Kansas City Royals starter Jordan Lyles left Tuesday’s “B” game against the Texas Rangers with mild lower-back tightness.

“He left here feeling better than obviously when he came out of the game,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We are going to re-evaluate him in the morning.”

Lyles, 33, was slated to pitch three innings against the Rangers. In the first inning, Lyles induced Rangers first baseman Justin Foscue to ground out. Foscue hit the baseball right back to Lyles as he fielded his position.

Lyles reached down and threw Foscue out at first base. As he walked back to the pitching mound, Lyles grimaced in pain. He squatted near the mound as the Royals training staff attended to him.

The Royals took Lyles out of the game. He walked off the field and headed back to the Royals’ spring training complex for further evaluation.

Quatraro added that Lyles’ back tightness didn’t occur fielding the play. Lyles told him that his back got stiffer as he continued to pitch.

“It was just tight, so he didn’t completely lock up,” Quatraro said. “He said he felt like he needed to stretch.”

Lyles is competing for the fifth starter spot in the Royals rotation. Last season, Lyles recorded a 6.28 ERA in 31 starts. He allowed 124 earned runs in 177 ⅔ innings despite tossing three complete games.

This offseason, Lyles changed the grip on his curveball. He also trained with Tread Athletics in Charlotte, North Carolina to increase his velocity.

Lyles made his first spring start against the Chicago White Sox last Thursday. He pitched two scoreless innings and struck out three batters.

Nate Eaton adds to spring surge

The Royals enlisted MLB veterans MJ Melendez, Garrett Hampson and Freddy Fermin among the starters in the “B” game.

Melendez had three hits against the Rangers. Hampson recorded a single and a walk while Fermin added an RBI.

Additionally, Royals outfielder Nate Eaton continued to impress. Eaton, who split time between Triple-A Omaha and Kansas City last season, recorded three hits in the game.

In the sixth inning, Eaton drilled a triple to the outfield gap. Eaton also showed an improved approach at the plate. Earlier in the game, he drove a single the opposite way to set up a scoring opportunity.

“Everyone loves to hit those pull-side gappers or home runs,” Eaton said. “I kind of look back at some of those balls you hit the other way. You hit them hard, backspin them and shoot a hole. Those sometimes feel the best to me. You know you are staying on the (swing) plane and keeping a good path through the swing.”

This spring, Eaton has appeared in five games. He is hitting .250 with two home runs and three RBIs.

Eaton showed his power against the Cleveland Guardians last Saturday. He hit a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning. The Royals held on to defeat the Guardians 13-12 at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona.

“I’m feeling really good at the plate,” Eaton said. “I’ve changed a lot of stuff in my swing and my routine. Just putting a lot of trust of what I’m doing in the cage and during BP. Just keeping it simple: line drives up the middle. (I’m) seeing the ball as long as I can to use the big part of the field. If I’m early or late, I try to adjust (at the plate).”

Royals hold organizational award ceremony

The Royals honored the top players in each minor-league affiliate on Tuesday. The Royals also awarded the Matt Minker Award, Dick Howser Award and the Carlos Fortuna Award.

Travis Ashby won the Matt Minker Award, which recognizes an outstanding minor-league affiliate employee. Meanwhile, Ramon Castro won the Dick Howser Award. This honor recognizes a player-development employee for his contributions to the organization.

Cruz Noriega was honored with the Carlos Fortuna Award which is given to a player that worked to improve his English on and off the field and shined with leadership, great work ethic and dedication.

Here are the Royals players who received an organizational award.

Omaha Storm Chasers: Nick Loftin (2023 Player of the Year) | Anthony Veneziano (2023 Pitcher of the Year)

Northwest Arkansas Naturals: Tyler Tolbert (2023 Player of the Year) | Chandler Champlain (2023 Pitcher of the Year)

Quad Cities River Bandits: Cayden Wallace (2023 Player of the Year) | Mason Barnett (2023 Pitcher of the Year)

Columbia Fireflies: Brett Squires (2023 Player of the Year) | Frank Mozzicato (2023 Pitcher of the Year)

Arizona Complex League Royals: Erick Torres (2023 Player of the Year) | Felix Arronde (2023 Pitcher of the Year)

Dominican Summer League Royals: Ramon Ramirez (2023 Player of the Year) | Victor Pena (2023 Pitcher of the Year)