Massey is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.
Massey had started four of the first five games since being activated from the injured list, but he'll head to the bench Wednesday while Adam Frazier handles second base. The 26-year-old is 3-for-14 with two RBI since returning from a back injury.
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Royals' Chris Stratton: Earns win Tuesday
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Stratton (2-1) did not allow a baserunner and struck out one batter over 1.2 innings to earn the win Wednesday versus the Blue Jays.
Stratton allowed an inherited runner to score on a sacrifice fly after relieving starter Michael Wacha in the fifth inning. The Royals rallied ahead in the bottom of the fifth and Stratton delivered a perfect sixth en route to the win. He hasn't been charged with a run over his last five innings and now has a 3.27 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 8:9 K:BB over 11 innings on the year. Stratton's history as a starter makes him an option for multi-inning assignments. He can also work in the late innings, though James McArthur (five) has the advantage for save chances so far, while Stratton and Will Smith (one each) are the only other Royals to pick up a save this season.
Witt went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base during Tuesday's 3-2 win over Toronto.
Witt's fifth-inning double proved to be the difference-maker in Tuesday's contest, plating two runs to give the Royals a 3-2 lead they would hold for the rest of the game. The 23-year-old shortstop remains one of baseball's top young stars with a .316/.362/.582 slash line through 105 plate appearances, and he's now logged a base hit in each of his last four games.
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Royals' James McArthur: Secures fifth save
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McArthur allowed one hit and one walk over two scoreless innings to earn a save in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Only two men were able to reach base against McArthur despite the 27-year-old pitching an additional inning Tuesday, though he failed to register a strikeout. The right-hander now has five saves on the young season and seems to have cemented himself as the Royals' primary closer.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Gives up eight hits
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Wacha didn't factor into the decision during Tuesday's win over Toronto, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out four batters across 4.1 innings.
The Blue Jays reached base with consistency versus Wacha on Tuesday, but the 32-year-old was able to pitch himself out of jams more often than not. As a result, he required 96 pitches to get through 4.1 frames -- his shortest start of the season so far. He owns a 3.81 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across 28.1 innings through his first five starts as a Royal and projects to pitch again Sunday in Detroit.
Velazquez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.
Velazquez is 2-for-21 in his past seven games and will head to the bench for the second time in Kansas City's past three contests. Adam Frazier is batting sixth as the designated hitter Tuesday.
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Royals' Hunter Renfroe: Steps out of lineup
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Renfroe is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.
Renfroe is in the midst of a 2-for-21 slump and will sit Tuesday after starting the previous six games. Dairon Blanco will take over in right field and bat seventh.
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Royals' Kyle Isbel: Goes deep off bench
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Isbel went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays.
Isbel's homer was in the ninth inning, but the Royals weren't able to turn it into a rally. The outfielder had gone 0-for-12 across his previous four contests. He's batting .197 with a .533 OPS through 64 plate appearances while adding two homers, five RBI, three stolen bases and five runs scored. Isbel should remain on the strong side of a platoon in center field, with Garrett Hampson seeing most of the playing time versus southpaws.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Homers in loss
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Garcia went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays.
Garcia is starting to come around at the plate, going 4-for-17 (.235) over his last four contests following a five-game slump. The third baseman has already matched his homer total from last season (four), which took him 123 games to accumulate in 2023. He's added four steals, 15 RBI, 10 runs scored and a .178/.224/.367 slash line over 98 plate appearances so far, but he remains intriguing in fantasy for his speed.
Singer (2-1) allowed five runs on five hits and three walks over six innings Monday, striking out five and taking a loss against Toronto.
After giving up just four runs through his first four starts, Singer stumbled Monday and found himself in the loss column for the first time. He allowed a three-run double to Bo Bichette in the third inning and a two-run shot to Daulton Varsho in the sixth. After fanning 10 batters in his season debut, Singer has produced a lackluster 18:9 K:BB over his last 22.1 frames. Still, he'll carry a 2.76 ERA into his next start, which is projected to be in Detroit this weekend.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Hits bench against southpaw
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Melendez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.
With lefty Yusei Kikuchi on the bump for Toronto, the Royals will stock up on some extra right-handed bats. Dairon Blanco and Garrett Hampson will both pick up starts in the outfield while Melendez and fellow lefty-hitting regular Kyle Isbel hit the bench.
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Royals' Kyle Isbel: Sits against left-hander
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Isbel is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.
Isbel will stick on the bench for the second game in a row while the Royals oppose a second straight left-handed starting pitcher in Yusei Kikuchi. Garrett Hampson will spell Isbel in center field.
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Royals' Adam Frazier: Losing work to Massey
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Frazier is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.
Frazier will take a seat for the third time in four games and looks to have ceded his regular role at second base to Michael Massey, who returned from the 10-day injured list Friday. The 32-year-old gave the Royals little reason to stick with him as an everyday player, as he's slashing just .159/.327/.159 through 55 plate appearances on the season.
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Royals' Jordan Lyles: Likely to miss extended time
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Lyles is likely to be away from the Royals for an extended period of time as he deals with a personal issue, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Lyles was placed on the inactive list over the weekend, and the Royals don't seem prepared to have him back in the bullpen anytime soon. After losing out on a rotation spot coming out of spring training, Lyles had been pitching well in a low-leverage relief role, tossing five scoreless innings through his first five appearances of the season.
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Royals' Anthony Veneziano: Sent to Triple-A
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The Royals optioned Veneziano to Triple-A Omaha on Monday.
Veneziano's latest stint with Kansas City lasted just two days, with the left-hander appearing in relief both Saturday and Sunday against the Orioles and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk. The Royals called up right-hander Tyler Duffey from Triple-A to replace Veneziano in the bullpen.
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Royals' Tyler Duffey: Promotion official
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The Royals selected Duffey's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Monday.
Kansas City had a spot on its 40-man roster open for Duffey after Jordan Lyles (personal) was placed on the inactive list over the weekend. Duffey, who made just one appearance at the big-league level in 2023 as a member of the Cubs, posted a 3.24 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 8.1 innings across six relief appearances for Omaha this season.
