Isbel's prep work pays off with second ST HR

PEORIA, Ariz. -- As he led off the Royals’ game against the Cubs on Sunday afternoon, Kyle Isbel had a good idea of what was going to come from veteran starter Kyle Hendricks. The Royals outfielder had prepped for Hendricks that morning, simulating the right-hander’s sequences and movement during batting practice.

So when Isbel saw an elevated two-seam fastball from Hendricks as the first pitch of the game, he was familiar with how the pitch would move. And when Hendricks threw a two-seamer down as the next pitch, Isbel knew what to do with it.

He crushed it to deep left field for a leadoff home run.

“It’s game-changing, really,” Isbel said. “Being able to take the same at-bats you do in your pregame routine before you even get out onto the field is huge. You get to see shapes of pitches you’re about to see, whether you’re hitting off somebody or hitting off the machine that’s synced up to the guy throwing that day. It really paints a picture for what you’re going to see and helps get your swing oriented to that.”

Isbel may not have been as prepared for Tuesday's game against Kansas City because he was a last-minute substitution for center fielder Michael A. Taylor -- who was scratched with left hip tightness as a precaution -- but it didn’t stop Isbel from hitting a hanging curve from Logan Gilbert to straightaway center for a three-run jack in the Royals’ 11-4 win over the Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex.

Isbel’s bat is heating up with Opening Day just around the corner, as the club's No. 7 prospect vies for a big league roster spot, likely as a platoon outfielder. The 25-year-old is making a case, with a 1.075 OPS in nine Cactus League games.

Isbel is playing like last spring, when he broke camp and was the starting right fielder on Opening Day. Isbel recorded three hits in his debut but saw his performance decline as pitchers exposed his weaknesses, and the Royals sent him to Triple-A Omaha to reset over the summer before he returned to the big leagues in September.

And how different does his swing feel now versus how it was feeling when he was sent down?

“It’s not even close, really,” Isbel said. “When I was up there, I was trying to cover the whole zone. I revamped and figured it out in the Minor Leagues. When I got back up there, it was better, but not as good as what I wanted it to be. But I feel like this spring, I’ve been able to control the zone well.”

Isbel’s pitch selection is better, as he now looks for pitches he can do damage with -- a mentality that’s harder to adopt than it seems. But his preparation is centered around it, and it’s paying off.

Where Isbel finds himself at the start of the season, whether in Kansas City or Omaha, isn’t up to him, but he’s letting his bat force an opportunity with the Royals.

“I can only control what I can control, and that’s when I’m playing defense or in the box, or helping out other teammates,” Isbel said. “Other than that, it’s just about getting ready right now.”

Lynch efficient in tuneup
Daniel Lynch was as efficient as he could be in five innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits with no walks and two strikeouts. He mixed in all his pitches, initiated weak contact and was glad he could get on the mound for a fifth inning for the first time this spring, especially with the regular season just over a week away.

“I’m not sure what the plan is moving forward, but I’m ready for whatever they want me to do,” Lynch said. “The no walks is definitely a positive thing. That’s always a goal … and anytime I do it, I’m definitely really happy with it.”

Lynch also made a stellar defensive play in the third inning, when he fielded a hopper on the third base side of the mound and made a long and sharp throw to first base to throw out Donovan Walton.

The Royals wanted to see game action from pitchers who are fighting for roster spots, including Arodys Vizcaíno, Jose Cuas and Collin Snider, so right-hander Brad Keller threw in a “B” game at the Royals complex on Tuesday.

Salvy wins prestigious award
Manager Mike Matheny’s pregame speech to his team on Monday morning took a turn away from preparing for the regular season to celebrate one of the club's best players for a special award. Salvador Perez won this year’s Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, sponsored by the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity. Phi Delta Theta presents the award annually to an MLB player who best exemplifies the giving character of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, who was a member of the Fraternity’s Columbia University chapter.

Perez is the second Royal to win the award, following George Brett in 1986, and Brett was in the clubhouse for the meeting to congratulate Perez. The Royals’ veteran backstop and most dangerous hitter in the lineup, Perez has done a ton of philanthropic work in his native Venezuela, including sponsoring kids for a baseball academy, funding baseball clinics, donating toys for children’s hospitals, distributing meals to families in need and donating money to sponsor families of police officers.

In Kansas City, Perez has donated to the Urban Youth Academy and has worked with Teach for America. He is also a supporter of local police officer Sarah Olsen through her battle with ALS.