Right-hander Edinson Volquez will be on the mound when the Royals open a three-game series in Oakland on Friday, with lefty Rich Hill pitching for the A's in the 10:05 p.m. ET matchup at the Oakland Coliseum as MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day.
Volquez has limited opponents to just two earned runs across 11 2/3 innings in his first two starts for a 1.54 ERA, most recently fanning 10 in 5 2/3 innings while settling for a no-decision against the Twins on Sunday.
Hill also struck out 10 in his last outing, an encouraging six-inning start in Seattle that saw the lefty limit the Mariners to one run on five hits and a walk. It was a big bounce-back performance for the southpaw, who lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his season debut.
The defending World Series champion Royals took the season series from the A's last year with ease, 5-1.
Things to know
• Volquez is 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA in four career starts against the A's, including 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two outings at the Coliseum. Hill, meanwhile, is 2-0 with a 5.91 ERA in 11 career appearances -- only two of them starts -- against Kansas City.
• The Royals and manager Ned Yost continue to look for ways to reduce catcher Salvador Perez's workload, but it's tough in Yost's mind.
"He wants to play every day," Yost said. "It's just tough for me, too. I have to be reminded to rest him."
The Royals have a day game after Friday night's game, and Perez likely will not start on Saturday, Yost said.
• There's an outside chance that outfielder Jarrod Dyson (oblique strain), who is on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha, could be back this weekend against the A's.
"We'll play it day by day," Yost said. "I haven't really talked to [general manager] Dayton [Moore] about it yet. But he's coming along."
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