CHICAGO
The drought spanned 102 days and 157 at-bats.
Alex Rios swatted a home run on opening day for the Royals, then his bat went quiet. An inadvertent fastball broke his hand in the season’s second week and sidelined him until late May. Since his return, he has yet to display the bat speed or timing that enticed Kansas City to offer him an $11 million contract during the winter.
As the Royals ponder the wisdom of acquiring an outfield upgrade on the trade market, Rios delivered his second home run of the season in a 4-2 victory Friday in the first leg of a split doubleheader against the White Sox.