Mark Trumbo's surgery is set for next week (game update)

KANSAS CITY - The Orioles' Mark Trumbo will have arthroscopic right knee surgery next week on either Thursday or Friday in Baltimore. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Leigh Ann Curl.

"We all felt like that was where this was going to head, but Mark gathered all the information and feels real comfortable with what is going to be done," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He should be a (healthy) player if everything goes well, should make the start of the season next year. It's about a six-month rehab. But Zach (Britton) came back a little sooner than they said, too."

Trumbo went on the 10-day disabled list on Aug. 20 with right knee inflammation. He was shut down after an Aug. 19 game in Cleveland with discomfort in the knee that first surfaced in May.

Trumbo, who enters the final year of his contract in 2019, batted .261/.313/.452 with 12 doubles, 17 home runs and 44 RBIs in 90 games after starting the year on the disabled list with a strained right quadriceps muscle. He had five homers, 14 RBIs and an .893 OPS this month.

Showalter made a brief comment about today's roster news, which included outfielder Joey Rickard getting recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and veteran outfielder Craig Gentry getting designated for assignment. Another spot was cleared on the 40-man roster, taking it down to 38, with reliever Jhan Mariñez outrighted to Norfolk after clearing waivers.

"Hopefully, he'll (Gentry) get an opportunity with a club contending and we'll continue to get some good looks," Showalter said. Gentry hit .364 in nine games this month and this move might give him a better chance to catch on with a contending team.

Showalter said "one, maybe two" when he was asked about roster additions for the team on Saturday. The rosters can expand to as many 40 players on Sept. 1.

Showalter talked about Trey Mancini turning around his season in the second half. He hit just .216/.292/.363 before the All-Star break and has hit .301/.333/.534 after the All-Star Game. He's been red-hot over the last five games, going 10-for-20 with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and eight RBIs. His season average has jumped from .216 before the break to .243.

"Trey is one of those guys there is an analytical thing that shows good and bad luck in hitting," the skipper said. "I think some of it was they are defending him better. I think what has stood out also is how strong he's stayed mentally through some trying times and that will bode well for him in the future. Sometimes you have those years and I can't tell you how many times in the last month he went up there with maybe a strikeout or weak at-bat and next thing you know he has two or three hits. That is a real tribute to how tough he is mentally."

Showalter welcomed Cedric Mullins back to the starting lineup tonight after the Orioles center fielder did not start in three of the last four games, in part because of a nagging hip issue. Is he good to go now?

"I hope so," Showalter said. "In a lot of ways. Like for him to be able to step back and kind of watch a game a little bit. I don't have to tell him. He knows what this opportunity means for him. He's going to try and take advantage of it. I think he's had some challenges with his leg if you look back at the history (he had some hamstring issues during 2017). I just want to make sure he finishes the year healthy. I like watching him play and I look forward to watching him tonight. He'll have plenty of room to cover (in this vast outfield)."

Some fans see this weekend series as a battle for the top draft pick. The Orioles have baseball's worst record at 40-94 and that is 2 1/2 games back of Kansas City at 42-91. If won't surprise you to learn that Showalter doesn't see this weekend as being about the top draft pick for 2019.

"We try to win every game we play, that's our job description," he said. "Certainly, the fans deserve it. When we get through every nine innings, I want to feel like the Orioles have gotten better in some capacity of trying to get back where we want to go. I ask myself with just about every move I make now - is this going to better us as we go forward? Is this something that you kind of have to wear sometimes in order to get there?

"If you look back through the drafts the last 10 years and look at the first five picks and see if the No. 1 or No. 2 guy was always the best one in that draft, I think you get an answer to that question. Someone you perceive is this right now, next June might be completely different. So be careful about getting too far ahead of yourself."

Mullins homers: Mullins returned to the lineup with a home run tonight. On the game's second pitch from right-hander Brad Keller, Mullins hit one out to right-center. He hit No. 3 on an 0-1 fastball and it was his first career leadoff homer.

The Royals tied it 1-1 in the first off O's right-hander Andrew Cashner. Whit Merrifield hit a leadoff double, went to third on Alex Gordon's single and scored on a double play grounder off the bat of Hunter Dozier.

K.C. leads: The Royals took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Merrifield's sac fly to center field. That was his 48th RBI and broke the 1-1 tie. Cashner is at 74 pitches through four innings.

More runs: The Royals lead grew to 3-1 in the fifth when Hunter Dozier led off the frame with his eighth home run. The O's pulled back within 3-2 in the sixth on Trey Mancini's sac fly. It scored Mullins, who doubled and is 2-for-3.

Cashner knocked from game: No. 9 hitter Cam Gallagher hit a solo homer just inside the left field foul pole for a 4-2 lead for the Royals in the sixth. That hit knocked Cashner from the game in favor of Yefry Ramírez. Cashner went 5 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits, four runs and two home runs on 98 pitches. His ERA is 4.86 for the season.

Ramírez allowed three singles and threw a wild pitch after he came on. The last hit was a two-run single to left by Ryan O'Hearn and the Royals' lead is now 6-2 through six innings.