Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Exiting starting nine Thursday

Velazquez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Guardians.

With Hunter Renfroe occupying right field and Salvador Perez getting a day off from catching and serving as the Royals' designated hitter, Velazquez's primary two avenues to playing time are closed off Thursday. Velazquez still looks to be a near-everyday player for Kansas City, as he had started in 11 of the team's previous 12 games.