The Kansas City Royals did not get off to the best start this season. It took a while for the bats to wake up, but they have finally found their groove as of late.
They currently find themselves in a five-game win streak, looking to take two more from the Cleveland Guardians to complete the four-game sweep, but there are some concerns.
Jonathan India, who was the club’s primary second baseman, will be out for the rest of the season. He had surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder, and the Royals have now gone with a platoon at second base between Michael Massey and Nick Loftin.
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Michael Massey’s struggles are creating an offensive hole for the Royals
Massey is in the lineup when the team faces right-handed pitching, while Loftin gets the start when the team faces a left-handed starter. However, Massey is struggling in his platoon role.
Across 24 starts, he is hitting .215/.243/.385 with two home runs and nine runs batted in.
And according to ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle, if Massey doesn’t get it going here soon, the front office should think of making an upgrade ahead of the trade deadline.
“Loftin, playing against lefties, has been the better of the two. Massey, though, now has a 64 OPS+ and minus-0.2 bWAR since his solid 2024 showing, and this season he has struck out six times more than he has walked. The royals should remain a part of the AL Central race, but any marginal upgrade they can make will be important. If Massey doesn’t get it going, this would be one area for Kansas City to target.”
Luis Arraez could be a name made available ahead of the deadline with how poor the San Francisco Giants look. Another option could be Miami Marlins‘ Xavier Edwards if they continue to slip down the rankings.
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