The Royals introduced that outfielder Hunter Renfroe was positioned on the 10-day injured checklist attributable to a proper hamstring pressure. Outfielder Tyler Gentry was referred to as up from Triple-A Omaha to take Renfroe’s spot on the energetic roster.
Renfroe was subbed out within the ninth inning of yesterday’s 11-2 Royals loss to the Phillies, and the early exit didn’t appear uncommon given the sport’s lopsided nature. Nonetheless, supervisor Matt Quatraro advised reporters (together with MLB.com’s Anne Rogers) as we speak that Renfroe had a minor tweak of the hamstring that led the workforce to place him on the IL as one thing of a precautionary measure. Bringing Gentry up additionally retains the Royals at full roster power throughout a crowded part of the schedule — as we speak is the third recreation in a stretch of 14 video games in 13 days for Kansas Metropolis, counting tomorrow’s double-header with the Guardians.
That is the second time Renfroe has been on the IL this season, as he beforehand had a minimal 10-game absence after struggling a bone bruise on his left foot in June. Since getting back from that prior IL stint, Renfroe has hit a decent .274/.351/.433 with six dwelling runs over 185 plate appearances, serving to get himself on observe after an ice-cold begin within the first two-plus months of the season. That tough begin continues to be dragging down Renfroe’s total numbers, as he has a below-average 97 wRC+ from a .237/.312/.398 slash line over 372 PA.
Given how a lot better Renfroe has been swinging the bat during the last two months, the Royals can ill-afford to lose their beginning proper fielder for any prolonged period of time because the membership competes for a playoff spot. The left-handed hitting Adam Frazier has gotten the subsequent highest quantity of right-field taking part in time as a complement to Renfroe’s righty bat, and Ok.C. might choose to present Dairon Blanco extra time in proper together with Frazier.
Gentry additionally figures to be a part of the combo in his first style of Main League motion. Gentry was a third-round choose for the Royals within the 2020 draft and he has spent the final two seasons at Triple-A, hitting .254/.360/.424 with 29 homers and 19 steals (out of 23 makes an attempt) over 995 plate appearances with Omaha. Kansas Metropolis added him to the 40-man roster final November prematurely of the Rule 5 Draft.
MLB Pipeline ranks the 25-year-old Gentry fifteenth on their checklist of Royals prospects, with a 60-grade throwing arm that has resulted in most of his minor league profession spent in the precise subject place. Gentry has had a bent to hit higher later within the season throughout his time within the minors, so he might be peaking on the proper time for his debut within the Present, or he may naturally want one other adjustment interval as he sees Main League pitching for the primary time. Gentry is taken into account extra of a contact hitter than an influence bat, which doesn’t fully match the profile of a slugging nook outfield kind.
