NewsHillman glad to have Callaspo back
Kansas City (52-85) vs. Detroit (75-61), 7:10 p.m. CT
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
09/07/09 6:46 PM ET
KANSAS CITY -- Alberto Callaspo missed only two games because of a bruised right ankle, but Royals manager Trey Hillman was especially pleased to get his second baseman back.Callaspo returned for the series finale against the Angels on Monday and was expected to be ready for the series opener against another first-place club, the Tigers, beginning on Tuesday night.
"It's real important for us to get a real productive bat in the lineup," Hilllman said, "and try to get more than four runs in three games."
He made that remark before the Labor Day game after the Royals had lost three straight to the Angels while scoring just four times. Callaspo knocked in one of those runs with a triple in the series opener, the same game in which he fouled a ball off his ankle.
Sure enough, in the first at-bat of his return on Monday, Callaspo cracked a run-scoring single and later singled and stole a base in a 6-3 victory over the Angels.
Callaspo, a switch-hitter, has pumped some much-needed life into the American League's least-productive offense this season. He's batting .297 and has knocked in 55 runs while showing considerable power with eight homers, six triples and 31 doubles.
"Obviously with the lack of run production, it's been a big positive for us with the slugging numbers that he's had," Hillman said.
Before this season, Callaspo had not hit a home run in the Majors. When he finally connected on April 24 against the Tigers, he ended the longest homerless drought by any active player -- 484 trips to the plate.
His newfound power and production have led Hillman to move Callaspo into the No. 5 slot in the lineup. In 40 games there, he's batted .297 (46-for-155) with 15 RBIs. Previously he'd batted sixth or seventh most often, with the seven-hole being especially fruitful at .331 with 21 RBIs in 39 games.
"He seems to have taken to hitting the middle of the lineup with what's not really the type of body you see hitting in that five-slot, but he's been the most productive guy for a lot of reasons," he said. "He's one of our better clutch hitters -- he knows how to drive runs in."
Among the Royals' regulars, Callaspo is at the top in batting with runners in scoring position at .320 (33-for-103).
He's missed just seven of the Royals' 137 games so far.
"He's got a pretty good history of being durable in his first full season of being a starting player. He was very durable down the stretch last year for a little over a month, so he's held up very well," Hillman said. "I think there's some physical and mental toughness there."
Pitching matchupKC: LHP Bruce Chen (1-6, 5.24 ERA)
Chen, a left-hander trying to make an impression in a comeback year from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, gets another shot as a replacement for Brian Bannister. The Royals are skipping Bannister this time as he gets a medical evaluation for right shoulder fatigue which stopped him after 1 1/3 innings last Wednesday at Oakland. Chen saved the day in that game, pitching four solid innings to give the other relievers a needed rest. Chen has made eight starts, the last coming on Aug. 6 in an 8-6 win over the Mariners -- his first big league victory in almost four years. DET: RHP Rick Porcello (12-8, 4.18 ERA)
Porcello became just the second Major League pitcher since 1988 to win a dozen games in a season before his 21st birthday, joining Felix Hernandez, thanks to a solid performance on Wednesday against the Indians. He held Cleveland to two runs over seven-plus innings in a remarkably efficient performance. Porcello has used his four-seam fastball well to set up his sinker as a great out pitch over his past few starts, a trend that should continue in Kansas City. Crown points
On Sunday, with 11 home dates remaining, the Royals passed their home attendance mark for all of 2008 by reaching 1,584,277 for 69 dates. ... Tony Pena Jr. made his pitching debut for Triple-A Omaha on Sunday and pitched three shutout innings with three strikeouts in a 3-2 loss at Round Rock. ... Catcher Wil Myers, the Royals' third-round pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft, raised his average to .380 (19-for-50) for Rookie Idaho Falls. ... Karl Morris of Gladstone, Mo., was in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat on Monday. Morris is founder of Concerned Care, Inc., which provides for adults and youth with developmental disabilities. ... Before Monday's game, pitcher Zack Greinke met with four teams he sponsors in the Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities (RBI) program in Kansas City. The kids got free tickets, food and Greinke T-shirts. Greinke also donated his game-worn, team-signed Jackie Robinson Day jersey -- which is available on royals.com/auction. Tickets
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• Wednesday: Royals (Robinson Tejeda, 1-1, 3.61) vs. Tigers (Justin Verlander, 16-7, 3.29), 7:10 p.m. CT
• Thursday: Royals (TBD) vs. Tigers (Jarrod Washburn, 9-8, 3.55), 1:10 p.m. CT
• Friday: Royals (TBD) at Indians (Jeremy Sowers, 6-9, 4.78), 6:05 p.m. CT
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
