Royals pay tribute to Yordano Ventura as spring training begins

The Kansas City Royals left a locker stall open for Yordano Ventura and wore patches on their jerseys in his memory as they held their first spring training workout Tuesday -- three weeks after the 25-year-old pitcher died in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic.

The Royals wore black patches with the inscription "Ace 30'' inscribed in white lettering, in reference to Ventura's nickname and uniform number. Team officials said the players will continue to wear the patches on their game uniforms and batting practice jerseys throughout the 2017 season.