In 16 games going into Friday night, opposing pitchers had hit Kansas City batters 17 times, tied for the MLB lead. By contrast, Royals pitchers had hit opposing batters five times, tied for 16th in MLB, according to Stats LLC. Royals outfielder Alex Rios is on the disabled list, after breaking his hand on April 13 after being hit by a pitch.

This raises a question: Is Royals manager Ned Yost doing enough to protect his players? It isn’t just bean balls, after all. Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar left a game injured last...