KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Kansas City T-Bones would like to congratulate former infielder Taylor Featherston on signing a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Taylor Featherston hit .202 in 25 games with five home runs and 15 RBIs while holding down the short stop position for KC during a key stretch of the 2018 Championship season.  On July 24^th of 2018, he became the fifth T-Bone player in the month of July 2018 and the seventh at that point in the season to be sold to an MLB organization when the Cincinnati Reds purchased his contract. Featherston finished his time in KCK on a six-game hitting streak and drove in at least one run in five of his last six games with the T-Bones.  The Texas native hit .237 in 36 games at AA Pensacola in the Southern League after joining the Reds organization in 2018. He added three home runs and 15 RBIs for the Blue Wahoos.

Featherston came to Kansas City after playing in 55 games to start the 2018 season for AAA Rochester in the Minnesota Twins organization in the International League.  Featherston hit four home runs and knocked in 21 RBIs with the Redwings, hitting .167 before his release on June 18. He signed a minor league contract with the Twins in December of 2017.

Featherston graduated from James E. Taylor High School in Katy, Texas. He attended Texas Christian University (TCU) where he played college baseball for the Horned Frogs baseball team. The Colorado Rockies selected Featherston in the fifth round of the 2011 MLB Draft; he spent four years in their organization, reaching AA.  In 2014, he played for the Tulsa Drillers of the Class AA Texas League where he hit .260 with 16 home runs, and 57 RBIs for the Drillers.  

The Chicago Cubs selected Featherston from the Rockies in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft and then traded him to the Angels for cash considerations. Featherston competed for a role with the Angels as a utility infielder in spring training and made the club out of spring training, earning a spot on the opening day roster for the “halos”. He made his major league debut on April 12 and would go on to hit .162 during the 2015 season, receiving 154 at bats in 101 games played.

During the 2015-16 offseason, the Angels designated Featherston for assignment. The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Featherston from the Angels for a player to be named later or cash considerations. He began the 2016 season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs of the Class AAA International League. The Phillies promoted Featherston to the major leagues on July 25 where he would play in 19 games going 3-for-26 with an RBI with the big club. Philadelphia designated Featherston for assignment on September 10.

Featherston began the 2017 season with AAA Lehigh Valley in the International League, but on June 9 the Phillies traded Featherston to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations. He would split time with the Rays and at AAA Durham. With Tampa Featherston hit .179 in 17 games with two homers and six RBIs, and while at Durham, he would hit .200 in 31 games with four home runs and 15 RBIs. Overall in his MLB career, Featherston played 137 games with four home runs and a .160 batting average.

Full and half-season 2019 ticket packages, as well as mini plans, are on sale now online or by calling (913) 328-5618 or visiting the T-Bones Stadium offices. Group ticket sales are also on sale now! Opening day for the T-Bones is set for Friday May 17^th at T-Bones Stadium when the T-Bones host the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks to open the 2019 season.

For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the T-Bones Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to www.tbonesbaseball.com. and the T-Bones Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

--T-Bones--