ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe will miss all of training camp and could miss part of the season after the Pro Bowl run-stuffer had surgery last week on his ailing back.

Poe first hurt his back during offseason workouts, but coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that he aggravated the injury training at home. Poe was diagnosed with a herniated disc and had surgery July 15, and trainer Rick Burkholder said he will be out indefinitely.

Poe is coming off his second straight Pro Bowl. The 6-foot-3, 346-pound tackle had a career-best six sacks last season while anchoring the middle of the Chiefs defensive line.

Reid said that Jaye Howard will take over his position in training camp, though Mike DeVito and sixth-round pick Rakeem Nunez-Roches could also compete for time.

CLEVELAND (AP) – Eric Hosmer drove in four runs, Kendrys Morales added three RBIs and the Kansas City Royals opened a 10-game road trip with a 9-4 victory over the spiraling Cleveland Indians on Monday night.

Hosmer connected for a three-run homer in the first inning off rookie Cody Anderson (2-2) as the Royals rolled to their AL-leading 60th win and improved to 15-5 in their last 20 games.

Edinson Volquez (10-5) worked into the seventh inning for Kansas City, which will welcome newly acquired ace Johnny Cueto on Tuesday.

Rookie Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer and Carlos Santana had a solo shot for the Indians, who have dropped five straight.

Joe Blanton gave up Lindor’s homer, but worked three innings for his second save.

Work has begun to replace the Field Turf at Al Simpler Stadium at Junction City High School.

Board of Education President Brian Field said underneath there is sand gravel. “Then of course they’ve got the turf that they lay, and then there’s some rubber and some sand that they put under there that kind of holds it down, and gives the padding.”

Field noted the drainage system for the field is in good shape with no damage. The degradation that had been occurring was to the turf fibers. That is being fixed by replacing the top layer of turf.  The field should be ready for use in August.

( Photos courtesy of Brian Field )

 

CLEVELAND (AP) – Newly acquired Royals ace Johnny Cueto will make his debut for Kansas City on Friday in Toronto.

Cueto was acquired on Sunday in a trade with Cincinnati for left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. Cueto, who won 20 games last season for the Reds, is still getting personal business in order and plans to join the AL’s best team on Tuesday.

The Royals felt they needed a proven top-of-the-rotation starter to solidify their staff and dealt for Cueto, who is 7-6 with a 2.62 ERA in 19 starts this season. Kansas City’s starters have underachieved and been hurt by injuries. They lost left-hander Jason Vargas for the season due with an elbow injury last week.

Kansas City’s starters are last in the league in innings pitched, and the Royals hope Cueto can eat up some innings and ease the pressure on their excellent bullpen.

Junction City High School Athletic Director Matt Westerhaus reports that the Geary County Health Department will be conducting sports physicals and school physicals for the 2015-16 school year at the Junction City Youth Clinic August 3 – 6 from 8:20 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. and on August 7 from 8:20 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Please bring all immunization records.

Students or parents will need to pick up a physical packet from the JCHS Athletic Department, Junction City Youth Clinic or the Geary County Health Department. Parents and students must fill out and sign all required forms and return the packet with payment to the Athletic Department or Junction City Youth Clinic.

For more information contact a nurse at 785-762-5788.  Cost is $20.

The physicals are necessary for participants in fall sports at JCHS. Practices begin August 17.

Monday, August 3 at 6 p.m. Junction City High School will host a student-parent informational meeting for those students participating in the fall activities including: football, Boys and Girls Cross Country, Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis, Volleyball, Cheer and Dance.

A general meeting for all sports will begin at 6 p.m. covering guidelines within the athletic department. Following the general meeting each sports will have individual meetings to discuss such topics as tryouts, procedures, and schedules for the season.

The Big 12 Conference has named Tyler Lockett of Kansas State the Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year.

A product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lockett became the 10th Consensus All-American in school history in addition to winning the 2014 Johnny “Jet” Rodgers National College Football Return Specialist Award. As a senior, he led the nation in punt return average ( 19.1 ) and ranking third in total receiving yards ( 1,515 ), all-purpose yards * 2,296 ), and punt returns for touchdowns ( 2 ) and seventh in receptions ( 106 ). He topped the Big 12 in receiving yards and all-purpose yards.

Lockett also led the conference in punt-return aveage, while finishing second in receptions per game and ninth in kickoff return average.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Royals traded for Johnny Cueto, and then used Yordano Ventura’s seven sharp innings to beat Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros 5-1 on Sunday.

Ventura (5-7) allowed one run and six hits in just his second win in his last seven starts. The right-hander, who won 14 games last year, was demoted to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday and then recalled the next day after the Royals learned left-hander Jason Vargas would miss the rest of the year with an elbow injury.

The Royals announced during the game that they had acquired Cueto from Cincinnati for minor league left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed, drawing a big cheer at Kauffman Stadium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Royals have acquired ace right-hander Johnny Cueto in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, bolstering their chances of returning to the World Series.

The Royals began the day with the best record in the American League. Now they add Cueto to a rotation that lost Jason Vargas to a season-ending elbow injury last week.

The scuffling Reds received left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed in Sunday’s deal. Finnegan was Kansas City’s first-round pick in last year’s draft.

Cueto, who is eligible for free agency after the season, was one of the top starters on the market. He pitched eight scoreless innings in Cincinnati’s 5-2 victory at Colorado on Saturday.

Cueto won 20 games last season and is 7-6 with a 2.62 ERA in 19 starts this year.

The Rossville Rattlers defeated the Junction City Brigade Saturday night, 10-6, in the semifinal round of the Cowdin Cup Playoffs in Rossville.

The win sends the Rattlers into the championship game of the tournament Sunday against the Midwest Athletics in Belton, Missouri.  The season came to a close for Junction City.

Rossville and Junction City played a three game series in the playoffs, with the Brigade taking the first game 10-8.  But the Rattlers won Friday night 8-7 in ten innings, and then Saturday night 10-6.

The game Saturday night was originally scheduled to be played at Rathert Field in Junction City, but rain earlier in the afternoon left the field too wet, so the contest was moved to Rossville.