3 different ways Royals could fill potential gaping Bobby Witt Jr. void at shortstop

The Kansas City Royals have suffered some major bites from the injury bug of late, but none would be bigger than if Bobby Witt Jr. were to land on the injured list. After leaving Thursday’s game early with his second bout of right knee soreness this month, MLB.com’s Anne Rogers revealed Friday that Witt’s suffering from a Grade 1 MCL sprain. While she also says no move is expected yet his omission from their latest lineup against the Cardinals rings loud.

The worst news the Royals could receive right now is an IL stint for Witt. It wouldn’t just symbolize the metaphorical nail in the coffin of their season, as well as potentially Witt’s chance at some prestigious recognition this season, but it would leave them with a gaping hole to fill at shortstop.

Now, no one can replace a name like Witt and his league-leading 4.5 fWAR this year. However, physically speaking someone needs to replace him in the interim. Given the fact Witt has never played less than 150 games in a season so far in his career, the Royals have never really had to plan for life without.

So what exactly can they do to fill the void at short if the worst does come to fruition and Witt does land on the injured list?

An internal Witt replacement isn’t the best option, but it is the easiest

While the Royals could just turn to Tyler Tolbert, given he is their only other real experienced name at the position that’s currently on the active roster, time and time again he’s proven that he cannot contribute at the dish at the major league level. This season, the 28-year-old is hitting just .211 with a .529 OPS and a 56 wRC+. He was brought up for his speed and positional versatility, so perhaps that’s the best role for him.

While they may have good infield options ripe for a call-up like Abraham Toro and Peyton Wilson, neither can play shortstop. And their only immediate options in Triple-A aren’t great. But at this point beggars can’t be choosers so perhaps a name like Kevin Newman and his 67 wRC+ might have to suffice in the interim.

While he hasn’t taken the bull by the horns really since joining the Royals on a minors deal this winter, what he does bring is parts of eight seasons of big league experience. Even if they haven’t been particularly impressive since his earlier day in Pittsburgh between 2018 and 2022, he at least has a feel for the bright lights of the majors.

And he hasn’t been devoid of good qualities this season in Omaha, even if his season has overall looked poor. He’s had a solid eye at the dish this season with a 69th percentile K-rate, 85th percentile whiff rate and 76th percentile in-zone contact rate.

Royals could dip back into veteran free agent market to address shortstop depth

The Royals midseason free agent efforts have largely been centered around their dwindling pitching depth, but perhaps they could do the same at shortstop.

There aren’t many names that stick out at the moment, but one name that has yet to find a job this season has been veteran utility man Jon Berti. Coming off a strong 1.132 OPS showing at the World Baseball Classic with the Cinderella story in Team Italy, it’s not as if he the 36-year-old doesn’t have anything left in the tank.

Now he hasn’t played shortstop since 2023 with the Marlins. However, he still has over 750 major league innings recorded at the position in his career which is more than can be said for a majority of the Royals internal shortstop depth options. And while his 42 wRC+ season with the Cubs in 2025 was not great, Berti’s been a stable average-looking hitter for a majority of his career, only posting a wRC+ mark below 88 one additional time in the parts of seven MLB seasons before that.

He’s not perfect, but again, no one would be. Maybe it could work with a bit of a ramp up in Triple-A before being thrown into the fire.

Could the Royals seek a trade option to bolster their shortstop depth?

While it may seem strange to think the Royals need to make a trade for the reason of adding ahead of the deadline, that’s precisely the place they could soon be in if Witt lands on the shelf. They need to field a complete lineup regardless of contending ambitions and perhaps the trade market is a way to achieve that.

Now, a large scale trade likely isn’t the play in this case, but perhaps a smaller scale deal with a fellow bottom-feeder might be in order. One team that come to mind is Colorado Rockies. They have a former AL Central rival in their possession in Willi Castro that could be the perfect short-term solution.

The super utility man can play all sorund the diamond and is looking decent with the Rockies this season. In 244 plate appearances across 63 games, Castro is slashing .281/.357/.406 with a 102 wRC+. With a contract that doesn’t end until after 2027, even when Witt were to come back, his utility would be of value to a team like the Royals who value versatility so much.

Keeping in line with controllable assets, if the Royals really want to compete in 2027 and beyond while Witt and Maikel Garcia are guaranteed under contract through 2030, perhaps they could look to make a splash on contollable big league assets who could do with a change of scenery.

ESPN proposed someone like Matt Shaw this week, who’s been someone who’s fallen out of the infield mix with the Chicago Cubs this season. And while not proposed to the Royals per se, MLB.com listed San Francisco Giants utility man Casey Schmitt last week as a potential trade candidate in general who with ample years of control remaining himself could make for a solution for both now and in the future.

It may not be top of mind, but the trade market might be there best way to kill two birds with one stone and plan for both now and gear up for their hopeful competitive future.