hit an opposite-field pop that dropped in medium left.Alonso, a two-time Home Run Derby champion, didn’t have to bat and patted Schwarber on the head as fireworks went off at Truist Field.“I felt like a closer like a closer going into a game,” Alonso said, “and then it’s like, wait, the guy in the field got a double play to end the inning. You’re not going in.”<h2>What was the score?</h2>MLB, after consulting with the Elias Sports Bureau,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-college-football-soccer-sports-baseball-3e3fc1fa9ba55a1ec4e563353e69db56">said in 2022</a>&nbsp;that All-Star Games ending in a swing-off would be listed as tied, with a notation of the game being decided in a swing-off. MLB’s official postgame notes listed Tuesday’s outcome as a 7-6 NL victory.<h2>In earlier action</h2>Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first had put the NL ahead, and Alonso’s three-run homer off Kris Bubic and Corbin Carroll’s solo shot against Casey Mize opened a 6-0 lead in the sixth.The AL comeback began when Rooker hit a three-run pinch homer against Randy Rodríguez in a four-run seventh that included Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI groundout. Robert Suarez allowed consecutive doubles to Byron Buxton and Witt with one out in ninth, and Steven Kwan’s infield hit on a three-hopper to third off Edwin Díaz drove in the tying run.<h2>Heat on the mound</h2>Paul Skenes, the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game each of his first two seasons, reached 100 mph on four pitches in a perfect first. Jacob Misiorowski,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/misiorowski-allstar-game-534280740b0ceafc9dcc10c011df6cbb">a controversial inclusion</a>&nbsp;after pitching in just five major league games in his rookie season, fired nine pitches of 100 mph or more in a one-hit eighth 34 days after his major league debut. The 23-year-old righty, added to the NL roster by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, reached 102.3 mph. There were 21 pitches of 100 mph or more, down from a record 23 last year.<h2>Robot umpire debuts</h2>Four of five challenges were successful in the first use of the robot umpire in the All-Star Game<h2>Styling</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-allstar-game-uniforms-8f3891854c6aab41e02a8a08c4263ea2">Teams were back in their regular-season club jerseys</a>&nbsp;— whites for the NL, mostly grays for the AL — after four years of special All-Star uniforms that were much criticized. The AL leads 48-45 with two ties.

⚾ Schwarber’s 3 homers in All-Star Game’s first tiebreaking swing-off lift NL over AL

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Kansas City Chiefs took a big step toward shoring up their offensive line on Tuesday as sources reported that the team had reached an agreement with right guard Trey Smith.

This agreement is a four-year, $94 million contract extension with $70 million guaranteed, making this the most money ever awarded to an NFL guard.

Along with Bengals wideout Tee Higgins, Smith was the only other player to receive the franchise tag this offseason, but the Pro Bowler was well rewarded for his efforts.

In addition to his Pro Bowl selection, Smith has also been exceptionally durable during his four seasons in the league, missing just one game during four Chiefs postseason runs.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Kansas City Chiefs took a big step toward shoring up their offensive line on Tuesday as sources reported that the team had reached an agreement with right guard Trey Smith.This agreement is a four-year, $94 million contract extension with $70 million guaranteed, making this the most money ever awarded to an NFL guard.Along with Bengals wideout Tee Higgins, Smith was the only other player to receive the franchise tag this offseason, but the Pro Bowler was well rewarded for his efforts.In addition to his Pro Bowl selection, Smith has also been exceptionally durable during his four seasons in the league, missing just one game during four Chiefs postseason runs.

Chiefs sign Trey Smith to 4-year, $94 million dollar deal

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals selected 17 players on the final day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft. All press releases and Zoom calls related to the 2025 Draft can be found <a href="https://royals-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/p/comshr/EjnU8VJbeD1EvrvZ3WV0HqkBnTl5V-VitCK-xUmLvdRo0g?e=pNLGB1">here</a>.

In total, the Royals selected 13 pitchers (12 RHP, 1 LHP), five infielders, three outfielders and one catcher. Of their 22 picks, 16 were from the college ranks, including 2 from JUCO, and six were high school players. Of note, out of the nine position players selected, only No. 28 (PPI) Josh Hammond bats right-handed.

With the 128th overall pick in the 4th round, the Royals selected outfielder Nolan Sailors out of Creighton University (Neb.). Sailors, 22, slashed .389/.485/.584 (88-for-226, 1.069 OPS) with 28 extra-base hits, 44 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 59 games as a senior. In four seasons with the Bluejays, he played in 207 games and slashed .320/.422/.491 (251-for-784) with 19 home runs, 148 RBI and 63 stolen bases. He graduated from Ralston High School (Neb.), where he was named to the All-Nebraska and Super State First Teams after hitting .476 as a senior. He is a native of Omaha, Neb.

With the 158th overall pick in the 5th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Aiden Jimenez out of the University of Arkansas. Jimenez, 21, completed his redshirt sophomore season with the Razorbacks in 2025, going 4-1 with 40 strikeouts (8.5 K/9) in 42.1 innings pitched, posting a 3.40 ERA (16 ER) in a team-high 22 games (2 GS). He began his collegiate career at Oregon State in 2023, where he appeared in 22 games (1 GS) and struck out 35 batters in 38.0 innings of work (8.3 K/9). Jimenez graduated from Elk Grove High School (Calif.). His father, Jason Jimenez, appeared in 6 Major League games with Tampa Bay (5) and Detroit (1) in 2002, and was a 28th round pick by the Rays in 1997. Jason was teammates with Royals Manager Matt Quatraro and Bench Coach Paul Hoover in the Rays minor league system from 1998-2002. His grandfather, Ken Hottman, also played in 6 MLB games in 1971.

With the 188th overall pick in the 6th round, the Royals selected infielder Tyriq Kemp out of Baylor University (Texas). Kemp, 22, played in 55 games for the Bears this season, slashing .358/.446/.542 (72-for-201, .988 OPS) with 48 runs, 41 RBI and more walks (32) than strikeouts (27). He was also announced as a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award in 2025, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate shortstop. In two seasons at Baylor, he posted an .849 OPS and batted .305 (110-for-361), playing in 108 games. In 2024, he played for Curaçao Neptunus in the Dutch Major League, and he slashed .292/.400/.427 (28-for-96, .827 OPS) as a 21-year-old, while playing alongside his older brother, Dwayne, who signed with the Cubs in 2009. Prior to attending Baylor, he played two seasons at Western Oklahoma State College (the same school that notable Curaçaoan shortstop Andrelton Simmons attended), where he hit .375 with 9 home runs and 41 RBI as a sophomore. Kemp was raised in The Netherlands and was a member of the Dutch National Teams from ages U15 to U23, guiding the U23 team to a gold medal at the European Baseball Championship in 2021.

With the 218th overall pick in the 7th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Bryson Dudley out of Texas State University. Dudley, 21, just finished his first season with Texas State and earned CSC Academic All-District Team and Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team honors. He pitched in 24 games (2 GS) for the Bobcats, holding opponents to a .185 batting average that was a school record, paired with a 3.93 ERA (22 ER in 50.1 IP). He pitched in 2 games for Trenton in the MLB Draft League this year, striking out 13 batters in 7.0 innings. Spent two seasons at Blinn College (Texas) and helped the Buccaneers win the NJCAA National Championship as a sophomore in 2024.

With the 248th overall pick in the 8th round, the Royals selected catcher Brooks Bryan out of Troy University (Ala.). Bryan, who is celebrating his 21st birthday today, spent each of the last three seasons at Troy, and started all 60 games for them this season, slashing .279/.399/.533 (64-for-229, .931 OPS) with 18 doubles and 12 home runs. He earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors as a sophomore in 2024 and was named a semifinalist for both the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, after he posted a .970 OPS with 18 home runs and 85 RBI in 58 games. He was a part of the 2024 Team USA Collegiate National Team, appearing in 4 games, and hit a grand slam on July 3 vs. Chinese Taipei. He also played in 7 games for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League in 2024. He batted .380 with 8 home runs as a senior at Opelika High School (Ala.) in 2022, the alma mater of 10-year MLB vet Roy Lee Jackson.

With the 278th overall pick in the 9th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Shane Van Dam out of North Carolina State University. Van Dam, who underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024, pitched in just 3 games (1 start) at the end of this season. The 21-year-old pitched in 16 games and covered 37.1 innings as a sophomore in 2024, striking out 38 batters (9.2 K/9). He played both baseball and football at SUNY Cortland in 2023, striking out 43 batters in 29.1 innings (13.2 K/9) while playing quarterback for the Red Dragons, but not appearing in a game. He graduated from Cranford High School (N.J.) in 2022, where he was a three-year member of the football team and a two-year starter on the baseball team. He was teammates with Kansas City’s 2025 5th rounder Aiden Jimenez and their 2024 12th rounder Tommy Molsky on the 2023 Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod League.

With the 308th overall pick in the 10th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Max Martin out of the University of California-Irvine. Martin, 21, finished his junior season with 14 saves, tied for 4th among all Division I pitchers this season, as well as a 3.29 ERA (14 ER in 38.1 IP) and 39 strikeouts. In three seasons at U.C. Irvine, he struck out 83 batters in 84.1 innings and earned 19 saves. Pitched in 8 games for the Pulaski River Turtles of the Appalachian League in 2024, and allowed just 2 runs (1 ER) across 15.0 innings (0.60 ERA), striking out 17 and walking just 3. He graduated from Sierra Canyon School (Calif.), where he was teammates with Kehden Hettiger, Philadelphia’s 11th round pick in 2023.

With the 338th overall pick in the 11th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Hunter Alberini out of the University of Arizona. Alberini, 23, pitched in one season at Arizona, going 1-0 with 33 strikeouts (14.4 K/9) to just 7 walks (3.0 BB/9) and a 3.48 ERA (8 ER in 20.2 IP) in 18 games. Prior to joining the Wildcats, he spent two seasons at Umpqua Community College (Ore.) from 2021-22 and two seasons at the College of Southern Nevada (2023-24), the alma mater of Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper. In 2024, he pitched in 7 games for State College in the MLB Draft League and struck out 10 in 12.0 IP. He graduated from Centennial High School (Nev.) in 2020, where he earned two baseball letters.

With the 368th overall pick in the 12th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Matthew Hoskins out of the University of Georgia. Hoskins, 21, made 18 appearances (2 starts) for the Bulldogs as a junior this year, and struck out 39 batters in just 27.1 innings (12.8 K/9), earning 1 win and 2 saves. After the season, he also pitched once for Trenton in the MLB Draft League, where he was teammates with Kansas City’s 7th round selection this year, Bryson Dudley. While at Georgia, he earned three SEC Academic Honor Roll nominations and struck out 67 batters across 50.2 innings (11.9 K/9). He graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School (Ga.) in 2022, where he went 4-3 with a 2.89 ERA and 62 strikeouts as a senior. He also batted .382 with 6 doubles, 5 home runs and 24 RBI as a senior, playing primarily as an outfielder when he wasn’t pitching. He was rated as the No. 11 prospect in the state of Georgia coming out of high school, per Perfect Game.

With the 398th overall pick in the 13th round, the Royals selected infielder Tyson Moran out of the F.E. Madill Secondary School (Ontario, CAN). Moran, 19, is currently committed to play at North Dakota State University. He plays for the Great Lakes Canadians amateur baseball program, and is coached by former big leaguer Jamie Romak, who played in 27 games for the Dodgers (2014) and Diamondbacks (2015).

With the 428th overall pick in the 14th round, the Royals selected infielder JC Vanek out of Chipola College (Fla.). Vanek, 20, slashed .395/.512/.631 (62-for-157, 1.143 OPS) with 9 home runs, 50 runs scored, 43 RBI and more walks (30) than strikeouts (27). Was named to the Panhandle All-Conference First Team in 2024 after leading Chipola in average (.366), hits (53) and RBI (47). He has since committed to Florida State University. After the season, he played in 16 games for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League and posted a .712 OPS with 2 home runs, 13 RBI and 4 stolen bases in 16 games. He graduated from Alfred M. Barbe High School (La.) in 2023.

With the 458th overall pick in the 15th round, the Royals selected infielder Connor Rasmussen out of Tulane University (La.). Rasmussen, 21, has spent each of the last two seasons at Tulane, and has slashed .321/.425/.485 (141-for-439, .910 OPS) in 120 games for the Green Wave, driving in 96 runs while scoring 92. He also drew more walks (71) than he had strikeouts (58). Prior to transferring to Tulane, he spent his freshman season at East Carolina University (N.C.), where he appeared in 17 games. He graduated from Fort Mill High School (S.C.) in 2022, where his .418 average as a senior guided his team to a state championship runner-up finish. His brother, Cole, was a long snapper for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks from 2021-24.

With the 488th overall pick in the 16th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Randy Ramnarace out of the University of New Haven (Conn.). Ramnarace, 20, went 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA (9 ER in 32.1 IP) and 45 strikeouts (12.5 K/9) in 12 games (1 GS), earning 3 saves. He has spent three seasons with the Chargers, amassing a 9-5 record and a 4.28 ERA (56 ER in 117.2 IP) with 146 strikeouts. This summer, he pitched in 5 games for Bristol in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, his second consecutive summer in the NECBL after pitching in 5 games for Danbury in 2024. He graduated from Brentwood High School (N.Y.), where he was the team captain as a senior.

With the 518th overall pick in the 17th round, the Royals selected outfielder Luke Nowak out of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Nowak, 22, just finished his senior season at UIC, and he posted a .387/.455/.559 (86-for-222, 1.014 OPS) slashline, leading the Missouri Valley Conference in average (.387), while ranking among qualified leaders in hits (3rd, 86), triples (T-4th, 3) and OBP (5th, .455). He spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at East Carolina University (N.C.), where he was teammates with Kansas City’s 15th rounder Connor Rasmussen. In three seasons at ECU, he slashed .268/.382/.362 (71-for-265) with 17 extra-base hits and 49 RBI in 118 games (71 starts). He graduated from Menomonee Falls High School (Wis.), where he earned seven letters (3 in baseball, 4 in track and field), and was a two-time conference and regional champion in baseball as well as a four-time state qualifier in track.

With the 548th overall pick in the 18th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Grayson Boles out of St. Augustine High School (Calif.). Boles, 18, is committed to the University of Texas, and is ranked the 9th-best right-handed pitcher in the state of California by Perfect Game. Per his <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/san-diego/st-augustine-saints/athletes/grayson-boles/baseball/stats/?careerid=3lmbhtpc4ia88">Maxpreps.com page</a>, he posted a 2.92 ERA (71 ER in 170.1 IP) in high school, including a 1.95 mark (17 ER in 61.0 IP) this year, with 81 strikeouts to just 22 walks. As a hitter, he batted .335 (55-for-164) in four years, and he hit 2 home runs while batting .393 (11-for-28) this season. He started the High School All-American Game on Aug. 15, 2024 at Petco Park, and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/grayson-boles-strikeout-to-end-the-1st">finished the 1st inning with a strikeout</a>.

With the 578th overall pick in the 19th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Dylan Wood out of Franklin High School (Calif.). Wood, 18, went 8-0 as a senior while posting a 1.65 ERA (14 ER in 59.1 IP) with 100 strikeouts. He is ranked as the No. 102 prospect and No. 25 RHP nationally and as the No. 20 prospect and No. 6 RHP in California by Perfect Game. He pitched in 3 games for Team USA’s 18U National Team, allowing 1 run in 6.1 innings, and earned the win in the gold medal game at the 2024 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier with 1.1 hitless innings. He is committed to play baseball at the University of Arizona.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals selected 17 players on the final day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft. All press releases and Zoom calls related to the 2025 Draft can be found <a href="https://royals-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/p/comshr/EjnU8VJbeD1EvrvZ3WV0HqkBnTl5V-VitCK-xUmLvdRo0g?e=pNLGB1">here</a>.In total, the Royals selected 13 pitchers (12 RHP, 1 LHP), five infielders, three outfielders and one catcher. Of their 22 picks, 16 were from the college ranks, including 2 from JUCO, and six were high school players. Of note, out of the nine position players selected, only No. 28 (PPI) Josh Hammond bats right-handed.With the 128th overall pick in the 4th round, the Royals selected outfielder Nolan Sailors out of Creighton University (Neb.). Sailors, 22, slashed .389/.485/.584 (88-for-226, 1.069 OPS) with 28 extra-base hits, 44 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 59 games as a senior. In four seasons with the Bluejays, he played in 207 games and slashed .320/.422/.491 (251-for-784) with 19 home runs, 148 RBI and 63 stolen bases. He graduated from Ralston High School (Neb.), where he was named to the All-Nebraska and Super State First Teams after hitting .476 as a senior. He is a native of Omaha, Neb.With the 158th overall pick in the 5th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Aiden Jimenez out of the University of Arkansas. Jimenez, 21, completed his redshirt sophomore season with the Razorbacks in 2025, going 4-1 with 40 strikeouts (8.5 K/9) in 42.1 innings pitched, posting a 3.40 ERA (16 ER) in a team-high 22 games (2 GS). He began his collegiate career at Oregon State in 2023, where he appeared in 22 games (1 GS) and struck out 35 batters in 38.0 innings of work (8.3 K/9). Jimenez graduated from Elk Grove High School (Calif.). His father, Jason Jimenez, appeared in 6 Major League games with Tampa Bay (5) and Detroit (1) in 2002, and was a 28th round pick by the Rays in 1997. Jason was teammates with Royals Manager Matt Quatraro and Bench Coach Paul Hoover in the Rays minor league system from 1998-2002. His grandfather, Ken Hottman, also played in 6 MLB games in 1971.With the 188th overall pick in the 6th round, the Royals selected infielder Tyriq Kemp out of Baylor University (Texas). Kemp, 22, played in 55 games for the Bears this season, slashing .358/.446/.542 (72-for-201, .988 OPS) with 48 runs, 41 RBI and more walks (32) than strikeouts (27). He was also announced as a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award in 2025, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate shortstop. In two seasons at Baylor, he posted an .849 OPS and batted .305 (110-for-361), playing in 108 games. In 2024, he played for Curaçao Neptunus in the Dutch Major League, and he slashed .292/.400/.427 (28-for-96, .827 OPS) as a 21-year-old, while playing alongside his older brother, Dwayne, who signed with the Cubs in 2009. Prior to attending Baylor, he played two seasons at Western Oklahoma State College (the same school that notable Curaçaoan shortstop Andrelton Simmons attended), where he hit .375 with 9 home runs and 41 RBI as a sophomore. Kemp was raised in The Netherlands and was a member of the Dutch National Teams from ages U15 to U23, guiding the U23 team to a gold medal at the European Baseball Championship in 2021.With the 218th overall pick in the 7th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Bryson Dudley out of Texas State University. Dudley, 21, just finished his first season with Texas State and earned CSC Academic All-District Team and Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team honors. He pitched in 24 games (2 GS) for the Bobcats, holding opponents to a .185 batting average that was a school record, paired with a 3.93 ERA (22 ER in 50.1 IP). He pitched in 2 games for Trenton in the MLB Draft League this year, striking out 13 batters in 7.0 innings. Spent two seasons at Blinn College (Texas) and helped the Buccaneers win the NJCAA National Championship as a sophomore in 2024.With the 248th overall pick in the 8th round, the Royals selected catcher Brooks Bryan out of Troy University (Ala.). Bryan, who is celebrating his 21st birthday today, spent each of the last three seasons at Troy, and started all 60 games for them this season, slashing .279/.399/.533 (64-for-229, .931 OPS) with 18 doubles and 12 home runs. He earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors as a sophomore in 2024 and was named a semifinalist for both the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, after he posted a .970 OPS with 18 home runs and 85 RBI in 58 games. He was a part of the 2024 Team USA Collegiate National Team, appearing in 4 games, and hit a grand slam on July 3 vs. Chinese Taipei. He also played in 7 games for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League in 2024. He batted .380 with 8 home runs as a senior at Opelika High School (Ala.) in 2022, the alma mater of 10-year MLB vet Roy Lee Jackson.With the 278th overall pick in the 9th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Shane Van Dam out of North Carolina State University. Van Dam, who underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024, pitched in just 3 games (1 start) at the end of this season. The 21-year-old pitched in 16 games and covered 37.1 innings as a sophomore in 2024, striking out 38 batters (9.2 K/9). He played both baseball and football at SUNY Cortland in 2023, striking out 43 batters in 29.1 innings (13.2 K/9) while playing quarterback for the Red Dragons, but not appearing in a game. He graduated from Cranford High School (N.J.) in 2022, where he was a three-year member of the football team and a two-year starter on the baseball team. He was teammates with Kansas City’s 2025 5th rounder Aiden Jimenez and their 2024 12th rounder Tommy Molsky on the 2023 Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod League.With the 308th overall pick in the 10th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Max Martin out of the University of California-Irvine. Martin, 21, finished his junior season with 14 saves, tied for 4th among all Division I pitchers this season, as well as a 3.29 ERA (14 ER in 38.1 IP) and 39 strikeouts. In three seasons at U.C. Irvine, he struck out 83 batters in 84.1 innings and earned 19 saves. Pitched in 8 games for the Pulaski River Turtles of the Appalachian League in 2024, and allowed just 2 runs (1 ER) across 15.0 innings (0.60 ERA), striking out 17 and walking just 3. He graduated from Sierra Canyon School (Calif.), where he was teammates with Kehden Hettiger, Philadelphia’s 11th round pick in 2023.With the 338th overall pick in the 11th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Hunter Alberini out of the University of Arizona. Alberini, 23, pitched in one season at Arizona, going 1-0 with 33 strikeouts (14.4 K/9) to just 7 walks (3.0 BB/9) and a 3.48 ERA (8 ER in 20.2 IP) in 18 games. Prior to joining the Wildcats, he spent two seasons at Umpqua Community College (Ore.) from 2021-22 and two seasons at the College of Southern Nevada (2023-24), the alma mater of Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper. In 2024, he pitched in 7 games for State College in the MLB Draft League and struck out 10 in 12.0 IP. He graduated from Centennial High School (Nev.) in 2020, where he earned two baseball letters.With the 368th overall pick in the 12th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Matthew Hoskins out of the University of Georgia. Hoskins, 21, made 18 appearances (2 starts) for the Bulldogs as a junior this year, and struck out 39 batters in just 27.1 innings (12.8 K/9), earning 1 win and 2 saves. After the season, he also pitched once for Trenton in the MLB Draft League, where he was teammates with Kansas City’s 7th round selection this year, Bryson Dudley. While at Georgia, he earned three SEC Academic Honor Roll nominations and struck out 67 batters across 50.2 innings (11.9 K/9). He graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School (Ga.) in 2022, where he went 4-3 with a 2.89 ERA and 62 strikeouts as a senior. He also batted .382 with 6 doubles, 5 home runs and 24 RBI as a senior, playing primarily as an outfielder when he wasn’t pitching. He was rated as the No. 11 prospect in the state of Georgia coming out of high school, per Perfect Game.With the 398th overall pick in the 13th round, the Royals selected infielder Tyson Moran out of the F.E. Madill Secondary School (Ontario, CAN). Moran, 19, is currently committed to play at North Dakota State University. He plays for the Great Lakes Canadians amateur baseball program, and is coached by former big leaguer Jamie Romak, who played in 27 games for the Dodgers (2014) and Diamondbacks (2015).With the 428th overall pick in the 14th round, the Royals selected infielder JC Vanek out of Chipola College (Fla.). Vanek, 20, slashed .395/.512/.631 (62-for-157, 1.143 OPS) with 9 home runs, 50 runs scored, 43 RBI and more walks (30) than strikeouts (27). Was named to the Panhandle All-Conference First Team in 2024 after leading Chipola in average (.366), hits (53) and RBI (47). He has since committed to Florida State University. After the season, he played in 16 games for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League and posted a .712 OPS with 2 home runs, 13 RBI and 4 stolen bases in 16 games. He graduated from Alfred M. Barbe High School (La.) in 2023.With the 458th overall pick in the 15th round, the Royals selected infielder Connor Rasmussen out of Tulane University (La.). Rasmussen, 21, has spent each of the last two seasons at Tulane, and has slashed .321/.425/.485 (141-for-439, .910 OPS) in 120 games for the Green Wave, driving in 96 runs while scoring 92. He also drew more walks (71) than he had strikeouts (58). Prior to transferring to Tulane, he spent his freshman season at East Carolina University (N.C.), where he appeared in 17 games. He graduated from Fort Mill High School (S.C.) in 2022, where his .418 average as a senior guided his team to a state championship runner-up finish. His brother, Cole, was a long snapper for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks from 2021-24.With the 488th overall pick in the 16th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Randy Ramnarace out of the University of New Haven (Conn.). Ramnarace, 20, went 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA (9 ER in 32.1 IP) and 45 strikeouts (12.5 K/9) in 12 games (1 GS), earning 3 saves. He has spent three seasons with the Chargers, amassing a 9-5 record and a 4.28 ERA (56 ER in 117.2 IP) with 146 strikeouts. This summer, he pitched in 5 games for Bristol in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, his second consecutive summer in the NECBL after pitching in 5 games for Danbury in 2024. He graduated from Brentwood High School (N.Y.), where he was the team captain as a senior.With the 518th overall pick in the 17th round, the Royals selected outfielder Luke Nowak out of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Nowak, 22, just finished his senior season at UIC, and he posted a .387/.455/.559 (86-for-222, 1.014 OPS) slashline, leading the Missouri Valley Conference in average (.387), while ranking among qualified leaders in hits (3rd, 86), triples (T-4th, 3) and OBP (5th, .455). He spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at East Carolina University (N.C.), where he was teammates with Kansas City’s 15th rounder Connor Rasmussen. In three seasons at ECU, he slashed .268/.382/.362 (71-for-265) with 17 extra-base hits and 49 RBI in 118 games (71 starts). He graduated from Menomonee Falls High School (Wis.), where he earned seven letters (3 in baseball, 4 in track and field), and was a two-time conference and regional champion in baseball as well as a four-time state qualifier in track.With the 548th overall pick in the 18th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Grayson Boles out of St. Augustine High School (Calif.). Boles, 18, is committed to the University of Texas, and is ranked the 9th-best right-handed pitcher in the state of California by Perfect Game. Per his <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/san-diego/st-augustine-saints/athletes/grayson-boles/baseball/stats/?careerid=3lmbhtpc4ia88">Maxpreps.com page</a>, he posted a 2.92 ERA (71 ER in 170.1 IP) in high school, including a 1.95 mark (17 ER in 61.0 IP) this year, with 81 strikeouts to just 22 walks. As a hitter, he batted .335 (55-for-164) in four years, and he hit 2 home runs while batting .393 (11-for-28) this season. He started the High School All-American Game on Aug. 15, 2024 at Petco Park, and <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/grayson-boles-strikeout-to-end-the-1st">finished the 1st inning with a strikeout</a>.With the 578th overall pick in the 19th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Dylan Wood out of Franklin High School (Calif.). Wood, 18, went 8-0 as a senior while posting a 1.65 ERA (14 ER in 59.1 IP) with 100 strikeouts. He is ranked as the No. 102 prospect and No. 25 RHP nationally and as the No. 20 prospect and No. 6 RHP in California by Perfect Game. He pitched in 3 games for Team USA’s 18U National Team, allowing 1 run in 6.1 innings, and earned the win in the gold medal game at the 2024 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier with 1.1 hitless innings. He is committed to play baseball at the University of Arizona.

Royals select 17 players on final day of first-year player Draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals selected five players on the first day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.

With the 23rd overall pick in the 1st round, the Royals selected outfielder Sean Gamble out of IMG Academy (Fla.). An advisory with information regarding a Zoom call with Gamble will be shared shortly.

The Royals were awarded the 28th overall selection in this year’s Draft—dubbed the Prospect Promotion Incentive pick—due to Bobby Witt Jr. being named the American League MVP runner-up last season, and with that pick they selected infielder Josh Hammond out of Wesleyan Christian Academy (N.C.). More info on the PPI program can be found at the end of this release.

With the 61st overall pick in the 2nd round, the Royals selected RHP Michael Lombardi out of Tulane University (La.). They used the 71st pick selection in the Competitive Balance Round B to select LHP Justin Lamkin from Texas A&amp;M University. With their final selection on Night 1 of the Draft, they selected RHP Cameron Millar out of Alhambra High School (Calif.) with the 97th pick in Round 3.

Gamble, 19, is a native of Des Moines, Iowa, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/sean-gamble-mlb-draft-2025">who left home at the age of 14 to attend IMG Academy</a>. He is currently committed to play baseball at Vanderbilt University (Tenn.). According to Maxpreps.com, he batted .374 (74-for-198) across three seasons with IMG, including .413 (31-for-75) with 4 home runs, 6 triples, 8 doubles, 29 runs and 30 RBI as a senior, a 1.324 OPS. He only struck out 6 times in 91 plate appearances this season, while drawing 10 walks.

Hammond, 18, was ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect by Perfect Game and is currently committed to play baseball at Wake Forest University (N.C.). He slashed .471/.613/.882 (40-for-85, 1.495 OPS) with 41 runs scored, 28 RBI, 11 doubles, 3 triples and 6 home runs as a senior, polishing off a 4-year career as a starter at Wesleyan Christian, according to <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/high-point/wesleyan-christian-academy-trojans/athletes/josh-hammond/baseball/stats/?careerid=6o4kiel65tftd">Maxpreps.com</a>. He also pitched in high school, logging 255 strikeouts in 155.1 innings pitched. Hammond earned NCISAA All-State honors after leading Wesleyan to a Class 4A championship and was named to the MaxPreps All-American Second Team. He pitched in 2 games for Team USA’s 18U squad in 2024, including 3.0 innings of 1-run ball vs. Panamá in the gold medal game.

Lombardi, 21, pitched in parts of three seasons at Tulane University (La.), where he posted a 3.82 ERA (48 ER in 113.0 IP) and 154 strikeouts, while earning 8 wins and 16 saves. As a junior this season, he appeared in 23 games (6 starts) and earned 11 saves while pitching to a 2.14 ERA (10 ER in 42.0 IP), as well as 73 strikeouts (12.3 K/9). He earned Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State Team Honorable Mention as well as a selection to the All-AAC Second Team as a sophomore after striking out 53 batters in 41.2 innings of work, an 11.4 K/9. He also hit during all three of his seasons at Tulane, and was a career .258 hitter, including a .273/.392/.453 slashline in 2025. He graduated from Fox Lane High School (N.Y.), where he was a National Honor Society member as well as a two-year letterwinner in basketball. Some of his accolades on the diamond included three All League selections, two All Section selections, two League MVPs and a pair of First Team All-County honors. He had a career .425 batting average, and had more career intentional walks than strikeouts.

Lamkin, 21, started 15 games at Texas A&amp;M University this season and posted a 3.42 ERA (32 ER in a team-high 84.1 IP) with 98 strikeouts (10.5 K/9), just 19 walks (2.0 BB/9) and a team-best 7 quality starts. In three seasons (53 games, 41 starts) with the Aggies, he struck out 260 batters across 209.1 innings (11.2 K/9). Prior to attending Texas A&amp;M, he graduated from Calallen High School (Texas), where he recorded all 21 outs via the strikeout in a no-hitter over Kerrville Tivy on March 11, 2022, and later that year was named to the Class 4A All-State Third Team by the Texas Sportswriters Association.

Millar, 18, just finished his senior season at Alhambra High School (Calif.), where he went 7-1 with a 0.11 ERA (1 ER in 64.0 IP) with 117 strikeouts (49.8 K%) and just 18 walks (7.7 BB%), per <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/martinez/alhambra-bulldogs/athletes/cameron-millar/baseball/stats/?careerid=2qnmnuh5v38dd">his Maxpreps.com page</a>. He didn’t allow an extra-base hit, scattering 23 singles throughout his final year. Over three seasons, he went 20-8 with a 0.45 ERA (12 ER in 187.0 IP) and 268 strikeouts (37.5 K%) and just 53 walks (7.4 BB%). He did bat as well, mostly through his sophomore and junior seasons, combining to hit .221 (19-for-86) with 2 home runs. Only one player from Alhambra High School has made it to the Majors, and that was current Angels reliever Robert Stephenson. Millar is committed to the University of Arizona.

As part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2022, the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented as a way to encourage teams to promote their best young players to the Majors as early as possible. Part of this, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/prospect-promotion-incentive-faq">per MLB.com’s</a> Joe Trezza, states: “Players who made an Opening Day roster and accrued the service time but didn’t factor in any awards that year retain PPI eligibility. They need to place in the top three for MVP or Cy Young (Award voting) before hitting arbitration. Witt Jr. became the first player to achieve this in 2024, when his top-3 AL MVP finish earned Kansas City a PPI pick in the 2025 Draft. Witt retained his eligibility from 2022, when he made his MLB debut for Kansas City on Opening Day.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals selected five players on the first day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.With the 23rd overall pick in the 1st round, the Royals selected outfielder Sean Gamble out of IMG Academy (Fla.). An advisory with information regarding a Zoom call with Gamble will be shared shortly.The Royals were awarded the 28th overall selection in this year’s Draft—dubbed the Prospect Promotion Incentive pick—due to Bobby Witt Jr. being named the American League MVP runner-up last season, and with that pick they selected infielder Josh Hammond out of Wesleyan Christian Academy (N.C.). More info on the PPI program can be found at the end of this release.With the 61st overall pick in the 2nd round, the Royals selected RHP Michael Lombardi out of Tulane University (La.). They used the 71st pick selection in the Competitive Balance Round B to select LHP Justin Lamkin from Texas A&amp;M University. With their final selection on Night 1 of the Draft, they selected RHP Cameron Millar out of Alhambra High School (Calif.) with the 97th pick in Round 3.Gamble, 19, is a native of Des Moines, Iowa, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/sean-gamble-mlb-draft-2025">who left home at the age of 14 to attend IMG Academy</a>. He is currently committed to play baseball at Vanderbilt University (Tenn.). According to Maxpreps.com, he batted .374 (74-for-198) across three seasons with IMG, including .413 (31-for-75) with 4 home runs, 6 triples, 8 doubles, 29 runs and 30 RBI as a senior, a 1.324 OPS. He only struck out 6 times in 91 plate appearances this season, while drawing 10 walks.Hammond, 18, was ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect by Perfect Game and is currently committed to play baseball at Wake Forest University (N.C.). He slashed .471/.613/.882 (40-for-85, 1.495 OPS) with 41 runs scored, 28 RBI, 11 doubles, 3 triples and 6 home runs as a senior, polishing off a 4-year career as a starter at Wesleyan Christian, according to <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/high-point/wesleyan-christian-academy-trojans/athletes/josh-hammond/baseball/stats/?careerid=6o4kiel65tftd">Maxpreps.com</a>. He also pitched in high school, logging 255 strikeouts in 155.1 innings pitched. Hammond earned NCISAA All-State honors after leading Wesleyan to a Class 4A championship and was named to the MaxPreps All-American Second Team. He pitched in 2 games for Team USA’s 18U squad in 2024, including 3.0 innings of 1-run ball vs. Panamá in the gold medal game.Lombardi, 21, pitched in parts of three seasons at Tulane University (La.), where he posted a 3.82 ERA (48 ER in 113.0 IP) and 154 strikeouts, while earning 8 wins and 16 saves. As a junior this season, he appeared in 23 games (6 starts) and earned 11 saves while pitching to a 2.14 ERA (10 ER in 42.0 IP), as well as 73 strikeouts (12.3 K/9). He earned Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State Team Honorable Mention as well as a selection to the All-AAC Second Team as a sophomore after striking out 53 batters in 41.2 innings of work, an 11.4 K/9. He also hit during all three of his seasons at Tulane, and was a career .258 hitter, including a .273/.392/.453 slashline in 2025. He graduated from Fox Lane High School (N.Y.), where he was a National Honor Society member as well as a two-year letterwinner in basketball. Some of his accolades on the diamond included three All League selections, two All Section selections, two League MVPs and a pair of First Team All-County honors. He had a career .425 batting average, and had more career intentional walks than strikeouts.Lamkin, 21, started 15 games at Texas A&amp;M University this season and posted a 3.42 ERA (32 ER in a team-high 84.1 IP) with 98 strikeouts (10.5 K/9), just 19 walks (2.0 BB/9) and a team-best 7 quality starts. In three seasons (53 games, 41 starts) with the Aggies, he struck out 260 batters across 209.1 innings (11.2 K/9). Prior to attending Texas A&amp;M, he graduated from Calallen High School (Texas), where he recorded all 21 outs via the strikeout in a no-hitter over Kerrville Tivy on March 11, 2022, and later that year was named to the Class 4A All-State Third Team by the Texas Sportswriters Association.Millar, 18, just finished his senior season at Alhambra High School (Calif.), where he went 7-1 with a 0.11 ERA (1 ER in 64.0 IP) with 117 strikeouts (49.8 K%) and just 18 walks (7.7 BB%), per <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/martinez/alhambra-bulldogs/athletes/cameron-millar/baseball/stats/?careerid=2qnmnuh5v38dd">his Maxpreps.com page</a>. He didn’t allow an extra-base hit, scattering 23 singles throughout his final year. Over three seasons, he went 20-8 with a 0.45 ERA (12 ER in 187.0 IP) and 268 strikeouts (37.5 K%) and just 53 walks (7.4 BB%). He did bat as well, mostly through his sophomore and junior seasons, combining to hit .221 (19-for-86) with 2 home runs. Only one player from Alhambra High School has made it to the Majors, and that was current Angels reliever Robert Stephenson. Millar is committed to the University of Arizona.As part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2022, the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented as a way to encourage teams to promote their best young players to the Majors as early as possible. Part of this, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/prospect-promotion-incentive-faq">per MLB.com’s</a> Joe Trezza, states: “Players who made an Opening Day roster and accrued the service time but didn’t factor in any awards that year retain PPI eligibility. They need to place in the top three for MVP or Cy Young (Award voting) before hitting arbitration. Witt Jr. became the first player to achieve this in 2024, when his top-3 AL MVP finish earned Kansas City a PPI pick in the 2025 Draft. Witt retained his eligibility from 2022, when he made his MLB debut for Kansas City on Opening Day.”

Royals select five players on first day of MLB draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Loftin delivered his second game-winning hit in less than a week, driving in Tyler Tolbert from second base with a single in the ninth inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 3-2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Tolbert singled off Sean Manaea, who had been dominant in relief in his season debut for the Mets. And when the speedster stole second base, that gave Loftin the chance to deliver another winner after his deciding single Tuesday against Pittsburgh.

Manaea (0-1), who had been out after straining an oblique in spring training and then developing an elbow issue during his rehab outings, allowed that lone run and five hits while striking out seven in 3 1/3 innings.

Noah Cameron delivered another brilliant start for Kansas City, scattering seven hits while matching a career best with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. And the rookie left-hander was in line for his fourth win when John Schreiber and Lucas Erceg shepherded a 2-0 lead — courtesy of John Rave's second-inning double — to All-Star closer Carlos Estévez.

Ronny Mauricio led off the ninth with a double off Estévez (4-2). Jeff McNeil followed with an RBI triple off the center-field wall, and fellow pinch hitter Jared Young delivered a sacrifice fly moments later to tie the game.

Clay Holmes allowed two runs and five hits and a walk over five innings for New York.

Tolbert entered the game in the eighth for Jac Caglianone for his defense. It wound up being his offense that mattered, helping the Royals avoid a three-game sweep heading into the All-Star break.

The Mets went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight in the game.

The Mets will be represented at the All-Star Game in Atlanta this week by LHP David Peterson, RHP Edwin Diaz, SS Francisco Lindor and 1B Pete Alonso. The Royals will have INF Maikel Garcia, Estévez, SS Bobby Witt Jr. and LHP Kris Bubic there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752446547726.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Loftin delivered his second game-winning hit in less than a week, driving in Tyler Tolbert from second base with a single in the ninth inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 3-2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.Tolbert singled off Sean Manaea, who had been dominant in relief in his season debut for the Mets. And when the speedster stole second base, that gave Loftin the chance to deliver another winner after his deciding single Tuesday against Pittsburgh.Manaea (0-1), who had been out after straining an oblique in spring training and then developing an elbow issue during his rehab outings, allowed that lone run and five hits while striking out seven in 3 1/3 innings.Noah Cameron delivered another brilliant start for Kansas City, scattering seven hits while matching a career best with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. And the rookie left-hander was in line for his fourth win when John Schreiber and Lucas Erceg shepherded a 2-0 lead — courtesy of John Rave's second-inning double — to All-Star closer Carlos Estévez.Ronny Mauricio led off the ninth with a double off Estévez (4-2). Jeff McNeil followed with an RBI triple off the center-field wall, and fellow pinch hitter Jared Young delivered a sacrifice fly moments later to tie the game.Clay Holmes allowed two runs and five hits and a walk over five innings for New York.<h2>Key moment</h2>Tolbert entered the game in the eighth for Jac Caglianone for his defense. It wound up being his offense that mattered, helping the Royals avoid a three-game sweep heading into the All-Star break.<h2>Key stat</h2>The Mets went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight in the game.<h2>Up next</h2>The Mets will be represented at the All-Star Game in Atlanta this week by LHP David Peterson, RHP Edwin Diaz, SS Francisco Lindor and 1B Pete Alonso. The Royals will have INF Maikel Garcia, Estévez, SS Bobby Witt Jr. and LHP Kris Bubic there.

⚾ Nick Loftin hits game-winner as Royals beat Mets to avoid 3-game sweep

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Juan Soto homered to lead the New York Mets past the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday.

Soto’s two-run shot into the right field fountains opened the scoring in the fourth. Over his last 20 games, Soto has nine home runs and 19 RBIs.

Frankie Montas (2-1) threw first-pitch strikes to 14 of 19 batters while allowing a run on four hits and striking out five.

Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India opened the sixth with doubles, reducing the Mets lead to 2-1. India had two of the Royals four hits, both doubles.

Reed Garrett relieved Montas and permitted India to advance on a wild pickoff attempt before retiring the heart of the Royals lineup, stranding the tying run.

Jeff McNeil’s two-out RBI single capped the scoring in the ninth.

Edwin Díaz allowed a walk in two hitless frames, earning his 19th save.

Scheduled Royals starter Michael Lorenzen missed the game with illness.

Jonathan Bowlan (1-2), the second of six Royals bullpen pitchers, threw three innings, allowing two runs on four hits, including Soto’s 435-foot home run.

For the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mets-royals-score-0422928fba3a49675263472a78de8105">second straight game</a>, the Mets successfully challenged a safe call on a Royals stolen base attempt. In both instances — Tyler Tolbert on Friday and Bobby Witt Jr. on Saturday — the runner didn’t maintain contact with the base during a head-first slide.

Witt popped up twice with runners in scoring position while his 14-game hitting streak ended. The Royals batted 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position during the first two games of the series.

With a runner at third and the infield drawn in, first baseman Pete Alonso made a diving stop of Vinnie Pasquantino’s sharp grounder, preserving the Mets one-run lead in the sixth.

Soto leads the majors with 77 walks, the most in Mets history prior to the All-Star break.

Mets RHP Clay Holmes (8-4, 3.29 ERA) opposes Royals LHP Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.56) on Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Juan Soto homered to lead the New York Mets past the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday.Soto’s two-run shot into the right field fountains opened the scoring in the fourth. Over his last 20 games, Soto has nine home runs and 19 RBIs.Frankie Montas (2-1) threw first-pitch strikes to 14 of 19 batters while allowing a run on four hits and striking out five.Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India opened the sixth with doubles, reducing the Mets lead to 2-1. India had two of the Royals four hits, both doubles.Reed Garrett relieved Montas and permitted India to advance on a wild pickoff attempt before retiring the heart of the Royals lineup, stranding the tying run.Jeff McNeil’s two-out RBI single capped the scoring in the ninth.Edwin Díaz allowed a walk in two hitless frames, earning his 19th save.Scheduled Royals starter Michael Lorenzen missed the game with illness.Jonathan Bowlan (1-2), the second of six Royals bullpen pitchers, threw three innings, allowing two runs on four hits, including Soto’s 435-foot home run.For the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mets-royals-score-0422928fba3a49675263472a78de8105">second straight game</a>, the Mets successfully challenged a safe call on a Royals stolen base attempt. In both instances — Tyler Tolbert on Friday and Bobby Witt Jr. on Saturday — the runner didn’t maintain contact with the base during a head-first slide.Witt popped up twice with runners in scoring position while his 14-game hitting streak ended. The Royals batted 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position during the first two games of the series.<h2>Key moment</h2>With a runner at third and the infield drawn in, first baseman Pete Alonso made a diving stop of Vinnie Pasquantino’s sharp grounder, preserving the Mets one-run lead in the sixth.<h2>Key stat</h2>Soto leads the majors with 77 walks, the most in Mets history prior to the All-Star break.<h2>Up next</h2>Mets RHP Clay Holmes (8-4, 3.29 ERA) opposes Royals LHP Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.56) on Sunday.

⚾ Juan Soto's 435-foot homer lifts Mets over Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Major League Baseball announced today that Royals infielder&nbsp;Maikel Garcia&nbsp;has been added to the American League All-Star team to mark his first career All-Star selection. He will join&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.,&nbsp;Kris Bubic&nbsp;and&nbsp;Carlos Estévez—who was added earlier today—as Kansas City’s representatives at the All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga.

The Royals now have four All-Stars, matching their total from last season. This is only the second time in franchise history they’ve had at least four All-Stars in back-to-back seasons, following 2015-16.

Only four teams have more than Kansas City’s four All-Stars: the Tigers (6), Mariners (5), Dodgers (5) and Padres (5). The Royals four All-Stars match the Astros, Yankees, Rays and Mets.

Garcia, 25, ranks 7th in Major League Baseball with a .305 batting average (103-for-338). He ranks tied for 2nd in the American League with 24 doubles, 5th with 103 hits, tied for 5th with 30 multi-hit games and 6th with 18 stolen bases.

Garcia has played in 92 of the Royals 94 games this season and has made 89 starts, including 69 starts at third base, 7 at second base, 5 as the designated hitter, 4 in center field, 3 at shortstop and at 1 in right field.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Major League Baseball announced today that Royals infielder&nbsp;Maikel Garcia&nbsp;has been added to the American League All-Star team to mark his first career All-Star selection. He will join&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.,&nbsp;Kris Bubic&nbsp;and&nbsp;Carlos Estévez—who was added earlier today—as Kansas City’s representatives at the All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga.The Royals now have four All-Stars, matching their total from last season. This is only the second time in franchise history they’ve had at least four All-Stars in back-to-back seasons, following 2015-16.Only four teams have more than Kansas City’s four All-Stars: the Tigers (6), Mariners (5), Dodgers (5) and Padres (5). The Royals four All-Stars match the Astros, Yankees, Rays and Mets.Garcia, 25, ranks 7th in Major League Baseball with a .305 batting average (103-for-338). He ranks tied for 2nd in the American League with 24 doubles, 5th with 103 hits, tied for 5th with 30 multi-hit games and 6th with 18 stolen bases.Garcia has played in 92 of the Royals 94 games this season and has made 89 starts, including 69 starts at third base, 7 at second base, 5 as the designated hitter, 4 in center field, 3 at shortstop and at 1 in right field.

Maikel Garcia Added to 2025 All-Star Team

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mark Vientos had a three-run double in the eighth inning, Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer in the ninth and the New York Mets beat the Kansas City Royals 8-3 on Friday night.

Brandon Nimmo singled to open the eighth and Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto walked to load the bases against Steven Cruz (2-1). Carlos Estévez entered to strike out Pete Alonso before Vientos cleared the bases for a 4-3 lead.

Lindor added his 19th homer in the ninth. He has 29 home runs and 81 RBIs against the Royals, his most against any opponent. Juan Soto followed with his 22nd homer, the sixth pair of back-to-back homers by the Mets.

Huascar Brazobán (5-2) won after allowing four hits and a two-run homer by Bobby Witt Jr. while pitching the seventh.

Kodai Senga returned from the injured list to make his first start in since leaving a June 12 start with a right hamstring strain.

Working on a pitch limit, Senga threw four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, striking out four.

Michael Wacha allowed a run on two hits and three walks in five innings, striking out five.

After Kyle Isbel’s seventh-inning leadoff single, pinch-runner Tyler Tolbert stole second. The Mets challenged and the safe call was overturned because Tolbert came off the bag during his head-first slide. Witt homered two batters later.

Senga’s “ghost fork” has induced 113 of his 206 career strikeouts.

Mets RHP Frankie Montas (1-1, 6.14 ERA) was set to face Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.61) on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752331158597.jpeg" alt="New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, July 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, July 11, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mark Vientos had a three-run double in the eighth inning, Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer in the ninth and the New York Mets beat the Kansas City Royals 8-3 on Friday night.Brandon Nimmo singled to open the eighth and Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto walked to load the bases against Steven Cruz (2-1). Carlos Estévez entered to strike out Pete Alonso before Vientos cleared the bases for a 4-3 lead.Lindor added his 19th homer in the ninth. He has 29 home runs and 81 RBIs against the Royals, his most against any opponent. Juan Soto followed with his 22nd homer, the sixth pair of back-to-back homers by the Mets.Huascar Brazobán (5-2) won after allowing four hits and a two-run homer by Bobby Witt Jr. while pitching the seventh.Kodai Senga returned from the injured list to make his first start in since leaving a June 12 start with a right hamstring strain.Working on a pitch limit, Senga threw four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, striking out four.Michael Wacha allowed a run on two hits and three walks in five innings, striking out five.<h2>Key moment</h2>After Kyle Isbel’s seventh-inning leadoff single, pinch-runner Tyler Tolbert stole second. The Mets challenged and the safe call was overturned because Tolbert came off the bag during his head-first slide. Witt homered two batters later.<h2>Key stat</h2>Senga’s “ghost fork” has induced 113 of his 206 career strikeouts.<h2>Up next</h2>Mets RHP Frankie Montas (1-1, 6.14 ERA) was set to face Royals RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.61) on Saturday.___