Ex-Royals star Eric Hosmer will return to Kauffman Stadium for first time in five years

In the top of the fifth inning of the Royals’ game against Arizona on Oct. 1, 2017, manager Ned Yost emerged from the dugout with his lineup card.

Yost walked to home plate and let the umpire know he was removing four players from the game: center fielder Lorenzo Cain, shortstop Alcides Escobar, third baseman Mike Moustakas and first baseman Eric Hosmer.

The quartet, each a key cog of the 2015 World Series championship team, shared a group hug on the grass in front of second base, then walked to the dugout. They tipped their caps and acknowledged the standing ovation from Royals fans.

All four would become free agents in the offseason, but Escobar and Moustakas returned to the Royals in 2018. Cain came back to Kauffman Stadium with the Milwaukee Brewers and heard cheers, even when he hit a home run against the Royals.

The only one who hasn’t returned is Hosmer, who spurned a massive offer from the Royals and instead signed an eight-year contract with the San Diego Padres.

Hosmer’s return to Kauffman Stadium will finally come Thursday night, but it won’t be with the Padres. He was traded Tuesday to the Boston Red Sox, who open a four-game series against the Royals on Thursday.

Even though he decided not to return to the Royals, Hosmer had his greatest success in Kansas City. He won four Gold Glove Awards, a Silver Slugger Award, was the 2016 All-Star Game MVP and hit a home run in his final game in a Royals uniform.

And Hosmer had a huge impact in the postseason, starting with the mad dash in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series, and he had a walk-off sacrifice fly in Game 1.

Cain’s mad dash, in Game 6 of the 2015 ALCS, came on a single by Hosmer, who also had an RBI single in the eighth inning of the epic comeback against the Astros in Game 4 of the ALDS.

Hosmer hit a two-run homer to break a tie with the Angels in the 11th inning of Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS, and had a clutch triple in the Wild Card Game.

The Royals played 31 postseason games in 2014-15, and Hosmer played every inning.

Hosmer should play at some point this weekend. What kind of reaction should he get from Royals fans? Cheers for all he did during his seven seasons with the Royals? Are fans still upset that he left Kansas City? Vote in our poll and/or leave a comment.