Kansas
Kansas City Royals Place Free Agent Addition On Injured List
The Kansas City Royals placed pitcher Michael Wacha on the injured list on Sunday with a “small, non-displaced” fracture in his left foot, per manager Matt Quatraro. Lefty Daniel Lynch IV will be called up from Triple-A to take Wacha’s spot in the rotation.
“We don’t think it’s worth pushing him out there.”#Royals SP Michael Wacha is heading to the IL today with a non-displaced left foot fracture.#WelcomeToTheCity
🔗 https://t.co/76FWOFMj7f pic.twitter.com/l1AfgtEdpN— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 2, 2024
There is not yet a timetable for Wacha’s return to action. But Quatraro told reporters that his absence will be determined by how the soreness in his foot progresses. Wacha will continue working out his arm by taking a knee while playing catch. However, a full return to action will depend on how he can manage the pain in his foot.
Kansas City Royals Place Michael Wacha On Injured List
Kansas City signed Wacha this winter to a two-year, $32 million deal as part of a rotation restructuring. The offseason aggression has paid off, as the Royals have ridden a strong pitching rotation, including Wacha, to great success this season.
Wacha is not an ace, but he is providing quality mid-to-back of-the-rotation innings that Kansas City expected. The 32-year-old has pitched better this season than his overall numbers suggest. Wacha has posted a 4.24 ERA (97 ERA+) in 68 innings across 12 starts. He doesn’t strike many out but relies on limiting walks and inducing poor contact.
Plus, his numbers would look better if not for a below average strand rate (68.7 percent). In other words, when he leaves games with runners on base, Royals relievers fail to strand them more often than not. The relievers gave up the run scoring walks/hits, but the runs get charged to Wacha.
Daniel Lynch IV
With Wacha on the injured list, the Royals will turn to a former top prospect in Lynch. Part of the reason why Kansas City added so many veteran pitchers this winter is due to a failure to develop young arms. Lynch represents one of those failed pitching prospects.
Entering this season, Lynch has struggled to a 5.18 ERA and in 51 starts across three big league seasons. The organization wanted to win in the majors again and just could no longer promise innings to young pitchers that just were not improving.
Daniel Lynch was fantastic on Sunday. The secret? More spin and movement from his arsenal — especially the slider.
Lynch has always averaged 2000-2100 on his FF and SL. On Sunday, he touched 2300 inconsistently with the heater and averaged 2286 on the slider. pic.twitter.com/FrluEi3wXM
— Preston Farr (@royalsminors) May 21, 2024
And while he’s looked good in three MLB outings this season (a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings), Lynch has not pitched that well in the minors. In nine starts, Lynch produced a 4.76 ERA in 45 1/3 innings with below average strikeout rates. The 27-year-old has shown promise with intriguing stuff but has not put it all together in a consistent manner.
That said, it seems that the Royals expect Wacha to spend minimal time on the injured list. Though the organization likely still views its former 34th overall pick in positive light, Lynch just needs to provide league-average production until Wacha return.
Main Photo Credits: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas
Tennessee still No. 1 as Kansas tumbles in USA TODAY Sports men’s college basketball poll
Tennessee now stands as the lone undefeated team in Division I men’s basketball. Unsurprisingly, the Volunteers will spend another week at No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
After handling Arkansas over the weekend, the Volunteers picked up 21 of 31 first-place votes this week to retain the top spot. Auburn once again checks in at No. 2, claiming the remaining 10 top votes. Iowa State holds at No. 3, with Duke also staying put at No. 4.
The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Alabama moves up a notch after handing new SEC member Oklahoma its first loss. Marquette jumps two places to No. 6. Kentucky climbs four spots to No. 7 after beating previously unscathed Florida in the game of the weekend on Saturday.
TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll
WEEKEND RECAP: SEC, Big Ten going different directions
The voters were kind to the Gators, who fall just three places to No. 8. Texas A&M is No. 9, and two-time defending champion Connecticut has worked its way back into the top 10.
The voters were not as kind to Kansas. The Jayhawks bounced back from a midweek loss to West Virginia by pounding Central Florida on the road but still drops five places to No. 12. Oklahoma and Oregon also slip out of the top 10, checking in at No. 16 and No. 17 respectively.
Illinois makes the biggest jump within the Top 25, gaining five positions to No. 15 after a successful trip to the Big Ten’s new Pacific Northwest enclave with defeat of Oregon and Washington.
West Virginia enters the rankings at No. 23 thanks to that victory against Kansas. No. 24 Michigan and No. 25 Utah State rejoin the poll. Cincinnati, Baylor and Maryland drop out this week.
Kansas
WEATHER: Major highways still closed across east-central, northeast Kansas
If you’re planning to travel, this may not be your day.
State and federal highways in northeast, east-central and central Kansas remain closed after a powerful winter storm brought a combination of ice, snow and wind to the state over the weekend.
Kandrive.gov says the following highways are closed across the KVOE listening area:
*US Highway 50 west of Emporia
*US Highway 56
*US Highway 75 north of BETO Junction
*Kansas Highway 78
*Kansas Highway 99 north of Madison
*Kansas Highway 130
*Kansas Highway 150
*Kansas Highway 170
*Kansas Highway 177
Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says the storm progression set us up for our current travel situation.
Cleared roads continue to drift shut outside the Emporia city limits. In town, Public Works has bladed the main arterials and residential collector, or more heavily-traveled, streets. Side streets don’t get plowed by the city, and they are blanketed by snow. Director Dean Grant says the city is using a special salt to combat the snow and ice.
Numerous schedule adjustments were reported through the weekend, and more are in place for Monday. Click here for KVOE’s Closings & Cancellations page.
Several injury crashes were reported in Lyon County, all within a 90-minute window Saturday:
*Just before noon, a wreck developed at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 118, or nine miles southwest of the Emporia tollgate. Emporia Fire Capt. Wade Schmidt says three passenger vehicles and two semis were in a ditch. Nobody was transported.
*As law enforcement and emergency crews finished that call, they were dispatched to KTA mile marker 119, or eight miles southwest of the Emporia gate. Three vehicles apparently collided. Nobody was transported.
*An Emporia woman was hurt in a crash at Roads 175 and X shortly after noon. Lyon County Deputy Tom Hardin says Fareda Gallager, age 64, had to be extricated from her vehicle before she was taken to Newman Regional Health with suspected serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Hardin says Gallagher lost control of her vehicle in slick conditions before it spun and rolled.
*Shortly before 1:30 pm, a crash involving eight vehicles transpired at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 145, or 18 miles northeast of the Emporia gate and two miles southwest of the Admire tollbooth. Schmidt says four semis, two passenger vehicles, a box truck and a KTA snowplow were involved. A driver in an unspecified semi was extricated and taken to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka with suspected serious injuries.
Power outages started developing late Saturday night, and at one point over 2,300 Evergy customers were without power. That number is under 30 areawide, all currently in Greenwood or eastern Butler counties. Evergy District Services Manager Rolland Trahoon II conditions are still hampering restoration efforts.
If you have schedule adjustments to report, call KVOE at 620-342-1400, message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863 or email KVOE@KVOE.com.
Cold weather advisories continue areawide until 11 am with air temperatures struggling to get to 15 degrees and morning wind chills anywhere from -6 to -16.
If you have not signed up for KVOE social media alerts, go to Facebook@kvoenews, Instagram@kvoenews, YouTube@kvoenews and X@kvoeam1400.
*Click here for KVOE News’ prior news stories from the storm.
*Click here for KVOE’s YouTube channel, including updates from the KVOE News team.
Kansas
State issues ‘Emergency Alert,’ advises drivers to stay off roads due to winter weather
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A statewide alert sent to smartphones across Kansas urges drivers to stay off of Kansas roads unless there’s an emergency. The alert follows numerous closures across the state, including in Harvey County where the sheriff’s office issued a travel alert, advising that all state highways in the county are closing “due to the impacts of the winter storm. In Harvey County, the state highway closures include Interstate I-135, U.S. 50, K-196 and K-15.
“These State-maintained roadways, and we do not have a timeline when they will reopen. We will share updates as they are made available to us,” the county explained.
On Sunday afternoon, the Kansas Department of Transportation advised that due to low visibility and impassable conditions, Interstate 70 was closed in both directions from the Missouri state line in Kansas City west to the Ellsworth County line and that eastbound I-70 was also closed from Hays to the Missouri state line.
Joining Harvey County, KDOT said that all highways were closed in Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan, Riley, Pottawatomie, Johnson, Jackson, Atchison, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Lyon, Osage, Douglas, Wyandotte, Washington, Clay, Geary, Dickinson, Morris, Marion, Chase, McPherson, Saline, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Ottawa, Mitchell, Republic, Cloud and Jewell counties.
Representing central Kansas and some of the areas most heavily impacted by the ice and snow, including Salina, Kansas Highway Patrol Troop C shed light on what troopers are dealing with.
“Due to untreated roadways and hazardous conditions, some motorists may be stuck for extended periods of time,” KHP Trooper Ben Gardner posted on the troop’s Facebook page a little after 5 p.m. Sunday. “Emergency response is extremely difficult, and we ask for your patience as troopers work to assist those in need. Please avoid travel if possible to help keep everyone safe.”
The first winter storm of 2025 prompted numerous closures to schools, businesses and local government facilities across Kansas. You can keep up with the full list of closures and delays here: https://www.kwch.com/weather/closings/. While temperatures will be dangerously cold on Monday, conditions are expected to improve enough throughout the day for most if not everyone to open again on Tuesday.
You can catch updates on highway conditions across Kansas here: www.kandrive.gov.
Copyright 2025 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
-
Health1 week ago
New Year life lessons from country star: 'Never forget where you came from'
-
Technology1 week ago
Meta’s ‘software update issue’ has been breaking Quest headsets for weeks
-
Business5 days ago
These are the top 7 issues facing the struggling restaurant industry in 2025
-
Culture5 days ago
The 25 worst losses in college football history, including Baylor’s 2024 entry at Colorado
-
Sports5 days ago
The top out-of-contract players available as free transfers: Kimmich, De Bruyne, Van Dijk…
-
Politics4 days ago
New Orleans attacker had 'remote detonator' for explosives in French Quarter, Biden says
-
Politics4 days ago
Carter's judicial picks reshaped the federal bench across the country
-
Politics2 days ago
Who Are the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom?