Bryan Woo gets the ball for Seattle and he has reason to want this one. The Royals torched him for 6 runs in 6 innings back on May 1, including 4 in the first. He responded by punching out 9 Astros in his last quality start in Houston, so the version that shows up at Kauffman matters a lot. Seth Lugo, meanwhile, has been wobbling — 5 runs in 5 innings against the White Sox his last time out, and his ERA has crept up to 3.68 after a sparkling April.
The biggest subplot here is who isn't playing. Seattle is still without Cal Raleigh (oblique) and Brendan Donovan (groin), which is a real chunk of offensive production missing from this lineup. Kansas City counters with their own pile of arms on the shelf — Cole Ragans is finally on a rehab assignment, but Kris Bubic, Matt Strahm, and Carlos Estevez are all out, which is why every Lugo start feels like it has to go 7.
- Day-To-DayTeddy McGraw (SP) — McGraw is working his way back from right elbow issues, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILBrendan Donovan (3B) — Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said Sunday that Donovan will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection for his strained left groin as well as his adductor and is expected to resume baseball activity in 2-to-3 weeks, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.05/18
- 10-Day-ILCal Raleigh (C) — The Mariners will shut Raleigh (oblique) down for a week before re-evaluating him, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.05/16
- 10-Day-ILWill Wilson (3B) — The Mariners placed Wilson on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a fractured left thumb.05/08
- 15-Day-ILGabe Speier (RP) — Speier (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with High-A Everett on Wednesday, allowing three runs on three hits, including two home runs, over one inning. He struck out two.05/21
- 60-Day-ILMiles Mastrobuoni (3B) — Seattle transferred Mastrobuoni (calf) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILLogan Evans (SP) — The Mariners placed Evans (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCarlos Vargas (RP) — Vargas (lat) has suffered a setback in his recovery, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayAnthony Simonelli (SP) — no05/08
- Day-To-DayJavier Vaz (2B) — Vaz (fingers) has produced a .238/.304/.262 slash line with zero home runs and three stolen bases in 10 games since being activated from Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 7-day injured list April 22.05/08
- Day-To-DayTyson Guerrero (RP) — no05/08
- 10-Day-ILJonathan India (2B) — The Royals announced Tuesday that India underwent season-ending surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder.05/08
- 15-Day-ILCole Ragans (SP) — The Royals announced Friday that Ragans (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.05/22
- 15-Day-ILMatt Strahm (RP) — Strahm received an injection Monday to help with symptoms of right knee inflammation, MLB.com reports.05/21
- 15-Day-ILKris Bubic (SP) — Bubic (3-2) took the loss against the White Sox on Thursday, pitching four innings and allowing five runs on five hits and three walks while striking out one batter.05/18
- 15-Day-ILCarlos Estevez (RP) — Estevez (foot) was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJames McArthur (RP) — McArthur will see a specialist after continuing to experience soreness in his right elbow, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.05/19
- 60-Day-ILAlec Marsh (SP) — The Royals placed Marsh (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
The market sees the Mariners as the right side and isn't being shy about it. Seattle is a -132 favorite on the road against a Royals team that has lost 4 of 5, which tells you what books think of Kansas City's current vibe. The total sits at 8.5 with the under getting most of the action — fair enough with two starters who can miss bats when they're right.
Get-away day in KC, a hobbled Royals lineup, and a Woo revenge spot against the team that knocked him around 3 weeks ago. If Seattle can put a crooked number on Lugo early the way they couldn't on Friday, this one ends quick. If Lugo finds the version of himself from April, it's a 3-2 game where the Royals bullpen has to figure out how not to lose it for him.