Royals' Jackie Bradley: On track for Opening Day roster
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Bradley is expected to be included on the Royals' Opening Day roster, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Kansas City may wait until shortly before Thursday's season opener versus the Twins to add Bradley to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster, but the 32-year-old's ability to defend all three outfield spots at a high level likely made him an appealing replacement for Michael Taylor, who was dealt to the Twins over the winter. Unfortunately for Bradley, he's been MLB's worst-performing hitter across the past two seasons, with his 46 wRC+ placing him last by a wide margin among all players with at least 500 plate appearances in that span. For that reason, the Royals may be reluctant to give him a look in an everyday role even if their preferred options in the outfield miss time at any point.
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Royals' Richard Lovelady: Sent to Triple-A
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Lovelady was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.
Lovelady had an excellent spring, pitching eight innings without allowing an earned run or a walk while striking out 10. Despite the strong showing, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports the Royals want Lovelady to work on building up arm strength after missing most of 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. If the southpaw can continue his strong pitching into the minor-league regular season, it shouldn't be long before he's an option for the major-league roster.
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Royals' Josh Taylor: Among roster cuts
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Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.
Taylor, Josh Staumont and Richard Lovelady all fell short of making the Royals' Opening Day bullpen. After dealing with a back injury for all of 2022, Taylor will be focused on building up arm strength with Omaha to start the year, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
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Royals' Josh Staumont: Misses Opening Day roster
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Staumont was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.
Staumont is a surprising omission from the Opening Day roster. He pitched to a 1.13 ERA and 10:5 K:BB across eight innings during Cactus League play, though the walk issues are a carryover from 2022. Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports manager Matt Quatraro told Staumont that he needs to work on getting ahead in counts. It's expected he'll be with the big club again at some point in the season, though the Royals boast bullpen depth that has been lacking in recent years.
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Royals' Brad Keller: Strong in last spring start
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Keller allowed five hits and walked one while striking out nine over five scoreless innings in Friday's Cactus League win over the Giants.
Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports Keller will pitch during the Royals' first regular-season series against the Twins, so Friday was likely his last spring appearance. Keller posted a 4.95 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 20 innings across six starts in Cactus League play. He's posted an ERA north of 5.00 over the last two seasons, but he'll get a chance in the rotation again after finishing out 2022 in the bullpen.
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Royals' Hunter Dozier: Good to go
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Dozier (face) will bat cleanup and play first base in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.
Dozier was scratched Thursday after getting hit in the lip by a ball during batting practice, but the injury wasn't a significant one. He's expected to begin the season as Kansas City's primary third baseman.
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Royals' Clay Dungan: Sustains hamate fracture
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Dungan (wrist) suffered a fracture right hamate Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Dungan suffered the injury in an at-bat Thursday and will require surgery. The typically recovery timeline is a minimum of three months, so the 26-year-old is unlikely to play for any team until the middle of the season at the earliest. Dungan was a non-roster invitee with the Royals this spring, so he'll likely report to Triple-A Omaha once he's cleared to play.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Could move into rotation
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Bubic could join the Royals' rotation following an injury to Daniel Lynch (shoulder), Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Lynch could potentially be sidelined for multiple weeks with a strained pitching shoulder. Bubic was dreadful for the Royals last season, holding a 5.58 ERA over 129 innings. The left-hander isn't someone fantasy managers want to be invested in.
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Royals' Daniel Lynch: Bound for IL with shoulder strain
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Lynch is expected to land on the injured list after being diagnosed with a left shoulder strain, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Lynch suffered the injury during the Royals' Cactus League game against the Padres on Thursday. He will be shut down for 7-10 days before being re-evaluated. The injury opens up a spot in Kansas City's rotation, with Kris Bubic being the most likely candidate to fill it.
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Royals' Zack Greinke: Picked for Opening Day start
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Greinke was announced as the Royals' Opening Day starter Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Brady Singer also would have made sense, but Greinke's seniority rules here as he'll make his seventh career Opening Day start, including his third with Kansas City. He'll face off against the Twins on March 30 at Kauffmann Stadium.
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Royals' Daniel Lynch: Exits game early
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Lynch was removed from Kansas City's Cactus League game against San Diego on Thursday with an apparent shoulder issue, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Lynch seemed to know something was wrong immediately after throwing a pitch, pointing at his shoulder and motioning for a trainer to come onto the field. The team will look at his shoulder and provide further updates, but early signs are not reassuring for the 26-year-old lefty.
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Royals' Hunter Dozier: Scratched from lineup
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Dozier was scratched from the Royals' Cactus League lineup against the Padres on Thursday after taking a ball off the lip during batting practice, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Dozier will be fine, but the Royals wanted to give him a little time for the swelling to go down. Vinnie Pasquantino will move to first base and Jakson Reetz has entered the lineup at designated hitter for Friday's contest.
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Royals' Carlos Hernandez: Doing well in spring
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Hernandez has covered five innings without allowing an earned run over three Cactus League appearances.
Hernandez has also posted a 6:1 K:BB with just three hits allowed. His workload hasn't been that heavy in the spring, but he's performed well in the limited sample. The 26-year-old right-hander looks set to fill a bullpen role as a multi-inning option this season. He struggled to a 7.39 ERA and 1.84 WHIP over 56 innings last season, but if he carries over his improved control from the spring to the regular season, he should at least enjoy a little more job security.
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Royals' Scott Barlow: Looking ready for season
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Barlow has allowed one earned run on six hits and a walk while striking out eight over eight innings during spring training.
Barlow is doing well in Cactus League play, and he should be at the head of a closer committee once the regular season starts. He matched his career high in innings pitched with 74.1 last season while posting a 2.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 24 saves, six holds and a 7-4 record. Barlow has been known to work more than just the ninth inning, and the presence of lefty Aroldis Chapman on the roster could make this a matchup-based approach. In any case, if Barlow continues to pitch well, he'll be considered for the most important moments in games.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Heads to Triple-A Omaha
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The Royals optioned Garcia to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.
Garcia was attempting to win a job with Kansas City this spring, and he appeared to have a good chance based on his .355 average and .891 OPS over 32 plate appearances in the Cactus League. Instead the 23-year-old will begin the 2023 campaign as a regular at Omaha. Garcia is ranked as one of the top prospects in the system and is virtually guaranteed to see action with the big-league club before the season comes to an end.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Sent down to Triple-A
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The Royals optioned Pratto to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.
Pratto was a solid contributor in Cactus League play before his demotion, producing a .313/.378/.438 slash over 37 plate appearances. The 24-year-old will get regular playing time at Omaha, and a strong start to his campaign in the minors could earn him a promotion over the summer, if not sooner.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Moved to Triple-A
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Kansas City optioned Fermin to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.
With Kansas City expected to go with Salvador Perez and MJ Melendez as its lone options at catcher to begin the season, Fermin will miss out on a spot on the Opening Day roster. Fermin performed well in the Cactus League with a .906 OPS in 25 plate appearances before the demotion, and if either Melendez or Perez is to miss time at any point, Fermin will likely be the first catcher called on as a replacement.
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Royals' Ryan Yarbrough: Set for two-inning appearance
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Yarbrough (groin) is scheduled to start and cover two innings in Wednesday's Cactus League game versus the White Sox, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
After a three-week layoff from Cactus League action while he managed a groin strain, Yarbrough returned to the Royals' pitching schedule Sunday, working out of the bullpen to toss a scoreless inning in a 13-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. He'll increase his workload by another inning Wednesday, but Yarbrough still doesn't look as though he'll be on pace to handle a traditional starter's workload by the time Opening Day arrives. If his appearance Wednesday goes well, Yarbrough would likely then be cleared for one final 3-to-4-inning outing this spring, which should be enough for him to be a piggyback option or primary pitcher out of the bullpen when his first turn through the regular-season rotation comes up.
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Royals' Edward Olivares: Not standing out in spring
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Olivares is hitting .240 (6-for-25) over 11 Cactus League games.
Olivares hasn't been that impressive in the spring. His lone RBI came on a solo home run, and he's added one stolen base on two attempts. Despite the pedestrian hitting, Olivares is projected to start in right field Opening Day, though he could be challenged for his starting job once Drew Waters (oblique) is cleared to make his debut.
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Royals' Nate Eaton: Looks ready for starting role
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Eaton is batting .357 (10-for-28) over 12 Cactus League games.
Eaton has played regularly this spring and it looks like he's ready to handle a starting role. With Drew Waters (oblique) likely out to begin the season, Eaton should have a chance to establish himself, likely as the Royals' primary left fielder. The 26-year-old also has some experience in the infield, so he could be a utility option later in the campaign if he doesn't maintain a starting role. His primarily appeal in fantasy is his speed -- he had 11 stolen bases in 44 major-league games as a rookie last season.
