Whether Pablo Sandoval is forced to apologize for his actions during a bathroom break or David Ortiz attempts to throw out an umpire following his own ejection, the drama with the last-place Boston Red Sox is providing some entertainment for a disappointing club.
Sandoval could be spending even more time in the clubhouse after spraining his ankle in Boston's latest defeat, and his status is unclear for Sunday's series finale against the Royals in Kansas City.
Very little has been normal for the Red Sox (30-40), who finished in last place in 2014 after winning the prior year's World Series and again sit in the AL East basement.
Sandoval came under fire after checking a social media website with his cellphone while using the bathroom during Wednesday's loss to Atlanta, resulting in manager John Farrell benching him for Thursday's contest.
The third baseman extended his hitting streak to nine in Friday's 7-3 win over the Royals, but it was snapped when he left Saturday's 7-4 defeat after being injuried while making his team-worst 10th error in the fifth inning.
Two innings later, Ortiz singled after becoming frustrated with umpire Bruce Dreckman calling a pair of questionable pitches as strikes. Ortiz continued jawing while standing on first base, and Dreckman tossed him. Ortiz then confronted Dreckman and made his own signal is if he was throwing the umpire out of the game.
Catcher Blake Swihart's status also is unclear after injuring his left foot Saturday.
"Both (Sandoval and Swihart are) day to day," Farrell said. "They both had X-rays here at the ballpark. Blake's is at the base of the fifth toe. There were no fractures there. There was nothing structurally, bone-wise, with Pablo, either."
Dustin Pedroia returned after missing two games with a sore left knee and finished 0 for 5. He went 3 for 3 off Chris Young the last time he faced him, though, and Young will be on the hill in this contest for the AL Central-leading Royals (39-26).
Young (6-2, 1.98 ERA) hasn't allowed a run over 13 1/3 innings while winning back-to-back starts, beating Minnesota 2-0 on June 9 and Milwaukee 7-2 on Tuesday.
The right-hander has a 2.11 ERA in eight starts after beginning the season as a reliever. He made one start against Boston last season while with Seattle, giving up three runs and seven hits while walking five in 3 2/3 innings before the Mariners rallied for a 7-3 win Aug. 23.
Young will be opposed by Wade Miley, who has been up and down in his last four starts.
Miley (6-6, 4.88) has lasted only four innings twice while reaching at least the seventh in the other two, including Tuesday when he allowed two runs and struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings of Tuesday's 9-4 win over Atlanta.
He was pulled after four innings against Baltimore in his previous start June 11 and had a tense exchange with Farrell in the dugout.
"I put it all behind me from the last start and just wanted to go out and give the team a chance to win," Miley said.
The left-hander had issues the last time he faced the Royals, giving up a career-worst 10 runs and nine hits -- including a three-run homer to Salvador Perez -- in 4 2/3 innings of a 12-2 loss Aug. 5 while with Arizona.
Perez finished 3 for 3 against Miley in that contest, and he snapped out of a 1-for-11 funk with a homer in the second inning Saturday.
Kendrys Morales, celebrating his 32nd birthday, broke a 4-all tie with a two-run homer in a five-run fifth for Kansas City, which has won five of six.
