Massey is not in Saturday's lineup against the Angels.
He'll sit against lefty Tyler Anderson, with Garrett Hampson getting the nod at the keystone. Massey is hitting .273 with two home runs and two doubles in nine games this month.
Melendez went 3-for-4 with a triple in Friday's 2-1 win over the Angels.
Melendez hasn't been able to string good performances together, but he's 7-for-24 (.292) over eight games in May. The outfielder was able to get aboard in the ninth inning before Garrett Hampson entered as a pinch runner and scored on Adam Frazier's home run. Melendez is up to a .202/.260/.395 slash line with four homers, 12 RBI, 10 runs scored, six doubles, two triples and two stolen bases through 123 plate appearances. He continues to be a drag in batting average, but he's got intriguing power upside in formats where he's still catcher-eligible after playing 10 games behind the plate in 2023.
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Royals' Adam Frazier: Clubs go-ahead homer
Rotowire
Frazier went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's 2-1 win over the Angels.
Frazier put the Royals ahead with his ninth-inning blast. The second baseman has gone 3-for-7 over his last two games after enduring an 0-for-15 skid over his previous six contests. Frazier's playing time has become irregular since he lost the starting job at the keystone to Michael Massey, but he's seen some time in the corner outfield spots and at designated hitter. Frazier has a .188/.309/.250 slash line with one homer, eight RBI, eight runs scored, a stolen base and two doubles through 94 plate appearances this season, so his lack of an everyday role shouldn't come as a surprise.
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Royals' Tyler Duffey: Snags first win
Rotowire
Duffey (1-0) pitched a perfect inning and earned the win over the Angels on Friday.
The Royals saved their offense for the ninth inning in a 2-1 win, and Duffey ended up benefiting after he prevented the Halos from adding to their lead in the eighth. He's kept runs off the board in four of his six major-league appearances this season. The right-hander has a 4.05 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 8:5 K:BB over 6.2 innings while adding one hold, though he's primarily served as a low-leverage option.
Schreiber picked up the save Friday against the Angels. He pitched a shutout inning, allowing one hit with no strikeouts.
Schreiber collected his first save of the season and the 10th of his career. Royals closer James McArthur had worked back-to-back nights on Tuesday and Wednesday, so manager Matt Quatraro could have been giving him extra rest Friday night. However, McArthur also blew saves Sunday and Tuesday and has seen his ERA jump from 2.87 to 4.15 in the last week, so his hold on the ninth-inning role could be slipping.
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Royals' Alec Marsh: Fans seven in return
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Marsh did not factor into the decision Friday against the Angels, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out seven.
Marsh (elbow) looked sharp in his return from the injured list, tossing 85 pitches (59 strikes). The Kansas City right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.53 with the effort, maintaining his momentum after he tossed 10 shutout innings in his last two outings before the injured list stint. Marsh is scheduled to make his next start against the Mariners on the road.
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Royals' Hunter Renfroe: Day off Friday
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Renfroe isn't in the Royals' lineup for Friday's game against the Angels.
Renfroe will get a chance to regroup Friday after going 0-for-10 across his last three games. Dairon Blanco will cover right field instead and bat eighth.
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Royals' Daniel Lynch: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Lynch was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Lynch will return to Omaha after tossing five scoreless innings in a start Sunday against the Rangers and two perfect relief innings Thursday against the Angels. With Alec Marsh (elbow) being activated from the IL on Friday, Lynch was the odd man out in Kansas City. The left-hander has struggled to a 5.86 ERA over 27.2 innings in six starts at Triple-A this season and he'll look to find a groove ahead of his next big-league opportunity.
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Royals' Alec Marsh: Activated from IL
Rotowire
The Royals reinstated Marsh (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Friday.
Marsh made his lone rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on May 5, striking out six and giving up one hit and one walk over four shutout innings while throwing 53 pitches. To make room for Marsh, the Royals optioned southpaw Daniel Lynch to Triple-A Omaha. Marsh will take the mound and start in Friday's series opener against the Angels.
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Royals' Garrett Hampson: On base three times in win
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Hampson went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 10-4 win over the Angels.
Hampson was one of five Royals with a multi-hit effort in the high-scoring win. The utility man continues to handle a short-side platoon role while splitting his time between second base, left field and center field. He's hit well when given the chance, batting .268 (11-for-41) with no home runs, two doubles, three RBI, five runs scored and four steals.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Three hits, two RBI in win
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Garcia went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Angels.
The 24-year-old singled in the top of the third inning before coming around to score on a Vinnie Pasquantino home run. Garcia later added two doubles to give him his first three-hit performance of the season. The third baseman has now hit safely in four consecutive games and in six of eight to open the month of May, tallying four RBI and four runs scored over that latter stretch. However, he hasn't stolen a base since April 30.
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Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino: Homer, three RBI in win
Rotowire
Pasquantino went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Angels.
Pasquantino jumped on a hanging four-seamer with two outs in the top of the third inning and crushed it into the stands for his fifth home run of the season, and his first this month. The first baseman would also add a sacrifice fly in the contest, marking the third time in his last five games in which he's tallied multiple RBI. Pasquantino is on an absolute tear right now, registering three multi-hit games in a row with at least one extra-base hit in each of those performances. He's batting .429 (12-for-28) in May with 11 RBI, six runs scored and six extra-base hits.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Big day against Halos
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Blanco went 3-for-3 with a walk, a double, a two-run home run, four runs scored and two steals in Thursday's win over the Angels.
Blanco kicked off a four-run third inning for Kansas City with his first home run of the season and then led off the fifth with an infield single, eventually scoring a season-high four runs. It was Blanco's first three-hit performance of the campaign, and he's making the most of his sporadic playing time, batting .364 (8-for-22) over his last 12 appearances with eight runs and five steals in five attempts.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Picks up second win
Rotowire
Wacha (2-4) picked up the win over the Angels on Thursday, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and five walks over six-plus innings. He struck out six.
Wacha produced three 1-2-3 innings and mostly avoided trouble up until the seventh, when he allowed three runs to come across. The right-hander issued a season-high five walks, with the latter two pushing runs home for Los Angeles. However, Wacha was still able to produce his first quality start since April 17 while recording his first win since April 6, both against the White Sox. He carries an 8.38 ERA in May (two starts), posting a 9:6 K:BB in 9.2 innings.
Frazier isn't in the Royals' lineup for Thursday's game versus the Angels.
The lefty-hitting Frazier will take a seat as Reid Detmers prepares to start on the hill Thursday for the Halos. His absence will allow Nelson Velazquez to serve as the Royals' DH while batting fifth.
