Reports have indicated that Volquez’s wife requested that he not be notified until exiting the game.
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“He’s still slated to pitch Game 5”, Royals manager Ned Yost said Friday.
Volquez is also expected to rejoin the club Saturday before Game 4 and will take the hill Sunday if the Royals haven’t closed it out before then.
Volquez, the Royals right-hander, has been in the Dominican Republic since Wednesday attending the funeral of his father, Daniel, who died on Tuesday. As a result, Fox Sports decided not to report Volquez’s father’s death in their broadcast. So, I don’t know if there’s controversy that we didn’t talk about it, but that’s not our job. Fellow starter Chris Young lost his father Charles to cancer on September 26, but like Volquez, took the mound and went on to pitch five flawless innings before exiting to be with his family in Texas.
What Volquez seems to be saying is that while he will be physically able to return to New York to rejoin the team, his emotional state may make it hard to keep his scheduled start, which would be Sunday evening, if necessary.
Rookie Steven Matz will start Game 4 for the Mets. He is the third Royals player to lose a parent this season.
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Yost said Volquez sent a text message to pitching coach Dave Eiland, and “that everybody was good”, Yost said.
