Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier, who is leading the Kansas City with a .314 batting average, went on the 10-day injured list Monday due to a chest injury.

The move was retroactive to Friday. Dozier hasn’t played since leaving Thursday’s game with what was described by the team as “right-sided thorax tightness.”

The 27-year-old Dozier is having a breakout season after hitting .229 with 11 home runs in 101 games last season.

In addition to batting average, he leads the Royals in on-base percentage (.398) and slugging percentage (.589), and he ranks second in home runs with 11 in 52 games.

The Royals open a nine-game homestand Tuesday, when the Boston Red Sox visit to begin a three-game series.

— Field Level Media —s

ARLINGTON, Texas — Adrian Sampson struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings and earned his first major league win as a starter, leading the Texas Rangers over the Kansas City Royals 5-1 Sunday.

Texas won three of four in the series. The Royals ended a 1-6 trip that left them with a major league-worst 8-23 road record.

Sampson (4-3) posted his previous three victories in relief of an opener. He gave up one run and eight hits, and walked none.

Texas reliever Jesse Chavez pitched a scoreless ninth to run his shutout streak to 18 1/3 innings.

Brad Keller (3-7) allowed three runs in seven innings. The American League leader in walks with 42 didn’t walk anyone but had two wild pitches, one that scored a run.

Texas took a 1-0 lead in the third on three opposite-field singles and added two runs in the fifth, the second on an opposite-field single by Nomar Mazara.

Sampson escaped a jam in the fifth in which the Royals used bunt singles by Terrance Gore and Billy Hamilton to load the bases with none out. He retired Whit Merrifield on a liner, Adalberto Mondesi on a swinging third strike and Alex Gordon on a called third strike.

Jorge Soler hit his career-high 15th home run in the sixth inning for Kansas City’s run.

The Royals loaded the bases in the eighth inning with two outs, but Shelby Miller got Cam Gallagher to fly out to center field.

GALLO TO IL

Rangers CF Joey Gallo, who’s tied with three others for second place in the AL with 17 home runs, was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain that happened in Saturday’s game and will probably miss about two weeks.

“Hopefully it’s going to be a quick trip,” he said.

SHORT HOPS

Texas scored a second run on a third wild pitch, in the eighth inning by Jake Diekman. … Mondesi hit his major league-leading eighth triple, breaking a tie with Merrifield. . Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert had his second career three-hit game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Martin Maldonado, who left Saturday’s game in the sixth inning with right forearm tightness, was available but given the day off.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Glenn Sparkman (1-1, 4.21) will open a home series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. His previous start lasted two batters into the second inning, when he was ejected for hitting the Chicago White Sox’s Tim Anderson.

Rangers: LHP Drew Smyly (1-3, 6.98) will start Tuesday’s series opener at home against the Baltimore Orioles on five days’ rest unless manager Chris Woodard decides to move up LHP Mike Minor (5-4, 2.74).

— Associated Press —

ARLINGTON, Texas — Joey Gallo’s power helped produce another Texas Rangers win. When he’ll return to the plate is in question.

Gallo hit a tie-breaking home run for the second straight game before leaving in the fifth inning due to injury as the Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 Saturday.

Gallo was removed because of tightness in his left oblique while batting. He had an MRI and passed some strength tests after the game.

“If there’s something in there, we’ll find out,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “I guess we’ll plan accordingly after that.”

The Rangers have won 12 of 17 and improved to 19-9 at home.

Lance Lynn (7-4) allowed both runs. He yielded six hits and a hit batter, striking out seven for his fifth straight quality start.

The Royals have lost five of their last six games and have the worst road record in the majors at 8-22. Kansas City was 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Gallo broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, hitting a 1-0 pitch from Homer Bailey (4-6) over the home bullpen in right-center for his 17th of the season, good enough for a tie with four others for the American League lead. On Friday night, Gallo hit a grand slam in the sixth inning in a 6-2 win over the Royals.

Woodward said Gallo initially felt the pain earlier in the game when throwing. In the dugout before batting in the fifth inning, Gallo told Woodward it didn’t feel like a “muscular thing . like a chiropractor popped him the wrong way.”

Woodward went up to the plate along with trainer Matt Lucero after Gallo’s first swing only to be assured he felt fine.

“He basically lied to me,” Woodward said. “Then on the next pitch he swung and felt something. And I just said, `OK, you’re out.”

Bailey gave up four runs on six hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings for his fourth straight start without a victory. He allowed only a first-inning single to Nomar Mazara before Hunter Pence led off the fourth with an opposite-field ground single to right ahead of Gallo’s homer.

Martin Maldonado and Cam Gallagher, who replaced Maldonado behind the plate in the sixth inning, had RBI doubles. Maldonado was pulled as a precaution with right forearm tightness.

The 25-year-old Gallo went into Saturday’s game with the AL’s best ratio of at-bats to home runs (10.6) and OPS (1.048). He’s hitting .276 after batting .209 and .206 with 41 and 40 homers, respectively, during his two previous full major league seasons.

“He’s more disciplined this year,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s kind of coming into his own here.”

DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES

The Rangers are 29-27, good enough to be the conversation for a wild-card playoff berth at this point, after losing 95 games last season.

“I would take it,” Woodward said. “It’s a great spot to be in.”

Lynn’s opinion of where his club stands?

“Average — pretty close to .500,” he said. “We need to be better.”

SHORT HOPS

Pence and Royals RF Whit Merrifield each had two hits for the second straight game. Merrifield has hits in 10 of his last 11 games. … Rangers C Jeff Mathis had a sacrifice fly for his third RBI of the season in 31 games, his first since April 24. … Five of Texas’ six hits off Bailey were by left-handed hitters. The 33-year-old right-hander entered the game holding left-handed batters to a .213 batting average. … Rangers RHP Jose Leclerc struck out both batters he faced and has 21 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings over his last nine appearances. … Maldonado has a .327 career batting average at Globe Life Park. … Texas placed RHP Jeanmar Gomez on unconditional release waivers after designating him for assignment last Sunday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 3B Hunter Dozier (right thorax tightness), who left Thursday’s series opener in the fifth inning, probably won’t return before Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (3-6, 4.56) leads the AL with 42 walks. Keller allowed only one last time out — but also 10 hits — in giving up four runs in six innings in a loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Rangers: RHP Adrian Sampson (3-3, 4.53) has won his last three outings, each following an opener. Sampson will make his first true start since May 12 and sixth of the season.

— Associated Press —

ARLINGTON, Texas — Joey Gallo stood in center field trying not to beat himself up after misplaying two fly balls into triples as he and the Texas Rangers trailed the Kansas City Royals by two runs going into the sixth inning.

Soon enough, Gallo took out his frustrations on the baseball.

Gallo’s first career grand slam capped a six-run, sixth inning outburst as the Rangers rallied past the Royals 6-2 Friday night.

The Rangers have won five of their last six home games while the Royals have lost of four of their last five overall.

Gallo’s home run, his team-leading 16th of the season, sailed 457 feet and landed in the second seating area beyond the center-field wall.

“Things turned around quick,” Gallo said. In his first season playing regularly in center, he also redeemed himself defensively by finishing the game with a diving catch in left-center on a ball hit by Billy Hamilton.

Ariel Jurado (2-2) won for the first time in three major league starts this season. Jurado allowed two runs on five hits and three walks. The second-year right-hander, who was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on April 26, had career highs in strikeouts (six) and pitches (101).

All of that on a night when his parents, Ariel Sr. and Yizel, had traveled from Panama to see him pitch in the majors for the first time.

“That was something special,” Jurado said through an interpreter.

With Jurado outpitched by veteran Royals left-hander Danny Duffy through five innings, Rangers manager Chris Woodward thought his youngster deserved a better fate given the circumstances.

“I’m saying a little prayer `cause the baseball gods should be with us on this one,” Woodward said. “Like, I was hoping for three (runs).”

Duffy (3-2) lost for the first time since April 26, his first start of the season after recovering from last year’s shoulder injury. Carrying a two-hit shutout into the sixth inning, he allowed all six runs, six hits and two walks — both in the sixth.

“This game will rip your heart out sometimes,” Duffy said. “But I’ve got to turn the page after tonight and go back out there, try to be better next time.”

Texas loaded the bases in the sixth inning on outfield singles by Shin-Soo Choo and Elvis Andrus and a chopper hit between third base and the mound by Hunter Pence. Duffy fielded Pence’s grounder, but his throw to first base was late.

Duffy walked Nomar Mazara with the bases loaded to tie the score 2-2. Gallo then launched a 1-1 fastball to end a six-game homerless streak, which matched his longest this season.

Cheslor Cuthbert homered in his first major league at-bat of the season, and Alex Gordon tripled-in Kansas City’s other run. Cuthbert, who earlier Friday had his contract selected from Triple-A Omaha, hit an opposite-field homer that just cleared the right-field wall in the second and also made a standout play at third base.

“He’s always been a really good defender at third base for us,” Royals manager Ned Yost said of Cuthbert. “That’s kind of expected.”

Gordon’s triple in the fifth inning turned around Gallo and struck about midway up the wall in straightaway center, scoring Adalberto Mondesi. In the third inning, Gallo broke in on a fly ball hit by Whit Merrifield that went over his head for a triple.

All of that was forgotten in the bottom of the sixth.

SHORT HOPS

Jesse Chavez, the first of three Texas relievers, worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning. He ran his scoreless streak to 17 1/3 innings in May, a franchise record for one month. … The Royals lead the majors with 24 triples. … Mondesi had his major league-leading 19th stolen base to give the Royals a major league-leading 53.

PRE-GAME MOVES

To make room for Cuthbert, the Royals designated INF-OF Chris Owings for assignment. The Rangers selected the contract of RHP David Carpenter from Nashville and optioned OF Zack Granite to Nashville.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Hunter Dozier (right thorax tightness) is day to day, leaving Thursday’s game in the fifth inning and sitting out Friday.

Rangers: OF Willie Calhoun (left quad strain) will begin on-field work on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Homer Bailey (4-5, 5.79), having joined the Royals this winter following 12 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, will make his Globe Life Park debut on Saturday.

Rangers: RHP Lance Lynn (6-3, 4.67) has lowered his ERA from 6.51 over his last six starts, going 4-2.

— Associated Press —

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jorge Soler and Adalberto Mondesi homered and Jakob Junis allowed two runs in six innings as the Kansas City Royals snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over Texas Rangers on Thursday night.

Junis (4-5) allowed four hits, including homers by Shin-Soo Choo and Nomar Mazara, and two walks for his first win since May 1. The victory follows three losses and a no-decision.

Ian Kennedy worked a perfect ninth inning for his third save, and the first for Kansas City since May 1.

The Royals improved to 8-20 away from Kauffman Stadium, but still have the worst road record in the majors.

Mike Minor (5-4) allowed three runs on seven hits in five-plus innings, matching the most runs he has allowed in his last seven starts. Minor entered the game ranked fourth in the American League in ERA at 2.55, and had given up two earned runs in his previous 30 innings at Globe Life Park.

Soler’s three-run home run struck the foul pole in left field and was his career-best 14th this season. His previous best was 12 homers with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.

Mondesi had his fifth three-hit game of the season.

Choo’s homer was his sixth in the last 12 games and the 199th of his career.

Minor took a four-hit shutout into the sixth inning. After Mondesi left off with a single to left field, left-handed hitting Alex Gordon hit a grounder to the left side against the shift. Third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera began to field the ball to his left before letting it go through to shortstop Elvis Andrus, whose throw to second base wasn’t in time. Soler then hit a first-pitch fastball at the top of the strike zone.

SHORT HOPS

Mondesi, the majors’ leader in stolen bases with 18, was picked off by the left-handed Minor with an 0-2 count on Hunter Dozier to end the third inning. . Chris Owings, Billy Hamilton and Whit Merrifield each struck out four times. . It was the first game of a season-long 11-game Rangers homestand.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Dozier left the game after 4 1/2 innings with right-sided thorax tightness, replaced in the lineup by Gordon.

Rangers: CF Joey Gallo (wrist) returned to the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game at Seattle as a precaution and sitting out Wednesday’s game as previously planned. Gallo went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and one walk. . OF Scott Heineman (shoulder) was recalled from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville because of soreness.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (3-1, 3.12 ERA) has pitched to a 1.80 ERA in his last five starts against Texas.

Rangers: The parents of RHP Ariel Jurado (1-2, 2.28) will see him pitch as a pro for the first time during their first trip to the United States.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO — Six innings after being beaned with a pitch from Kansas City starter Glenn Sparkman, Tim Anderson doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth, lifting the Chicago White Sox to an 8-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals Wednesday night.

Jose Abreu hit a three-run homer, Yoan Moncada also connected and the White Sox swept a three-game series for the first time this season.

Sparkman struck Anderson in the bill of his helmet in the second with nobody out, a runner on first and the White Sox leading 2-1. Anderson’s helmet was knocked off his head, and plate umpire Mark Carlson immediately ejected the 27-year-old right-hander.

It was Anderson’s first at-bat of the series. He had appeared as a pinch runner on Tuesday.

Last month, Anderson was hit by Kansas City’s Brad Keller in the backside after an elaborate bat flip on a home run in his previous at-bat. That sparked a benches-clearing scuffle. Keller was suspended five games and Anderson for one.

Sparkman was making his second start of the season.

Jorge Soler homered and drove in three runs for Kansas City.

Kelvin Herrera (2-3) got the win despite giving up two runs and Alex Colome got the final three outs for his 11th save.

Ian Kennedy (0-2) took the loss.

Moncada’s two-run homer in the first gave Chicago a 2-0 lead. After Kansas City got a run back in the second on an RBI single by Soler, the White Sox broke things open with five runs in the wild bottom half of the inning.

After Sparkman was ejected, Yolmer Sanchez greeted Jorge Lopez with an RBI single, scoring Eloy Jimenez from second base. Charlie Tilson then made it 4-1 with an RBI groundout. Three batters later, Abreu’s three-run smash made it 7-1.

Lopez, though, settled down after that and pitched four scoreless innings.

Kansas City put together a four-run sixth against a tiring Lopez to pull within 7-5. Soler hit a two-run homer, Nicky Lopez had an RBI triple (snapping an 0 for 20 stretch) and Whit Merrifield added an RBI single.

The Royals then tied the game with two runs in the eighth off reliever Kelvin Herrera. Martin Maldonado walked with one out and was replaced by pinch runner Terrance Gore. Billy Hamilton followed with an infield single and then the runners advanced to second and third with a double steal.

Lopez singled to drive in both runners.

JUST A BIT OUTSIDE

Mary Ruich wasn’t expecting much from her ceremonial first pitch. Certainly not national attention. “I knew it wasn’t going to be good, but I thought I’d be close,” she said Wednesday. “It was scary.”

Ruich threw one of the most wayward ceremonial first pitches ever when she plunked a team photographer standing close by, between the mound and first base line, prior to Tuesday’s game.

The ball went right off Darren Georgia’s lens, nowhere near the plate. Ruich, a server in one of the Guaranteed Rate Field restaurants, earned the honor as a White Sox employee of the homestand, the team’s version of employee of the month.

“When I saw the camera get bobbled,” Ruich said, “I was like, `Oh my God! Maybe nobody saw that. I’ll just run away.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: SS Anderson wasn’t in the lineup the previous four games because of right wrist soreness.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (3-5, 5.58 ERA) pitches Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Texas. LHP Mike Minor (5-3, 2.55) goes for the Rangers.

White Sox: LHP Manny Banuelos (2-4, 7.71 ERA) makes his seventh start of the season Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series with Cleveland. RHP Carlos Carrasco (4-5, 4.60) pitches for the Indians.

— Associated Press —