Kendrys Morales' hot bat has earned the Royals designated hitter American League Player of the Week honors.
Morales hit .577/.607/1.154 with four home runs, three doubles and 10 RBIs in seven games last week, helping to keep the Royals within striking distance in the AL Central.
• Past winners
Morales recorded multiple hits in all four games against the Cardinals last week, including one four-hit effort and two three-hit games. He homered in the series finale against St. Louis, the first of three straight games in which he homered -- including launching two in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Phillies.
This is the first career weekly honor for Morales, who's hitting .264 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs in his second season with Kansas City.