Francoeur goes back to back: Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur is heating up in a big way recently, as he hit a home run for the second game in a row on Tuesday against the Yankees, finishing 2 for 4 with one RBI as the Royals fell, 3-2. Francouer has 7 hits in his last 13 at bats, with three RBI and three extra-base hits in as many games. (Updated 05/22/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
As recently as Sunday, Francoeur was hitting .235, however after the last three games his batting average is up to .259 on the season. He has hit two of his three home runs on the season in this stretch, and is starting to show signs of bouncing back. He is now hitting .280 in the month of May, and should be considered a decent low-end Fantasy option in deeper mixed and AL-only formats. (Updated 05/22/2012).
05/24/2012 11:59 Royals face July decision on Broxton, who they could trade or sign
If the Royals are willing to field offers on Jonathan Broxton, the 27-year-old closer could be one of the more sought-after players on the July trade market. But club officials draw a comparison to Jeff Francoeur, and say that they like Broxton enough (and he likes them enough) that they may decide to sign him rather than trade him.
05/23/2012 22:00 In AL Central, Royals say Tigers are still the 'team to beat'
The royals are now eight games behind the first-place Indians in the American League Central. But they're still only three games behind the Tigers. And it's the Tigers -- not the Indians -- that the Royals still consider the "team to beat" in the division.
05/23/2012 06:45 Dear Mr. Fantasy: Ups and downs of young players
Last year your team was a juggernaut. This year it's sitting in the cellar. What happened? You might even have most of those players back. If you're relying on young talent, our Scott White says prepare to take some lumps in his latest Dear Mr. Fantasy.
05/22/2012 22:01 Cano, Jeter lift Yankees over Royals
Robinson Cano homered, Phil Hughes beat Kansas City for the second time this month and the New York Yankees - still looking to bust out with the bats - eked out a 3-2 victory over the Royals on Tuesday night.
05/21/2012 22:38 Punchless Yanks shut out by Royals
Felipe Paulino blanked New York for the second time in a month, and Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur hit two-run homers to lead the Kansas City Royals over the reeling Yankees 6-0 on Monday night.
Just when Jeff Francoeur had seemingly found his niche as a platoon player after years of frustration and inconsistency with the Braves and Mets, the Royals breathed new life into him as an everyday player in 2011, convinced they could make something out of the impressive tools that earned him so much attention in the first place. Francoeur rewarded their faith with his first ever 20-20 season and highest OPS (.805) since his rookie 2005 season. The 28-year-old didn't walk any more than usual during his breakout campaign, but he was able to make the most of his free-swinging approach after hitting coach Kevin Seitzer helped him alter his mechanics. The concern for a free-swinger like Francoeur is that once opposing pitchers find a hole in the swing, they'll be able to exploit it time and time again. But Francoeur put some of those concerns to rest by actually improving over the course of the season, hitting .310 in the second half and .329 with five homers and a .945 OPS in September. Limited by his low walk rate, Francoeur probably won't get any better than he was in 2011, but he's an affordable power-speed threat as long as you wait until the middle rounds to draft him. (Updated 1/9/12)