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| Billy Butler went 1-for-4 with a single and an RBI in tonight's 4-3 loss at New York. |
Our View: Butler collected his 25th RBI of September, and leads the Royals with 93 for 2009. He is hitting .354 this month as well.
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| Billy Butler went 4-for-5 with four RBI in tonight's 9-4 loss to Minnesota at Kauffman Stadium. He hit two singles and two homers, both coming off Carl Pavano. |
Our View: Butler has three homers over his last two games, and leads the Royals with 21 for the season. He also continues to pace the club with a .306 batting average and 91 RBI.
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| Billy Butler kept his hot September going on Thursday in the Royals' 10-3 loss to the Red Sox. Butler went 2-for-3 with a home run, a run scored, and two RBI. |
Our View: Butler has really broken out this season, and he is one of the few bright spots in the Royals' lineup. Butler is a legit hitter, and he should be on fantasy radars for next season.
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| Billy Butler popped his 18th homer of the season off of Jake Peavy on Saturday, but that was the lone bright spot of the game for the Royals, who lost 13-3. |
Our View: Butler is crushing this month. He has three homers, 16 RBI and is hovering right around .350. Nice to know he's still swinging a big stick even the Royals haven't had anything to play for for months now.
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| Billy Butler has been named the AL Player of the Week, according to MLB.com. He led the majors with 13 hits and 12 RBI last week, which included five doubles and two homers. |
Our View: Butler has a nine-game hitting streak, and will look to keep it alive Tuesday night at Detroit. The rising star leads the Royals in batting average (.303), doubles (46) and RBI (80), and was named the player of the week for the second time in his career.
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| Billy Butler rapped three hits on Wednesday night, including two RBI doubles, helping the Royals beat Justin Verlander and the Tigers 5-1 at home. |
Our View: Butler, now batting .304, has been one of the lone bright spots for the Royals in 2009, and is a good utility target for 2010.
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-3 with two RBI in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. He hit a single and a double. |
Our View: Butler remains hot, as he recorded multiple hits in each of his last four games. He raised his season average to .302, and continues to lead the Royals with 74 RBI.
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| Billy Butler had a strong day at the plate in Monday's 6-3 win over the Angels at Kauffman Stadium, as he went 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. He hit two singles and two homers, one off Ervin Santana and the other Jose Arredondo. |
Our View: Butler raised his batting average to .299, and snapped a 14-game skid without a homer. He has 17 homers for the season, and leads Kansas City with 72 RBI.
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| Billy Butler turned in his second straight two-hit game against the Angels on Sunday, but the Royals turned in their second loss in as many days, losing 7-2 at home. |
Our View: Butler is now hitting .296 on the season, and looks like he will finally be a worthy fantasy pick in 2010.
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with an RBI in tonight's 2-1 loss to the Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Both of his hits were singles. |
Our View: The Royals only had seven hits in the game, but Butler managed to have a solid night. He continues to hit well after batting .308 in August.
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-5 and ripped a solo home run in the Royals' heart-breaking 5-4, ten-inning loss to the Twins on Friday. |
Our View: Butler is hitting a cool .300 on the season and has now knocked 15 balls out of the park. He's also a doubles machine with 41 on the year. In a year or two those two-baggers will start climbing over the wall more consistently.
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| Billy Butler went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 5-4 win at Chicago. All three of his knocks were doubles. |
Our View: Butler raised his batting average to .301, and racked up 17 RBI over 17 games this month. Keep him active in fantasy lineups while swinging a hot stick.
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| Billy Butler went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer off Edwin Jackson in tonight's 10-3 loss at Detroit. |
Our View: Butler crushed his 14th homer of 2009, and leads the Royals with 61 RBI. He is batting .352 this month as well, and should remain active in fantasy lineups while hot.
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. |
Our View: Butler raised his batting average to .302, and extended his hitting streak to six games - with 14 total hits and nine RBI over the span. Keep him active in fantasy lineups while swinging a hot stick.
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| Billy Butler went 3-for-4 with three double and three RBI in the Royals' 12-6 win over the A's on Saturday. |
Our View: Butler now has 36 doubles this season and Saturday's performance raised his average to an even .300. He's developing into a legitimate threat in the heart of the Royals lineup. Look for there to be a bidding war across both leagues when the Royals can no longer afford him.
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| Billy Butler had a big night for the Royals on Thursday as they pounded the Mariners by the score of 8-2. Butler went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI in the win. |
Our View: Butler has homered in consecutive nights after going the previous seven without one, and he is now hitting .294 on the season. He has some value in mixed leagues, and he is a strog AL-only play when the power is on display.
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| Billy Butler was productive in tonight's 11-6 loss to the Mariners at Kauffman Stadium, as he went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. He hit two singles and a two-run homer off Luke French. |
Our View: Butler ended a seven-game skid without a homer, and continues to lead the Royals with 52 RBI. He raised his batting average to .291 tonight as well.
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with an RBI in tonight's 7-6 loss to the Mariners at Kauffman Stadium. He hit a single and a double. |
Our View: Butler bounced back after going 1-for-11 over his previous three games. He is tied with David DeJesus for the team lead with 49 RBI.
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| Billy Butler had a huge night against Baltimore on Monday, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and three RBI. |
Our View: Butler seems entrenched into the No. 3 spot in Kansas City's lineup. Given his ability to hit for a nice average and decent pop, he's definitely worth adding in most formats if he happens to still be available.
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| Billy Butler went 1-for-3 and blasted a two-run homer in the fifth inning of the Royals' 6-3 win over the Rangers. |
Our View: Butler now has ten jacks on the season and is turning into a very productive fantasy player. He's hitting .308 in July with three homers and nine doubles. The developing slugger now has 39 extra-base hits on the season, after hitting just 33 all of last year.
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| Billy Butler was productive in tonight's 8-5 loss to the Angels at Kauffman Stadium, as he went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer off Ervin Santana. This was the first game of a doubleheader. |
Our View: Butler snapped an eight-game skid without a homer, and is batting .338 so far this month. Keep him active in fantasy lineups while hot.
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| Billy Butler was productive in tonight's 15-9 loss at Boston, as he went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. He hit a double and a pair of singles. |
Our View: Butler continues to hit very well this month, as he holds a .356 average over 45 at-bats. Keep him active in fantasy lineups while swinging a hot stick.
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| Billy Butler was 3-for-4 in the Royals' 3-1 loss to the Tigers on Wednesday. All three of his hits were doubles. |
Our View: Butler is a doubles machine. He now has 26 on the season, next to eight home runs. As his power starts to mature, expect a lot more of those two-baggers to leave the yard. He's a decent fantasy option right now, but could be a big sleeper for 2010.
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-5 with a double and a solo homer off Justin Verlander in tonight's 8-5 loss at Detroit. |
Our View: Butler ended a 13-game skid without a homer, and has eight for the season. He is hitting .321 over 28 at-bats so far in July, but only has one RBI and two runs scored.
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| Billy Butler led the Royals offensively in Tuesday's 2-1 win at Houston, as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He hit a double and a solo homer off Russ Ortiz. |
Our View: Butler has two homers over his last four games, and ranks second on the Royals behind Jose Guillen (33) with 32 RBI.
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| Billy Butler went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Reds at Kauffman Stadium. All three of his hits were singles. |
Our View: Butler has an RBI in three straight games, and should remain active in fantasy lineups while productive.
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| Billy Butler was productive in Thursday's 3-2 loss at Tampa Bay, as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI. He hit a double and a pair of singles. |
Our View: The Royals only mustered six hits as a team, and Butler was their only source of scoring. He needed a solid outing as he was hitless over his previous two games.
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| Billy Butler was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday night's 11-2 loss to the White Sox. |
Our View: Butler has just four homers this season, but has his average up to .288 and is starting to develop into a solid player. If that power starts to come around a bit, he'll be very dangerous.
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored as the Royals defeated the Orioles 7-4 on Sunday. |
Our View: Butler is hitting in the No. 3 spot and that boosts his fantasy value. He is currently hitting just .273 but could make a legitimate run at .300 this season.
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| Billy Butler showed off his power stroke on Thursday in the Royals' 9-5 loss to the Orioles. Butler was 2-for-5 on the night with the homer, a run scored, and three RBI. |
Our View: Butler has been decent for the Royals this season, but he needs to show some power like he did tonight if he is going to increase his fantasy value. The guy has talent with the stick, but he needs to start to put it all together.
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| Billy Butler had another nice game on Thursday as the Royals beat the Mariners 3-1. Butler was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and he is now hitting .286. |
Our View: Butler hasn't shown much power so far in 2009, but his average is slowly climbing toward .300. He is still a very good hitter, and he is a good value in AL-only leagues. If the power begins to show up, his value will increase to mixed leagues as well.
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| Billy Butler stayed hot on Thursday afternoon by going 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, a walk and an RBI as the Royals put away the Blue Jays 8-6. |
Our View: Butler was 4-for-5 with two home runs last night and it appears he is zoned in at the moment. The 23-year-old has the potential to hit .300 but his average stands at just .262 after struggling for most of the month.
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| Billy Butler went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, and four runs scored as the Royals beat the Blue Jays 11-3 on Wednesday. |
Our View: Butler really needed this game tonight. He had just one hit in his previous 13 at bats and he had no home runs on the season entering tonight. The 23-year-old was able to raise his batting numbers to .242/.356/.403 tonight and those marks should continue to improve throughout the season.
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| The Kansas City Star is reporting that Billy Butler has started the last three game at first base for the Royals. He is usually the team's designated hitter. |
Our View: Butler and Mike Jacobs will split time between first base and DH, but it seems as if Butler is more intent on playing the field. Unfortunately, Butler is still not quite as good as Jacobs defensively, although he has significantly improved his defense over the last year. Both will be in the lineup pretty much every day regardless of who plays at first.
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| Billy Butler had a monster game on Saturday against the Diamondbacks. He went just 2-for-6, but drove in six with a double and a home run. His third of the spring. He also scored three runs. |
Our View: Butler had a stellar second half of the season last year and could be poised for a break out campaign. He is crushing this spring and should see plenty of big league at-bats this year in the DH spot.
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| Billy Butler hit his second home run in Wednesday's 9-2 win over the Mariners. He finished 1-for-3 with three RBI. |
Our View: In the second half of last season, Butler hit .305/.341/.476. There is a lot of competition for the first base and DH jobs in KC, but Butler should have no problem getting his plate appearances this season.
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| Royals first baseman and DH Billy Butler has a bruised hand that will keep him out until the end of the week, according to Royals.com. |
Our View: Butler had a fairly productive season in 2008, though he did not show enough power, with just 11 home runs in 443 at-bats. This missed time will hurt him as K.C. possesses a glut of first base/DH types.
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| The AP reports that x-rays on Billy Butler's left hand were negative. Butler was hit by a pitch on Sunday, and missed Monday's game as a result. |
Our View: Butler is battling with a throng of first base/DH types and he cannot afford to miss much time.
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-3 on Wednesday to open up the Cactus League on Wednesday. His two hits included a solo home run. |
Our View: Butler is still improving after hitting 11 home runs to go with 55 RBI in 443 at-bats.
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| Billy Butler went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Friday's 8-1 win over Minnesota. He hit two singles and a two-run homer. |
Our View: He snapped a four-game skid without a hit, and ended a 12-game drought without a home run.
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| Billy Butler had two hits on Thursday night which led to two runs scored and an RBI for the Royals first baseman on this night. |
Our View: Butler has really turned up the offense of late with a hit in nine straight games with at least two hits in seven of those games to raise his average from .261 to .282. He appears primed for a breakout in '09, so don't forget his name on draft day next season.
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| Royals designated hitter Billy Butler had a big game, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to lead Kansas City to a 5-2 win over the A's. |
Our View: Butler had a productive August in some respects, but walked just two times in 105 plate appearances. His plate discipline is iffy enough that he'll be streaky, so he is a risky fantasy option.
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| Billy Butler went 3-for-5 with four RBI in Saturday's 13-3 win over Detroit. He hit two homers and a single. |
Our View: He snapped a 22-game skid without a home run, and only has nine for the season.
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| Billy Butler had three hits on Sunday to boost his average to .271. He also scored two runs while knocking in two against the White Sox. |
Our View: Butler is finally swinging it like the former batting champ he is hitting .356 with five home runs and 19 RBI over his last 16 games. If he is available in your mixed league, grab him immediately.
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| Billy Butler led the Royals to a 9-7 win against the White Sox on Saturday, as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI. He hit two singles and a two-run homer. |
Our View: He has racked up multiple hits in four of his last six outings, with seven RBI over the span. Butler could be headed for a solid second half, and is worth targeting if you can get him for a low price.
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| Billy Butler had two hits and an RBI on Friday night after going hitless in his last seven at-bats. |
Our View: Butler continues to struggle with major league pitching this year after looking so strong as a rookie (.292-8-52 in 329 AB). Butler is a minor league batting champ and will eventually figure things out, though it may not happen until '09.
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| Billy Butler continued his hot streak against the Rays on Sunday. He was 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI and a walk. |
Our View: Butler is starting to fulfill some of his promise and could have a very strong second half. Four of his five home runs have come in this month and an alteration to his batting stance may be the difference. He is hitting .314 since the All-Star break.
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| Billy Butler has altered his batting stance, and so far he is seeing strong results, according to the KC Star. He said, "I looked at some video. I don’t know if it was the cause of my slump or not, but I thought I was a little too close to the plate."
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Our View: Butler is 4-for-9 over his last two games, with a home run in both outings and a total of seven RBI. He could be headed for a strong second half, and is worth targeting if you can get him for a good price.
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| Billy Butler went deep Saturday for the second straight game, a three-run shot of White Sox reliever Nick Masset. He also added a single. |
Our View: Butler has been a big disappointment at the plate this year, so hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
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| The Royals put a few runs on the board but it wasn't enough, falling 9-5 to the Chicago White Sox. Designated hitter Billy Butler was the force of reckoning, going 2-for-4 with his third home run of the season, posting four RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: Butler has struggled since returning in late June, though he's not known for his offensive prowess. These are his first hits since July 9th and his first homer since July 3rd.
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| Billy Butler feels a newfound maturity has come over him after his latest demotion, and the 22 year old is intent on making his mark with a more serious attitude, according to the Kansas City Star. "I&;m trying to be a better teammate," he said. "I think I have a different demeanor." |
Our View: Butler, a 2-time minor league batting champ, is batting just .260 with an anemic two home runs in 223 AB with the Royals. He still has about as much potential at the dish as any young hitter in the majors, but it is unclear if he will start to fulfill that potential in the second half of '08.
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| Billy Butler is serving as the Royals designated hitter in the final tilt of a four-game series in Baltimore. |
Our View: Butler, who was recently recalled from Omaha, is hitting fifth against Orioles' lefty Garrett Olson.
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| Billy Butler started at DH for the first time in three games on Monday since being recalled from Triple-A and he went 3-for-5 at the plate, according to the Kansas City Star. |
Our View: Number one, the kid can hit. Number two, it makes no sense to call him up and have him sit on the bench. Number three, if the Royals do as they should and run him out there everyday, Butler has a chance to be a mixed league option by the end of this season.
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| Billy Butler was recalled from Triple-A Omaha for Saturday’s game. He opened the season with the Royals but was optioned May 29 to the team's top affiliate after batting .263 with one homer and 18 RBIs in 53 games.
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Our View: Butler batted .337 in 26 games at Omaha with five homers and 13 RBI.
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| Billy Butler is batting .394 with a 1.089 OPS since being demoted to Triple-A Omaha in late May, and he may return to Kansas City soon. "He’s continuing to swing the bat well," manager Trey Hillman informs the Kansas City Star. "That’s good for us. At some point, we’ll look to get him back up here. When that’s going to happen, I can’t tell you. Reports are good." |
Our View: The Royals have been trying a different alignment with Joey Gathright in center and Mark Teahen at first, but neither guy is hitting particularly well this month. Butler is good enough with the stick to help AL-only teams, and hopefully the demotion turns out to be a wake-up call.
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| In a somewhat shocking development, Royals DH Billy Butler has been sent back to Triple-A to find his lost stroke at the plate, according to MLB.com. Mike Aviles, Triple-A Omaha's hottest hitter with a .338 average and 42 RBI, was called up for the first time in his career to take the open roster spot. |
Our View: Butler has only one home run in 186 AB, but given that he has been in the lineup for the Royals on an almost daily basis since last June, this is still a shock. However, with a .231 average over his last 31 games, it's clear that something needs to be done. Ross Gload likely gets a short-term boost with this move while Aviles figures to be used somewhat sparingly.
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| Billy Butler has seen his average dip to .262 after going 6-for-35 (.171) over his last 11 games, but he continues to work on his swing and is trying not to get down on himself, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Butler's slump is even more protracted. After hitting .295 in April, he is hitting just .221 over 68 AB in May. Being that he is only DH eligible in most leagues his value is pretty low right now, though he certainly shouldn't be let go - just stash him on your bench until he starts hitting again.
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| Billy Butler's fantasy stock is dipping. The Royals first baseman / designated hitter has hit a low spot in the season long road. His average now sits at .286 and his slugging percentage is a dismal .368. Of his 38 hits, only nine are for extra bases with just one of them -- a home run. |
Our View: Major league pitchers, or most, are film nuts. The scouting report on Butler is that he loves the ball over the plate so he can drive it to the opposite field. In April and May, Butler is getting pelted inside and has resulted in the absence of gap power. Like a game of chess, it will be up to Butler to make the next move. He must learn to adjust until pitchers can't pinpoint deficiencies.
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| Billy Butler admitted before Tuesday’s game that he’s not locked in like he was earlier in the season, notes the Kansas City Star. His average has dipped below .300, and he only had one extra-base hit since he hit a home run on April 14. Butler, though, is taking a reasoned approach. |
Our View: Butler is still a young hitter and experienced pitchers have figured him out. Opposing arms are pitching Butler up-and-in, the most successful way to approach his style. Butler wants the ball over the plate and likes to drive balls to the opposite field. The onus is on Butler to start making adjustments to what pitchers are offering.
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| Billy Butler went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Monday, and notably smacked his first homer of the season in a 5-1 win over Seattle. Butler started the game at first base, and Miguel Olivo handled the DH role. He has been a key contributor for the upstart Royals, as he is hitting 18-for-48 so far, with five RBI. |
Our View: His fantasy stock continues to rise.
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| Billy Butler extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI single on Sunday. He finished the contest against the Twins at 1-for-1 with three walks. |
Our View: The streak and the batting average are nice, but Butler has yet to go deep this season and has driven in only four runs.
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| The Royals shook up their batting order on Saturday as they dropped Jose Guillen to fifth and promoted Billy Butler to cleanup, this according to MLB.com. The team also dropped Joey Gathright to ninth and put Alberto Callaspo in the leadoff spot. |
Our View: The Royals haven't been shy about switching spots in the order in the early going so these moves shouldn't be considered too surprising, though this might signal that Gathright will return to the bench once David DeJesus is healthy.
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| Billy Butler went 1-for-4 against Minnesota on Friday, and has extended his hitting streak to 10 games. |
Our View: His average stands at .385, and his fantasy stock will remain on the rise.
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| Billy Butler has registered a hit in all nine games for the Royals this season, and will look to extend his streak tonight against Minnesota, according to MLB.com. He holds a .400 average over 35 at-bats, and his fantasy stock remains on the rise. |
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| Billy Butler has hit safely in all eight games so far this season, and will look to extend his streak today against Andy Pettitte and the Yankees, according to MLB.com. Butler is belting .406 overall, in 32 at-bats, and his fantasy stock remains on the rise. |
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| Billy Butler extended his hitting streak to six games with three hits against Twins pitching on Sunday. Butler had two doubles in the game and is hitting .400 on the season. He has three multi-hit games during the hitting streak, but has yet to record his first long ball in 25 at-bats. |
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-4 and collected two RBI in a big 4-0 win over the Tigers on Wednesday. He could generate strong RBI totals if the Royals can continue to play this well. They are now 2-0 against Detroit this season. |
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-3 against Seattle on Wednesday and raised his spring average to .387. Butler has better than advertised power and could be headed for a breakout campaign, evidenced by his solid spring start. |
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| Billy Butler continued his sizzling spring Wednesday, doubling and scoring a run in his only at-bat. He's now hitting .419 with two homers and seven RBI this spring. Butler will only be eligible at DH in most leagues to begin the year, but he's expected to be the team's starting first baseman. He's a definite breakout candidate. |
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| Billy Butler continued is journey towards the 1B job in Kansas City, hitting 2-for-3 with one homer and four RBI as the Royals won 8-7 over Arizona in the Cactus League. Whether he earns the shot on the 1st bag or is assigned to hit for a living at DH, Butler has been solid and appears to be one of the more promising bats in Kansas City this year. |
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| Billy Butler singled twice and ran over Royals starter John Bale while trying to cover second base in the Kansas City Royals' 8-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Butler, who also walked and has six hits in his last seven at-bats, was trying to get to second base after CF Joey Gathright made a spectacular play running down a deep fly ball by J.J. Hardy in the second inning. As noted last week, Butler's bat is not in question, but the fielding is. Today's mishap is another brick in that wall, but Butler's problems may be easily improved with proper coaching. It may take time, but he is young and has the game the Royals need in a young star on the rise. |
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| Billy Butler and the Royals hope that he will be able to handle the first base position this year. "I'm just having fun over there. It's just awesome for me. I just want to play a position, be a complete player. I think I help the team more, I think I'm a better offensive player if I can stay in the game on defense." Butler can certainly hit, he batted .292 with 52 RBI last season in 92 games, but his glove has long been suspect. If he can't handle first base he will likely take over the DH role, but he is awfully young for that to happen. |
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| Billy Butler, not known for his defensive prowess, has been working at first base in the Dominican Republic to improve to his defense. The early returns, however, aren't anything to write home about. "I don't think we can report that there's a significant change or that he'll be our opening-day first baseman," farm director J.J. Picollo told the KC Star. "But he's making strides. He's home now because he’s getting married, but he's supposed to go back after the wedding." Butler could see occasional time at first base in 2008, but look for him to get most of his action at DH. |
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| Billy Butler will play winter ball when the season ends, primarily to work on his defense at first base, according to the Kansas City Star. He is hitting .299 with six homers and 44 RBI in 271 at-bats this season, and manager Buddy Bell believes Butler is a better hitter when playing defense, as opposed to always serving as the DH. |
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| Billy Butler will be playing a lot of first base when Mike Sweeney comes off the DL, which could be this weekend. "His hands are fine. His footwork is getting better," manager Buddy Bell said in the Kansas City Star. "He's going to get a lot of playing time at first the last month. Mike will get most of the time at DH." |
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| Billy Butler made his first major league start at first base on Wednesday. The rookie fielded three grounders cleanly and did not make an error while going 2-for-3 with two RBI at the plate. He now has seven RBI in his last six games and is hitting .391 with two homers and 15 RBI in the month of July. |
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with a homer in Saturday's victory over Tampa Bay. Butler has a bit of job security as Kansas City's DH, as the Royals expect Mike Sweeney to be out at least six more weeks. The young slugger is now hitting .284 with three homers over 81 at-bats, though he's drawn just one walk so far. |
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| Billy Butler will stick with the Royals for a while now that Mike Sweeney is slated to have a knee scope, the AP reports. Butler is 11-for-34 with a couple of homers since the Royals recalled him two weeks ago. He's expected to be the team's regular DH while Sweeney is out, and for what it's worth, the club isn't sure when Sweeney will be ready to return. |
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| Billy Butler was recalled from Triple-A Tuesday, taking Mike Sweeney's spot on the roster, the Royals official site reports. Butler was hitting .291 with 13 homers and 46 RBI at Triple-A; he went 2-for-21 in an earlier stint with the Royals. Buddy Bell says Butler will be used as a pinch-hitter while Kansas City plays the rest of the week in NL parks, then Butler will get the everyday starts at DH when the Royals return to American League action next week. |
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| Minor league prospect Billy Butler will try to learn how to play first base at Triple-A Omaha, but he won’t be completely given up on as an outfielder. “We don’t want him to forget left field in case there’s a situation that calls for him,” director of player development J.J. Picollo told the Kansas City Star. “But he’s coming along at first base. He had one rough game, but he’s learning the technique there.” |
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| Billy Butler was optioned to Triple-A Wednesday, making room for Ryan Shealy off the disabled list. Butler went 9-for-37 in his half a month with the big club. |
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| Billy Butler made his major league debut Tuesday night against the Angels. He started in left field and batted seventh, and drew a big ovation when he singled in his first at-bat. He also singled in the eighth. |
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| The Royals called up Billy Butler from Triple-A on Tuesday to replace the injured Ryan Shealy on the roster, according to the AP. Butler, who was batting .337 with six homers and 23 RBI in 25 games in the minors, will be the everyday left fielder for the Royals. "Really, he was our best offensive player in spring training and you have to consider this kid's got a real good feel for the strike zone," manager Buddy Bell said. "He's very disciplined, which is uncharacteristic of a young hitter to begin with." Butler's defense in the outfield could certainly use some work, and some think he'll eventually wind up as a full-time DH, but he's polished enough at the plate that he could make an immediate impact in fantasy. |
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with a homer and a double for Triple-A Omaha on Thursday. Butler, the team's top prospect now that Alex Gordon is in the majors, hit .419 this spring and is on the fast track, though the club wants him to improve his defense. |
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| Billy Butler had two hits against Seattle on Friday and is now hitting .520 in 27 at-bats this spring. He's expected to start the year at Triple-A to work on his defense, but his bat is already big-league ready, and he could get called up to The Show by midseason. |
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| Billy Butler had a three-run homer Thursday in his lone at-bat. One of the Royals' top prospects, Butler is hitting .667 in seven games this spring. However, manager Buddy Bell says Butler will start the year in Triple-A because he needs to work on his defense. "Even if I told him he wasn't going to make the club, he probably wouldn't believe it," Bell said. "I think he really believes he is a big League player. He may be. There are other things about his game that have to get better." |
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| Billy Butler will open the year with the Royals Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, according to the team's official site. Butler, 20, is a highly-touted prospect who was also the MVP at last summer's Futures Game. He also batted .331 last season for Double-A Wichita, with 15 home runs, 96 RBI, 33 doubles and just 67 strikeouts in 477 at-bats. |
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| The Royals will not call up Billy Butler in September, according to the official team website. Butler will be playing with Team USA at the Olympic trials in Florida. |
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