KANSAS CITY MONARCHS

September 2, 2025

Story by Carter Woodiel

When Jorge Bonifacio does what he does best, Kansas City sits up and watches. On this August afternoon at Legends Field, home of the Kansas City Monarchs, he’s putting on a show.
The former Royals slugger just belted his second home run of the game. He launched the ball 105 mph off his bat, sending it 395 feet over the left-field wall.

Jorge Bonifacio

The home run got Monarchs fans out of their seats and helped his team to a win over Chicago. But the real work for players like Bonifacio happens away from the spotlight.
“They just see us out there playing at night,” Bonifacio said. “But there’s a lot of things going on during the day to get ready.”
For Bonifacio, it starts early in the morning. After a cup of coffee, he does 40 or 50 push-ups before getting in the shower. At the stadium he stretches and does cage work before batting practice on the field. After that it’s time for a dip in the hot tub before finally suiting up for the ballgame.
Consistency is key for Bonifacio and all of his teammates with the Monarchs, one of the most successful teams in the American Association of Professional Baseball. The Monarchs play 100 games in 115 days, traveling by bus as far north as Canada and as far south as Dallas. That’s before the three-week league playoffs get started.
“It’s all about making sure the guys are as close to 100% as they can possibly be, said Nic Hiller, the Monarchs’ athletic trainer. “For each guy, that’s different.”

Nick Hiller

Hiller works daily with Monarchs players, traveling with the club on the road and forming close relationships with the entire roster. Players rely on him to help maintain their bodies, even when they’re banged up over the course of the season.
“These guys, they need to have my trust before we go in any direction,” Hiller said. “Part of that is establishing goals. Where do they want to be at certain points of their recovery cycle, and how can I help them reach those goals as efficiently as possible?”
With virtually no time off, establishing a reliable regimen is key for every Monarchs player.

Julian Garcia

“Whatever makes you feel good, makes you ready to pitch or play, that’s what you need to go with, said Monarchs pitcher Julian Garcia. “Find a routine and stick with it.”
Garcia’s routine has served him well. The Monarchs’ Opening Night starter, he broke the team record for strikeouts in a single season earlier this year.
A former Double-A pitcher in the Phillies organization, Garcia has honed his routine over the years.
“There’s so many different things and recovery tools now that are different from when I was in college,” Garcia said. “I remember with the Phillies, from year one to year seven, it was different every year. They came up with these new sciences.”
The Phillies introduced Garcia to cupping, a technique designed to loosen up tired muscles. A trainer applies suction cups to areas where a player feels tight, like their back or shoulder. That draws blood closer to the skin. The cups leave behind some odd-looking red marks, but the relief makes it worth it.
“I’ve been doing it my whole career,” Garcia said.

Bonifacio has his own way to free up his muscles: needles. The slugger gets regular injections referred to as dry needling to loosen up his hips and back. He first tried it out when playing for the Detroit Tigers in 2020.
“I told the trainer, ‘My back is tight,’” Bonifacio said. “He told me ‘We got this, it’s new, do you want to try it out?’ As soon as he did it, it loosened my back completely. I was like, whoa, what is this?” “After that, every time I had access to it, I’d do it.”

There’s a physiological method behind the needling.

“It starts a little bit of an inflammatory response in the body,” Hiller said. “It generally releases endorphins, which is your body’s natural healing chemicals to help relieve pain, and also stimulates the muscles to recover from tightness.”

Bonifacio jokes he doesn’t know a lot about the science behind the treatment, he just knows it works. After 16 seasons and over 1,500 professional hits, he welcomes anything that keeps him loose and ready to play.
“Back when I was younger, I’d feel fine every day; that’s just how the body works,” Bonifacio said. “Now I wake up with something different every single day. It’s hard, but that’s how we need to get our body ready.”
Getting ready to play is about more than exercise. Proper nutrition is crucial, and not always easy during the grind of a minor-league season.
“I try and eat as healthy as possible,” Garcia said. “Obviously when you’re on the road and on bus rides, it’s harder to do it.”
Generally, players load up on carbs a few hours before the game to get the energy they need to perform. After the game, they feast on protein to jump-start their recovery.

Garcia likes to begin his start days with a big breakfast. He’ll snack throughout the day but tries to stay light and limber when he’s on the mound.
“After the game, I’m trying to crush as much food as possible,” Garcia said.
“Nutrition is crucial,” Hiller said. “Getting protein in these guys from a recovery standpoint, and making sure they’re well-fueled before the game starts to make sure we’re the most competitive team out there.”

The Monarchs have enjoyed a successful season on the field as they chase their fifth league championship. If they can hoist the Miles Wolff Cup at the end of the season, their work to maintain their bodies will be a huge reason why.
“My experience in sports is the healthy team wins in the playoffs,” Hiller said. “We have a good chance of being that team that makes a run in the playoffs, and I want to do whatever I can to help them achieve that goal.”