The Kansas City Chiefs put on full pads for the first time during today's practice at Missouri Western State University after an off day on Saturday.  

Going from day one to day two in pads, head coach Andy Reid says he wants to see more of what he saw during the infamous Andy Reid long drive drill 

"I like that second half of that practice, see how they push, how they retain, push, kind of push through that wall," Reid tells reporters following practice.  "You start kind of talking to yourself at the end there and you find out who's willing to keep it going." 

The drill emphasizes mental toughness, situational awareness, and the ability to execute plays effectively even when exhausted, preparing players for late game scenarios.

Defensive lineman Mike Danna says you just have to gut it out during that long drive period 

"There's no looking for subs, there's no looking for ways out, you've just got to realize that this is the time to dig deep, this is the time to grow," Danna explains.  "Coach emphasizes growing in uncomfortable situations, that's all that long drive drill is, is just uncomfortable, your body is tired, your body is exhausted, you want to see who's going to dig deep, who's going to keep going." 

Danna says the best way to simulate those scenarios is that long drive drill, something many of Reid's players have called the toughest drill of camp.  

Entering this year's training camp, the Kansas City Chiefs hoped to see improvement from second year receiver Xavier Worthy.  

Worthy had just six touchdowns and barely 700 yards receiving but broke out in the Super Bowl with 157 yards and two touchdowns.  

Worthy says things really began to slow down for him late into his rookie season last year, thanks to many of the veterans he was surrounded with. 

"I had those vets with me, I had DHop (DeAndre Hopkins), I had JuJu (Smith-Schuster), I had TK (Travis Kelce), so just guys like that and Pat just obviously helping me understand coverages," Worthy says.  "Once you learn that, once you learn coverages in the league and what guys are going to do, it all comes down to making the play." 

Worthy could be a big factor this year with his explosive speed as the Chiefs try to refocus on bringing the explosive play back into their offense 

Practice lasted just over an hour and a half, the Chiefs will practice again tomorrow at 9:15. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs back at practice with full pads on tackling infamous long drive drill

September corn closed down 1 3/4 cents and December corn was down 3/4 cents. August soybeans closed down 4 1/4 cents and November soybeans were down 4 1/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 4 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 4 1/2 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was up 1/2 cents.

September corn closed down 9 cents and December corn was down 8 3/4 cents. August soybeans closed down 29 cents and November soybeans were down 14 3/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 2 1/2 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 8 cents and September Minneapolis wheat was down 10 3/4 cents.

Friday's session marked a quiet close to an overall dull week of trade which saw most crop prices drift lower, giving back roughly half of last week's gains in the process as traders clearly are seeing little urgency at this point to commit to sustained buying. Traders currently are betting friendly growing weather forecast through the first week of August means big U.S. yields and ample supplies of commodities by fall 2025. In outside markets, investors have remained confident through the week's trade deal announcements as well as President Trump saying during his visit to the Federal Reserve on Thursday that there are no current plans to attempt to remove Fed Chair Powell from his position. The U.S. dollar is working toward a second session higher while the S&amp;P500 is pressing further into record highs.

The live cattle complex traded slightly higher into Friday's close as traders were optimistic about what this week's fed cash cattle market was going to do. Also lending positive support to the live cattle complex was the fact that the afternoon's Cattle on Feed report is expected to showcase fewer placements and lighter on-feed totals, and don't forget that the semi annual Cattle Inventory report was also going to be released later this afternoon as well. A few bids are currently on the table at $230 in Kansas, $238 live in the North and $376 dressed. Packers are undoubtedly going to need to get more aggressive before the week's end, as they can't afford to go short-bought into next week's trade.

The feeder cattle complex also used the day to trade higher as its contracts were conformably trading well over $1.00 stronger in most of the nearby months. With the continued support of red-hot feeder cattle demand in the countryside, traders have all the support they could ever wish for.

The lean hog complex again traded lower as the market seems skeptical to advance much higher as traders are facing some resistance pressure. Pork demand and cash prices have been supportive this past week, but with traders unwilling to challenge the futures complex's resistance, lower is the only direction for the market to trade.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/07/25144616/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new reorganization plan for the USDA. The plan refocuses its core operations to better align with its founding mission of supporting U.S. farming, ranching, and forestry. The reorganization plan consists of four parts: ensuring the size of USDA’s workforce aligns with available financial resources and agricultural priorities; bringing USDA closer to its customers; eliminating management layers and bureaucracy; and consolidating redundant support functions. 

To bring USDA closer to the people it serves while providing a more affordable cost of living for employees, USDA has developed a phased in plan to relocate much of its agency headquarters and staff out of the Washington, D.C. area to five hub locations. USDA’s five hub locations are Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis,  Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City. 

Rollins announces USDA reorganization

In the latest trade developments, China has reportedly ended the tariff exclusion on American agricultural products. Fresh Fruit Portal says China’s government hasn’t issued an official statement yet. Importers in China have reported to the Foreign Agricultural Service that applications for market-based tariff exclusions will no longer be accepted beginning on August 1. Some of the products include grains, alcohol, leather, and fruits. 

Importers also said the previously approved exclusions will only be valid until September 14. The affected products were previously eligible for tariff exclusions under a process established in March 2020 by the State Council Tariff Commission of China. The process allowed importers to apply for waivers from the retaliatory Section 301 tariffs on certain U.S. products. Although the process did allow some items outside the predefined list, it covered a total of 696 tariff lines, of which approximately 150 lines apply to U.S. agricultural products.  

China suspends tariff exclusion for U.S. ag products

September corn closed up 3 1/4 cents and December corn was up 3 1/4 cents. August soybeans closed down 1 1/2 cents and November soybeans were up 1 1/2 cents. September KC wheat closed up 5 cents, September Chicago wheat was up 1 cent, September Minneapolis wheat was down 2 1/2 cents.

Row crops traded with little conviction and low volumes behind the markets for Thursday. Export data for last week offered few new insights, although a USDA reporting error which mistakenly gave China credit for a 2025-26 corn purchase briefly caused a stir before correction within the hour. Overall, weather remains the feature of the trade, with few changes on that front with the vast majority of the U.S. grain belt still expecting good precipitation coverage over the next 15 days, and the above-average temperatures expected to ease beginning next week as well. Outside markets were mixed for Thursday with equities mixed, supported by recent trade optimism but left with an uneasy feeling on reports that President Trump plans to visit the Federal Reserve. Energy markets were mixed with NYMEX crude oil attempting a recovery from an 8-day losing streak.

The live cattle complex rounded out the day lower as traders merely sat on their hands, waiting for time to pass by and hoping that they'd see some support from the market's fed cash cattle trade. August live cattle closed $1.22 lower at $225.80, October live cattle closed $1.35 lower at $222.15 and December live cattle closed $1.25 lower at $222.65. Bids were offered in both regions throughout the day, but as feedlot managers waited for packers to up their bids, time slipped by, and very few cattle traded throughout the day. There was just a handful of cattle traded in the South at $231, which is $1.00 higher than last week's weighted average.

The feeder cattle complex also closed lower as traders were sheepish to push the market any higher following the big gains seen earlier in the week. But today's move wasn't a choice made because of poor demand in the countryside, but rather because of skepticism from the futures complex as traders worry about over-extending the market. August feeders closed $2.62 lower at $328.90, September feeders closed $2.25 lower at $329.65 and October feeders closed $2.30 lower at $328.35.

The lean hog complex chopped merely sideways throughout the day as traders want to advance the contracts but didn't quite see enough fundamental support to justify doing so. August lean hogs closed $0.27 lower at $108.20, October lean hogs closed $0.20 higher at $91.10 and December lean hogs closed $0.35 higher at $82.92. It was impressive that pork cutout values closed higher at all, with the rib alone being down over $6.00.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/07/24163911/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

September corn closed down 3/4 cents and December corn was down 1/2 cents. August soybeans closed down 4 1/2 cents and November soybeans were down 2 3/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 9 3/4 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 9 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was down 3 3/4 cents.

It was another mixed session for row crop markets on Wednesday as an early spark stemming from President Trump's announcement of a trade deal with Japan, as well as early details on an agreement with the Philippines and framework for the deal with Indonesia as well, was quickly extinguished as trader focus remains on friendly growing season weather and a seasonal tendency for prices to decline through late summer into fall. Outside markets were mixed with equities higher on the trade announcements, while energy markets were mostly lower with NYMEX crude oil futures on their way to an eighth consecutive lower session.

It's another rip-roaring, rallying day for the live cattle complex as the contracts etched into new territory yet again today. It could potentially be that traders are excited to hear about the trade deal that President Trump worked out with Japan, as it will obviously open up more opportunities for more beef to be marketed. Still today, no cash cattle trade has developed, but asking prices are now noted in the South at $232 but remain unestablished still in the North.

Up, up and away went the feeder cattle complex as the market saw deferred contracts trade as much as $4.50 higher into Wednesday's noon hour. More than anything, it seems as though traders are not only recognizing the fact that supplies are going to remain tight, but that they're also adjusting their position from a technical standpoint because of it.

The cattle contracts may be rallying but the lean hog complex again traded lower as traders remain stalemate in their hopes to advance the complex. This morning, pork demand was higher so traders can't point to disappointing market fundamentals. It seems as though traders are running into some resistance pressure, which is hindering the contracts from trading any higher.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/07/23134652/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

Data from USDA shows inspections of wheat and beans for offshore delivery rose week to week while corn assessments declined. Wheat inspections totaled 732,000 metric tons in the seven days ending on July 17. The agency report says that’s up from 446,000 tons a week earlier. Examinations of soybeans for offshore delivery increased to 365,000 metric tons from just over 151,000 tons during the previous week. Corn saw the only decline on the week, falling to 983,000 metric tons, which the USDA said was down from 1.3 million a week prior. 

Since the start of the marketing year on September 1, corn inspections total nearly 59 million tons versus 45.6 million last year. Soybean inspections now total 46.8 million tons, up from 42.4 million at the same point last year, and wheat examinations since the marketing year began June 1 are at three million metric tons, up from 2.6 million a year ago. 

Weekly wheat, bean inspections increase

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are in merger talks to create the largest railroad in North America that would connect the East and West Coasts. The merger discussions began during the first quarter of 2025. It would combine the largest and smallest of the country’s six major freight railroads. Both railroads declined to comment. 

Within the industry, reports say there is a lot of debate over the merger and whether it would be approved by the Surface Transportation Board. The questions come despite regulators approving the deal that created CPKC railroad two years ago with the Canadian Pacific’s $31 billion acquisition of Kansas City Southern Railroad. That merger combined the two smallest major railroads in North America and left only six major freight railroads. But at the time, it was the first approved merger in 20 years.

Grain carriers discuss potential merger

September corn closed down 4 1/2 cents per bushel at $3.99 1/4 and December corn was down 4 1/4 cents at $4.18. November soybeans closed down 1/2 cent at $10.25 1/2 and September soybeans were down 2 1/2 cents at $10.08. September KC wheat closed up 7 1/2 cents at $5.33 1/4, September Chicago wheat was up 7 1/4 cents at $5.49 1/2 and September Minneapolis wheat was up 0.05 cents at $5.91.

Following the third consecutive week that corn good-to-excellent ratings stayed at an impressive 74%, corn futures leaked lower for a second straight day. Favorable weather in the extended forecast also added to the bearish tone. Soybeans were mixed to lower, with November falling slightly after a two-point decline in ratings. All three wheat markets were very firm on falling spring wheat conditions.

As time waged on, the live cattle complex turned a little more bullish throughout the day. Initially at the day's start, most of the nearby contracts traded lower, but as the morning progressed, the bullish nature of the market's deferred contracts slowly helped the nearby contracts grow more friendly to the idea of trading higher as well. Some of traders' skepticism comes from the sheer fact that the market is already trading at an all-time high. Also, not to mention the fact that later this week the monthly Cattle on Feed report will be unveiled and it's yet to be seen what this week's fed cash cattle market is going to do. So, all that being said, deep down it seems as though traders want to continue to support the complex, but there are plenty of variables up in the air right now and they don't want to overextend the market. The nearby contracts did finish the day only slightly lower, with the deferreds into the green. No bids or asking prices have surfaced in the cash cattle market.

The live cattle complex took a little bit, getting its bearings straight for the day, but the feeder cattle complex had its mission set in stone before the day even started -- continue to push the market higher. And from the day's initial opening bell, the market did indeed trade higher. Helping spur on traders' ambitious attitude has been the continued demand in the countryside, which continues to be a string of higher prices, nearly each and every week.

Although mid-morning pork cutout values were lower, the lean hog complex continued to trade mostly higher through Tuesday's trade. If it weren't for the butt's $4.12 decline and the rib's $3.01, the carcass price may have been able to hold at least steady.

The National FFA Organization recently announced a partnership with Vivayic, the nation’s largest learning solution provider for agriculture, to create virtual leadership labs. This unprecedented collection of modules will use a challenge-based learning approach to help prepare FFA members for success. Development of these online programs will start this Fall, with plans to make the leadership labs available to FFA members by the summer of 2026. 

Christine White, the chief program officer at the National FFA Organization, says “We believe partnering with Vivayic on this project is an exciting step forward in making leadership education more accessible, engaging, and impactful for our members,” and “As we expand to reach more than one million members, this collaboration ensures we’re combining innovation with real-world insight to equip every young leader, no matter where they are, with the tools they need to grow and succeed.” Once complete, the labs will be free and available online. 

National FFA working on new leadership labs

Ground beef prices continue hitting record-high levels. Reports say that’s despite still shrinking cattle herds and import restrictions set to push costs even higher. Government data shows the average price of a pound of 100 percent ground beef rose to $6.12 in June, 12 percent higher than last year. That’s also up from $5.98 in May and $5.47 in June. 

Industry experts say this trend shows no signs of slowing down, which means that there may be upward pressure on prices through 2026 and beyond. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose eight percent to $11.49 per pound. It is no secret, that the U.S. is dealing with significantly lower beef supplies, and that’s what is driving up the price of beef right now. The number of U.S. farms, including ranches, dropped by seven percent between 2017 and 2022, and it’s taking a long time to rebuild U.S. herds. 

Beef prices hit record highs in June

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Sunday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Yamaha 4-wheeler driven by a 26-year-old Cameron man was northbound on Highway A just north of MO 116. The vehicle had a mechanical malfunction. It overturned and the driver was ejected.

Tri-County ambulance transported the driver to Liberty Hospital. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. man hospitalized after ejected from 4-wheeler

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Saturday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Harley Davidson driven by 45-year-old Lexington woman was northbound on Highway Y at Hamilton Street in Winston.

The vehicle hit a patch of loose gravel and overturned. Daviess County EMS transported the woman to Cameron Regional Medical Center. She was not wearing a. helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. woman injured in motorcycle accident

There are only two teams in Major League Baseball who have won double digit World Series, the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals, with the next closest being the Boston Red Sox with nine.&nbsp; And now one collegiate summer league team can claim they are in a pretty exclusive club of teams to win double digit championships.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The St. Joseph Mustangs hoisted their 10th MINK League Championship on Saturday, after beating the Clarinda A's 13-0 at Phil Welch Stadium in a seven inning run rule victory, bringing home back to back championships for the fourth time in the history of the team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Manager Johnny Coy says it was a special year, with the team losing just eight games, and says it means everything to win a championship

"Every single year we strive for a championship, and we've been winning a lot lately and it just never gets old, playing in front of these fans, getting to coach in front of these fans, these players love it, I love it, it just never gets old," Coy tells reporters following the game.&nbsp; "And I'm looking forward to next season already, we're going to enjoy it tonight, but looking forward to next season already, a new crop of players, I'm sure we'll get a lot of returners because we do every year, and hopefully some guys will fill some holes and we'll compete for number 11."

The Mustangs benefitted from Clarinda errors in the game, with the A's having seven overall.&nbsp; The first run of the game scored as Benton alum Chris Coy reached first on a throwing error by the catcher, driving in Jack Mosh in the second inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Jayden Little also scored in the second on a sacrifice fly from Easton Phillipe.&nbsp;

In the third inning the Mustangs tacked on another run on an error by the right fielder, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart coming home to score. Another sacrifice fly from Phillipe drove in Dom Felix before Bishop LeBlond alum and recent transfer to Northwest Missouri State Frank Gall pinch hit in the inning and singled driving in two more, scoring Coy and Little.&nbsp;

For Gall, who spent much of the season battling injury, it was special to win the championship

"I only got to play in nine or 10 games, so to finish with a MINK League championship is all I could have asked for," Gall says.

Gall says winning the 10th championship in the Mustangs history is pretty amazing

"I think we just expect it every year, and it feels great man, it feels awesome," Gall excitedly says.&nbsp;

Things unraveled more in the fifth inning for the A's as the Mustangs scored seven runs, again benefiting from Clarinda errors as the A's made five in the fifth inning alone.&nbsp;

Central alum Logan Miller reached first on a throwing error by the shortstop, bringing home Coy.&nbsp; Another throwing error from the shortstop allowed Darius Freeman to reach first base, scoring two runs as Gall and Miller came across home, before Freeman later scored on a single from Luikart.&nbsp; Another single by Mosh drove in Luikart to continue extending the lead and then another throwing error allowed Dom Felix to score a run as Coy reached on a fielders choice.&nbsp; The final run scored as Coy stole second, and on the throw Little came across home to score.&nbsp;

The Mustangs have benefitted from a strong pitching staff all season long, and it was no different on Saturday night.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck was a key part of that pitching staff, and threw a complete game shutout in Saturday's finale.

Guck, who helped close out last year's championship against Clarinda as well, says he just loves the moment

"I mean the adrenaline just gets you going, I think it makes it easy to pitch and I just love the moment, it's fun to pitch in, and I'm just happy to do it twice," Guck says.

Guck pitched his final game as a Mustang after finishing his collegiate career at Northwest this spring.  Guck says it's always great to win with the Mustangs. 

"It's always a great feeling, I always look forward to this because I always feel good about our chances every summer and it's two in a row now," Guck says.&nbsp; "I won't be here, but let's go for three."

Guck struck out eight and gave up just three hits on Saturday to help secure the Mustangs championship.&nbsp; At the plate, Gall was 2-for-3 with two RBI's.&nbsp; Mosh was 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Little was 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored.&nbsp;

The Mustangs finished the season 38-8 with a 28-7 record in the MINK League.&nbsp;&nbsp;This is the fourth time the Mustangs have won the championship in back to back years, last winning it in 2021 and 2022.

St. Joseph Mustangs hoist championship number 10

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Saturday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Silverado driven by a 23-year-old Gower man was southbound on U.S. 169 two miles north of Grayson. The pickup rear-ended a 2017 Ford Focus driven by a 38-year-old St. Joseph woman who was slowing to make a left turn at SW 247th Street.&nbsp;

Tri-County ambulance transported the St. Joseph woman to Mosaic Life Care. The pickup driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Woman from St. Joe injured in rear-end crash

The annual pep
rally for the Kansas City Chiefs, officially welcoming the team back to St.
Joseph for Training Camp, will be held Sunday afternoon at Civic Center Park.

St. Joseph Chamber
of Commerce spokesperson, Kristi Bailey, says St. Joseph businesses benefit
greatly from the annual training camp that attracts Chiefs fans from all over.

“The gas stations,
the restaurants, the businesses close to Missouri Western, they benefit. We do
have some visitors that come from out of state that stay in hotels, that make a
little vacation out of training camp,” Bailey tells KFEQmmunity. “So, we do
have some businesses that do benefit from training camp as well.”

Bailey says St.
Joseph also benefits greatly from the notoriety it receives from national
reports on the Chiefs from training camp on the Missouri Western State
University campus.

Bailey says the
Red Rally begins at noon at Civic Center Park, located at City Hall, and runs
through four o’clock with a festive atmosphere celebrating the return of
Chiefs.

“So, this is a way
that a lot of our community partners work together to show the Chiefs just how
excited we are to have them come back year after year,” Bailey says.

A DJ will begin
the “pre-rally” at noon. Country artist, Blane Howard, performs at 1:30pm. The
voice of the Chiefs, Mitch Holthus, and KC Wolf kick off the official rally
with the return of Tech N9ne at 3pm.

There will be
games for the children and food vendors. Residents are encouraged to begin lawn
chairs.

Bailey says the
event is the city’s way of showing appreciation to the Chiefs.

“We put out our
banners and we put out our yard signs,” Bailey says. “But having this big
community event really shows them that the community is behind them and we want
to thank them for coming,” 

Bailey says the
city prides itself on being the home of Chiefs Training Camp.

“So, it’s
important for us to show the Chiefs organization just how much St. Joseph loves
the Chiefs.”

The city reminds
residents two streets bordering Civic Center Park will be closed during Red
Rally. Francis Street will be closed from just east of 10th Street
to 12th Street, and North 12th Street will be closed from
Francis to Jules from 7pm on Saturday to 9am on Monday.

St.
Joseph Public works department will be placing no parking signs along the
streets on Thursday afternoon to prepare for the closure. Drivers still will be
able to access the parking lot of the Wesley Senior Towers apartment building
during the street closure. 

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

St. Joseph celebrates Chiefs Training Camp at Red Rally Sunday

KFEQ Week in Review

Fillmore city
officials have lifted a boil order issued earlier this week.

Fillmore lifts boil order

A teenage
motorcycle rider has died of injuries suffered in a crash south of St. Joseph
Tuesday evening.

The Missouri State
Highway Patrol reports the 13-year-old was pronounced dead at Children’s Mercy
Hospital in Kansas City.

The patrol reports
the teenage boy from Dearborn was riding south on Southeast 32nd
Road around eight o’clock Tuesday evening when an SUV, attempting to make a
left turn, began to slide in front of the motorcycle which crashed into its
front right bumper. The impact of the crash threw the rider from his
motorcycle.

The motorcyclist
was taken to Children’s Mercy where he died of his injuries.

The 18-year-old male
driver of the SUV, who is from St. Joseph, and an 18-year-old female passenger from
Country Club suffered minor injuries in the wreck.

The Missouri State
Highway Patrol no longer releases the identity of victims in its crash reports.

Teen motorcyclist dies in Buchanan County crash

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

The Kansas City Royals have made their first move ahead of the July 31st trade deadline, adding an outfield bat that they had interest in during the offseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Royals&nbsp;acquiring veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks for reliever Andrew Hoffmann. The 25-year-old Hoffmann made his Major League debut this season but was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.

Per MLB.com's Anne Rogers,&nbsp;Grichuk is expected to be in Kansas City on Sunday for the series-deciding game, and likely in the lineup against lefty Joey Cantillo. Facing left-handed pitching is a big reason why the Royals wanted to add Grichuk, who is slashing .243/.280/.462 in 69 games with the D-backs this year but has a .750 OPS against southpaws.&nbsp;&nbsp;In his career, the 33-year-old Grichuk has an .827 OPS against lefties.

With Mark Canha on the 10-day injured list and utility man Nick Loftin on the 7-day concussion list, the Royals don’t have a right-handed hitting outfielder on their 26-man roster outside of Tyler Tolbert, who is an infielder/outfielder and is mainly used for pinch-running opportunities.

“There needs to be some semblance of a bench in the sense that you need options,” general manager J.J. Picollo said to reporters. “[Manager Matt Quatraro] needs options to be able to maneuver through games. And when you have a lot of left-handed bats and not the right-handed bats that have proven they can hit left-handed pitching really well, at times you can feel a little short-handed. So this is just trying to make our roster deeper, make us better, allow us to be more competitive.”

Grichuk was on the Royals’ radar this past offseason as a veteran bat to add to their bench, but he ended up returning to Arizona on a one-year, $5 million deal with a $5 million mutual option or $3 million buyout for 2026.

The Royals now have to decide what’s next for them with five days remaining until the 5 p.m. CT Deadline on Thursday.

Royals acquire former Cardinal OF Randal Grichuk from D-Backs

The last time the Cardinals won consecutive games before Friday night, it was June 29 and St. Louis sat a season-best nine games over .500, filled with confidence.

An MLB-worst 5-13 stretch followed for the Cardinals to temper their excitement and seemingly put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. However, after thumping the Padres twice in as many nights to get back to within 1 1/2 games of the National League’s final Wild Card slot, hope is back in St. Louis.&nbsp; Struggling starter Miles Mikolas got right against the Padres on Friday, as the Cardinals won 3-0 at Busch Stadium for the second win in a row.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the second inning, the Cardinals got on the scoreboard with the first run as Yohel Pozo grounded out, driving in Nolan Arenado.&nbsp; In the fourth inning, after back to back walks to Willson Contreras and Arenado, Masyn Winn doubled to drive in both runners for the only runs the Redbirds needed on the day.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley earned his 21st save striking out two batters in the ninth inning.

Mikolas pitched five shutout innings and improved to 6-7 on the season giving up seven hits while striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Contreras was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk.&nbsp; Winn was 1-for-2 with the double and two RBIs.&nbsp;

St. Louis and San Diego continue their four game series tomorrow with game three.&nbsp; Matthew Liberatore (6-7, 4.13 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against&nbsp;Randy Vásquez (3-4, 3.73 ERA) for the Padres.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:15pm, with coverage being joined around 6:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

MIkolas gets right in Cardinals 3-0 shutout against Padres

An important American League Central matchup between two teams fighting to stay alive in the standings as Thursday’s Trade Deadline inches closer will have to wait another day.

Friday’s Guardians-Royals game at Kauffman Stadium was postponed due to inclement weather in the area. It will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Saturday.

Game 1 will begin at 1:40 p.m with Royals starter Michael Wacha facing Guardians starter Gavin Williams.&nbsp; Game 2 will begin at 6:15 p.m. Kansas City starter Kris Bubic is scheduled to take the mound opposite Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee.

This will be the fifth doubleheader for the Guardians, who have split the previous four against the Red Sox, Nationals, Twins and White Sox this season. Cleveland entered Friday having won 11 of its past 14 games following a 10-game skid in early July, which dropped the club eight games under .500 on July 6.

The Royals swept their first doubleheader this season against the Rockies on April 24 before splitting at St. Louis on June 5. Kansas City is coming off a 3-3 road trip through Miami and Chicago after the All-Star break and has gone 11-7 in July.

While the Tigers have a sizable eight-game lead over the Guardians in the AL Central, the Guards and Royals are still battling in the AL Wild Card race, three games and 4 1/2 games back, respectively, ahead of Friday’s slate of games. This weekend could very well determine either team’s position for next Thursday, whether they trade pieces away or add in hopes of a postseason run.

Rain postpones Royals and Guardians, doubleheader on Saturday

With impending rain in St. Joseph on Friday night, game two of the MINK League Championship series has been postponed until Saturday, with game three moved to Sunday if needed.&nbsp;

The St. Joseph Mustangs are taking on the Clarinda A's, seeking their 10th MINK League title.&nbsp; The Mustangs are one game away from hoisting the championship again, after beating the A's on the road in Clarinda in game one on Thursday 10-6.&nbsp;

First pitch on Saturday will be at 7pm, per Mustangs General Manager and Owner Ky Turner.&nbsp; If the decisive game three is needed, first pitch on Sunday will be at 5pm.&nbsp;

MINK League Championship Game postponed

The St. Louis Cardinals outslugged the San Diego Padres, and used a big second inning, to win their first home game of the second half of the MLB season 9-7 at Busch Stadium on Thursday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Padres took the lead in the first inning behind two runs as Luis Arraez doubled to drive in Fernando Tatis Jr after his leadoff single.&nbsp; Arraez later scored in the inning on an RBI single by Jackson Merrill.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, the Cardinals cut that lead to one run as Willson Contreras doubled, driving in Brendan Donovan after he led off the Redbirds half of the inning with a single, ending the inning with the Cardinals trailing 2-1.&nbsp;

After a scoreless second for the Padres, St. Louis blew things open in the bottom half scoring six runs, starting with a big three run home run from Donovan, scoring Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II to give the Cardinals the lead.&nbsp; After&nbsp;Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson doubled, Contereas drove in three more runs, hitting the second three run homer of the inning to bring home both Herrera and Burleson, putting St. Louis up 7-2 at the end of the inning.&nbsp;

The ball kept soaring in the third inning, this time off the Padres bat, as Tatis Jr led the inning off with a solo home run.&nbsp; And after a double by Arraez, Manny Machado cut the Cardinals lead to two runs hitting a two run home run to center field.&nbsp; St. Louis got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth, Scott leading the inning off with a walk and stealing second before scoring on a single by Herrera, to put the Cardinals up 8-5.

The game would get even closer in the sixth inning, with the Padres cutting the lead to one.&nbsp; After Merrill singled, and Xander Bogaerts doubled to put two runners in scoring position, Gavin Sheets grounded out to drive in Merrill.&nbsp; Later in the inning, with two outs, Bryce Johnson reached first on a throwing error by Contreras, allowing Bogaerts to come home and score with the Cardinals unable to get out of the inning.&nbsp; Leading by one run after the inning, the Cardinals got the only run of insurance they needed in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a solo home run by Herrera.

Sonny Gray earned the win, improving to 10-4 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits while striking out five.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley, a potential trade target as the trade deadline nears, earned his 20th save striking out two and giving up one hit.&nbsp; At the plate, Herrera was 3-for-4 with a walk and a home run, driving in two runs.&nbsp; Contreras was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a home run, driving in four.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Louis and San Diego continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (5-7, 5.20 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Nick Pivetta (10-2, 2.81 ERA) for the Padres.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:15 with coverage beginning around 6:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

Cardinals outslug Padres in 9-7 win back at Busch Stadium

The St. Joseph Mustangs marched into Clarinda, Iowa on a mission for their 10th MINK League Championship, and walked away needing just one more game to accomplish that mission, beating the Clarinda A's 10-6 in game on of the MINK League Championship series.&nbsp;

The Mustangs scored most of their runs early, building a big lead through the first five innings, scoring four in the first inning.&nbsp; A double by Jack Mosh with the bases loaded cleared the bases, driving in Darius Freeman, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart, and Dom Felix, before Mosh scored the final run of the inning on an RBI single by Lafayette alum Jayden Little.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Central alum Logan Miller added another run in the second inning, extending the lead, with a sacrifice fly bringing Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith home.&nbsp; Then in the fifth inning, the Mustangs again put a four spot on the scoreboard with RBI singles by Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen and Miller, scoring Mosh and Little, before Freeman drove in the final two with an double, bringing home Bodenhausen and Griffith.&nbsp;

With the Mustangs holding a 9-0 lead, the A's got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch with Cooper Knight coming home to score.&nbsp; St. Joseph got that run back however in the sixth inning, their final run of the game, Benton alum scoring on a groundout by Little, thanks to an error by Clarinda first baseman Drake Cobb.&nbsp;

The bottom of the sixth began the A's rally with Clarinda scoring three runs.&nbsp; Another run scored on a wild pitch as Layth Holliday came home for a run in the inning.&nbsp; After Micah Nicholson walked, and stole second base, Cobb drove the A's second baseman in with an RBI single.&nbsp; Cobb stole second, and with two outs in the inning, Kane Wilson singled to drive in Cobb for the final run of the inning, cutting the Mustangs lead to 10-4.&nbsp;

Clarinda continued to threaten a comeback in the seventh, scoring two more runs and cutting the lead to four.&nbsp; Holliday singled and moved&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau to third, before Pourciau went home to score on an error by Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Holliday scored the final run after stealing third base, then going home on an error by Griffith.&nbsp;

Lawson alum Lane Chapman came on and pitched the eighth and ninth innings, holding the A's to just a single hit and walking one while striking out two batters to end the game and secure the Mustangs head back to St. Joseph needing just one more win.&nbsp;

Cade Perkins earned the win pitching seven innings and giving up six runs on six hits while striking out 10 and walking four.&nbsp; At the plate, Bodenhausen was 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, and one RBI.&nbsp; Little was 3-for-5 with two RBI's, while Mosh was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI's.&nbsp;

The Mustangs and A's will now meet at Phil Welch Stadium in game two of the MINK League Championship series tomorrow.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 7pm.&nbsp; With a Mustangs win, the series will be over, but if Clarinda wins, game three will be on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One to go, Mustangs take game one of MINK League Championship

The Kansas City Chiefs entered this year's training camp at Missouri Western State University loaded at the running back position.  

A healthy Isiah Pacheco, a newly signed Elijah Mitchell, and drafted Brashard Smith have had a good start to camp, not to mention Carson Steele and Kareem Hunt.  

For Hunt, who was signed three weeks into the season last year, feels he's really benefitted from having a full offseason of preparation 

"I was more locked in staying on schedule," Hunt tells reporters.  "Because I didn't know when I was going to get picked up or when I was going to have the opportunity, or if I was going to have the opportunity to play again, so I stayed on top of things this offseason, made sure I stayed in good shape from OTA's and just able to keep building on what I've already built." 

Hunt rushed for 728 yards last season and seven touchdowns, primarily used as a short yardage back, which could again be his role if he earns his spot.  

The competition on the offensive line will continue to be a focus for much of Chiefs Training Camp as the Chiefs majorly refocus on reshaping their offensive line.  

Seeking left tackle consistency, the Chiefs drafted Joshua Simmons and signed former San Francisco 49er Jaylon Moore to replace Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia 

Center Creed Humphrey says with two new tackles coming in, it's all about building chemistry along the offensive line 

"That's why camp's really good for this, you get a ton of reps in, a ton of looks against Spags defense, so it's preparing you all for the season," Humphrey says.  "So, we're excited about it, we've got some really good talent in that room right now and it's going to really good competition."  

Suamataia is competing to replace Joe Thuney at left guard after the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Chicago Bears.  Kansas City has also been without Jawaan Taylor to start camp as he's on the PUP list 

In a move that was overshadowed by the resigning of Trey Smith and contract extension of George Karlaftis, the Chiefs linebacking core got a boost early this offseason, bringing back a fan favorite, who's also a leader on the defense.  

Nick Bolton signed a three-year contract extension to stay with the Chiefs, after many thought he might leave.  Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called Bolton the Patrick Mahomes of the defense 

Linebacker Leo Chenal echoes the sentiment saying having Bolton back means everything 

"When he's on the field it's just different, you guys can see it I'm sure, not only his play, his leadership, his loud, bold communcation, just his positivity, you can go down the list of what a leader is and Nick Bolton checks the box," Chenal says.  "So, it boosts morale to the whole team and makes everybody play better around him."  

For Chenal, he enters this season on the final year of his rookie contract, but says he's keeping his mind off it as best he can and is focused on doing his best for the team 

The Chiefs practiced for just under two hours today.  They are back at practice tomorrow at 9:15, before an off day on Saturday.

Hunt ready for another year with Chiefs after having full offseason to prepare

The St. Louis Cardinals offense struggled to figure out the Colorado Rockies pitching, managing just five hits, as the Redbirds were shutout to fall in the series finale at Coors Field on Wednesday afternoon, losing 6-0 before heading back to St. Louis.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the second, the Rockies got on the scoreboard, striking Cardinals starter Andre Pallante for four runs.&nbsp; Ryan McMahon scored after his leadoff walk for the first run on an RBI single by Kyle Farmer, before with runners on first and second the lead was extended on another RBI single by&nbsp;Adael Amador driving in Austin Nola.&nbsp; A fourth straight single by Tyler Freeman brought home Farmer to push in the third run, and a fifth single by Mickey Moniak drove in Amador for the final run putting Colorado up 4-0 early in the game.&nbsp;

The Rockies put up one more run against Pallante in the fifth inning, an RBI double by Jordan Beck driving in Freeman who walked to start the inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ezequiel Tovar put up the final run for Colorado in the eighth inning, hitting his sixth home run of the season off reliever John King to right field.&nbsp;

Pallante took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, five Cardinals had one hit each, led by&nbsp;Iván Herrera who was 1-for-2 with two walks.&nbsp; Jordan Walker and Willson Contreras each doubled while going 1-for-4.

St. Louis now returns to the comforts of Busch Stadium to host San Diego.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (9-4, 4.04 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Yu Darvish (0-2. 6.08 ERA) for the Padres tomorrow in St. Louis.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm, coverage will be joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

Rockies shutout Cardinals for 6-0 series win

KANSAS CITY—The search continues for a possible drowning victim at creek in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 7p.m. Saturday, Kansas City Fire Department rescue crews were dispatched to reports of a possible drowning in Indian Creek, near 103rd Street and State Line Road, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

On arrival, companies surveyed the scene, interviewed a witness, walked the banks, and set up on bridges above the creek for better viewpoints.&nbsp; 

KCFD Rescue Companies began conducting a search in the creek, with "swimmers" and launched their Inflatable Rubber Boat (IRB). The KCFD Drone was deployed, along with a Human Remains Detection (HRD) dog , and the Missouri Highway Patrol to assist in the search efforts.&nbsp;

After no rescue or recovery at 11:54 p.m., the decision was made to end operations for the night. Companies were put back into service and the plan is to resume the search on Sunday.&nbsp;

Crews search for drowning victim in KC area creek

WYANDOTTE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City, Kansas, where a Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputy was killed, according to a media release from the agency.

Just before 3:30 p.m., a woman called requesting that police accompany her as she moved out of a residence, due to concerns about her safety. She reported that when friends tried to assist her, a man threatened them with a firearm. At around 3:45 p.m., a deputy from the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office and an officer from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) arrived at the residence at 2627 S. 30th&nbsp;St.

Preliminary information indicates as they approached the front door, a male subject inside the house fired multiple rounds at the officers. Rounds struck 34-year-old Deputy Elijah Ming. The KCKPD officer was uninjured. Multiple law enforcement officers then responded to the scene.

As responding officers attempted to provide aid to Deputy Ming, gunfire was exchanged between the man, later identified as Shawn Harris, 38, of Kansas City, Kansas, and officers from the KCKPD and the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office. Harris was shot during the exchange of gunfire while he barricaded in the home.

Deputy Ming was transported to the hospital. Despite lifesaving measures, he died of his injuries.

Police negotiated with Harris over the phone until he surrendered and came out of the house, just after 5 p.m. He was taken into custody.

EMS transported Harris to an area hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He is currently in good condition.

This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.

When this investigation concludes, case findings will be presented to the Wyandotte County District Attorney for charging decisions. The investigation is ongoing.

New details released in fatal shooting of Kansas sheriff's deputy 

KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man faces felony charges in connection with a fatal shooting that took place near Grandview, Missouri earlier this month.&nbsp;

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