Courtesy photo, MILB.com
The Kansas City Royals will use Arvest Ballpark as their alternate training site in April, officials announced last week.
The facility is home to the Royals’ affiliate team, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
At least 20 players who did not make the Royals’ roster out of spring training will travel to Springdale to continue preparation for the minor league season that will begin in May.
“We are so fortunate to have a first-class facility such as Arvest Ballpark with the proximity to Kansas City to keep these players sharp after such a terrific start to the year,” said JJ Picollo, Royals vice president and assistant general manager of player development. “We can’t thank Justin Cole (Northwest Arkansas General Manager) and his staff enough for allowing us to continue our work in their facility as we prepare for the 2021 Minor League season.”
It’s uncertain whether fans will be allowed into the ballpark for any of the training events. Officials said the hope is to allow fans in at some point, but it will be up to Major League Baseball staff to determine the next steps on ticket availability and safety protocols.
Any updates about the training events will be posted to nwanaturals.com and the team’s social media channels (facebook.com/naturals and twitter.com/nwanaturals), according to a news release.
The Naturals begin the 2021 season in early May with a series of road games against the Arkansas Travelers. The first home games begin on Tuesday, May 11 against the Tulsa Drillers.
