Shin-Soo Choo Injury Update: Indians OF Expected Out Only A Few Days

Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta is hoping his premonition is true: that the injury to Shin-Soo Chin’s hamstring is no big deal. As his team lost for the second time today to the last place Kansas City Royals, it was clear his line-up was missing the outfielder. However, the news is mild on Choo’s long-term injury concern.

Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes, “Acta said he’s been told by the medical staff that Choo should only miss a couple of days. Head trainer Lonnie Soloff said it was a good sign that Choo came to Progressive Field on Wednesday with less pain in the hamstring than he had when he left Tuesday’s game for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning. Still, training staffs are cautious with all hamstring injuries. If Choo is out between five days and a week, it would not be a surprise.”

Choo is hitting .237 on the year so far in 2012.

For more on the Kansas City Royals, visit Royals Review. Cleveland Indians news and info can be found at Let's Go Tribe, and all your MLB news is available over at Baseball Nation.

Royals OF Alex Gordon: 'It's A Lot More Fun Winning Than Losing'

The Kansas City Royals finally got one in the win column yesterday for the first time in 13 games. Now they have put another feather in that cap, giving the team a two game winning streak. That’s a good feeling for a team that’s now 5-14 overall.

“It feels good to get two out of three on the road,” Alex Gordon said. “It’s a lot more fun winning than losing, especially 12 in a row. We’re enjoying it, but I think we came here today with the goal to win again.”

Gordon had two hits today and a home run yesterday, so his bat is coming alive at the right time. The Royals need him to hit after signing the big extension just before the regular season started.

“That’s why those streaks happen,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “You can’t catch a break. You can’t find a hole. They’re making great plays. You’re not getting a call from an umpire. It’s always something. Don’t ask me what it is. Whatever it is, when it turns you get on the right side of it for a while.”

Royals fans can only hope the All-Star magic of 2012 can keep the momentum going for a while.

Royals Best Indians 4-2 For Second Straight Win

The Kansas City Royals' bats weren't nearly as potent as last night's four home run attack, but they fared well enough against the Cleveland Indians for the team to grab their second straight win. That's good news for a team that had previously lost their last 12 games.

Luis Mendoza pitched five solid innings for the win and Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon, Brayan Pena and Billy Butler had two hits apiece to help pace the Royals earlier today.

The Indians managed just six hits on the day and the Royals bullpen combined with Mendoza for a solid pitching performance that the team needed most. The Tribe definitely missed Shin-Soo Choo in the line-up today, but the good news is that his hamstring injury is not expected to linger for long.

For more on the Kansas City Royals, visit Royals Review. Cleveland Indians news and info can be found at Let's Go Tribe, and all your MLB news is available over at Baseball Nation.

Royals Refused To Obsess About Losing Streak During 12-Game Skid

Few teams have endured the miserable losing streaks that the Kansas City Royals have over the last several seasons, but the youth infusion and influx of talent is supposed to change that. At least this year, it’s clear there will still be some growing pains. Yet despite dropping 12 straight before last night’s 8-2 win ove the Indians, the Royals said they were staying focused on the right things the entire time.

“It does us no good,” said Royals starter Luke Hochevar, “to sit there and think about, ‘If we didn’t lose this game,’ or, ‘If this streak didn’t happen.’ We have to focus on what’s in front of us and focus on the things that we need to do to be successful. I think that’s going to be our next step: putting it behind us.”

Hochevar picked up the win last night in a much needed game for the Royals. Yost praised his pitcher after the game.

“That was a huge start by Hoch to be able to get us into the seventh inning with the lead against a club that whacked him around last time he faced them,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “That was a pretty darn good effort tonight.”

Eric Hosmer said the bats are finally starting to come alive, which will give the pitchers some breathing room. That will put such streaks to rest most of the time.

“This lineup is really starting to heat up,” Hosmer said. “Guys are starting to hit well. … This offense has been hitting, we just haven’t gotten many balls falling our way.”

The Royals head to the third game of the series in Cleveland today.

Royals Finally Break Losing Streak With Big 8-2 Win Over Indians

It was only a matter of time, but for the Kansas City Royals and their fans, it could not come soon enough. After 12 straight defeats, the Royals took out their frustrations on the Cleveland Indians pitching staff last night to the tune of 8 runs, getting two home runs from Billy Butler in the process in the 8-2 win at Cleveland.

Butler was the biggest story in the game with his third and fourth home runs in the game in the first and final innings. Eric Hosmer added his fifth and Alex Gordon also hit his third shot of the season as well. In short, the Royals’ power came out in droves and made a statement that perhaps all was not last after all. The Royals totaled 11 hits and 5 walks on the night.

Luke Hochevar picked up the win for the Royals, allowing two runs in six-plus innings. Ubaldo Jimenez took the loss for the Indians. The Royals are now 4-14 on the season.

Kansas City Royals Vs. Cleveland Indians Wednesday Starting Lineups

It hasn't been a fun in Kansas City so far this season. The Royals have dropped their last 12 contests, and are a woeful 0-10 at home on the season. On Wednesday night, the Royals will take on the Indians in Cleveland, looking to snap the ugly 12-game losing streak.

Both managers have announced the starting lineups, and they are as follows:

Kansas City Royals

Chris Getz, 2B
Alex Gordon, LF
Billy Butler, DH
Eric Hosmer, 1B
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Mike Moustakas, 3B
Humberto Quintero, C
Mitch Maier, CF
Alcides Escobar, SS

Luke Hochevar, SP

Cleveland Indians

Michael Brantley, CF
Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
Carlos Santana, C
Travis Hafner, DH
Shelly Duncan, LF
Jack Hannahan, 3B
Jason Kipnis, 2B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Aaron Cunningham, RF

Ubaldo Jimenez, SP

Kansas City's offense will have to solve the once-dominant Jimenez in order to snap their skid. Jimenez, though, hasn't been the same pitcher he was two years ago, and has struck out just as many as he's walked on the year -- 11.

For more on all things Royals, be sure to check out Royals Review and join the discussion.

Royals Vs. Indians: Game Two Preview, TV Info And More

There's not much to encourage Kansas City that the Royals' 12-game losing streak will be snapped Wednesday night, as they'll face an Indians team that's beaten K.C. four times already this season with ace Ubaldo Jimenez starting for The Tribe.

Kansas City has been outscored 73-44 during their 12 game losing streak, allowing four or more runs in a game nine times in that stretch. Luke Hochevar will take the hill for the Royals, still recovering from a line drive to the ankle on Opening Day against the Tigers.

Date / Time: Wednesday, April 25, 6:05 p.m. CT

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio

TV: Fox Sports Kansas City

Radio: KCSP 610 AM

Starting Pitchers: Luke Hochevar (1-1) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (2-0)

For more on the Kansas City Royals, visit Royals Review. Cleveland Indians news and info can be found at Let's Go Tribe, and all your MLB news is available over at Baseball Nation.

Indians Walk Their Way To Victory, Kansas City Royals Lose Yet Again

Twelve in a row.

There isn't much to say about this team right now, or at least anything that is constituted as family friendly. With Tuesday evening's 4-3 loss at Progressive Field to the Cleveland Indians, the Kansas City Royals now sit at 3-14 on the season. Fan apathy has set in, just a tenth of the way into the season.

The same struggles are there, the Royals continue to struggle with runners in scoring position, meanwhile as a team the club walked nine Cleveland batters on the evening. Jonathan Sanchez accounted for seven walks in just 4.2 innings pitched.

Looking at the positives, Mitch Maier played a heck of a game, collecting three hits and saving at least two runs from scoring in the ninth when he chased down a Travis Hafner fly ball hit deep. He doubled his RBI's for the season, with two in the loss.

Kansas City finally showed signs of life in the ninth, as Chris Getz doubled and scored from third on a groundout from Billy Butler. However after Eric Hosmer singled, Jeff Francoeur grounded out to end the game.

What's really frustrating is you outhit a team 12-8, yet lose, primarily because of the number of walks allowed.

Royals fans are currently numb and looking for answers, but I don't have any. You could point the finger in any general direction and have a reasonable argument for what has gone wrong. However I believe the Royals need a change, and they need a change at the very top.

For 20 years it's been the same song and dance, no matter what the talent level is on the field. This organization needs a paradigm shift, problem is I don't see it coming anytime soon. It is indeed far from "Our Time".

Keep your heads up folks, tomorrow is a new day...

Royals Vs. Indians: Starting Line-Ups Announced

After a miserable homestand in which the Kansas City Royals went 0-11, the team will likely look forward to getting back on the road of all things just to have a change of scenery in hopes of curing the jinx the team is obviously under. The young line-up can't get a timely hit in any shape or form, and the pitching does just enough to lose a game. It's been a very unfortunate streak for a team with much higher hopes in 2012. Tonight they can begin to turn things around on the road at Cleveland. Here's the starting line-ups.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS
1. Chris Getz (L) 2B
2. Alex Gordon (L) LF
3. Billy Butler (R) DH
4. Eric Hosmer (L) 1B
5. Jeff Francoeur (R) RF
6. Mike Moustakas (L) 3B
7. Humberto Quintero (R) C
8. Mitch Maier (L) CF
9. Alcides Escobar (R) SS

CLEVELAND INDIANS
1. Jason Kipnis (L) 2B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Shin-Soo Choo (L) RF
4. Carlos Santana (S) C
5. Travis Hafner (L) DH
6. Shelley Duncan (R) LF
7. Jack Hannahan (L) 3B
8. Casey Kotchman (L) 1B
9. Aaron Cunningham (R) CF

To read more about the Royals, go to the Royals Review blog. For more on the Indians, check out Let's Go Tribe. Stay updated on news and notes around the league at Baseball Nation.

MLB Power Rankings: Royals Are No. 7, Despite Struggles

The Kansas City Royals haven't been as terrible as they have been unlucky. The Sports Illustrated Major League Baseball Power Rankings has the Royals as the 7th-ranked team in the game, despite them only having three wins on the season and going 0-10 at home up until this point.

Perhaps if the Royals can get a bit more opportunistic hitting, they'd be in better shape.

Here is what SI wrote about the ranking:

"Here's a case where a team's WAR winning percentage can be more telling than its current record. Judging by wins and losses alone, the Royals have been atrocious. But their offensive line of .254/.316/.408 is pretty close to league average and their pitching hasn't been disastrous. The problem has been when the hits have come: Kansas City has hit just .198 in high-leverage situations. The Royals don't have to play much better in order to start winning games -- they just need to start coming through in the clutch."

Read more about the Royals at Royals Review.

Royals Vs. Indians: Game Preview, TV Info And More

The Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians begin a three-game series on Tuesday.