Michael Massey Reinstated, Nelson Velazquez Optioned
The Kansas City Royals reinstated infielder Michael Massey (back) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and optioned outfielder Nelson Velazquez to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Massey is in the starting lineup on Monday against the visiting Miami Marlins and right-hander Roddery Munoz, serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth. The 26-year-old Massey will return from his second IL stint due to back issues after playing in five minor-league rehab games with Triple-A Omaha. He should eventually resume playing nearly every day at the keystone in Kansas City and is worth a roster spot in deep-mixed leagues in an improved Royals lineup after hitting .294 (30-for-102) with six homers and 23 RBI before his second back injury. Velazquez clubbed eight homers in 205 at-bats but hit just .200 with 61 K's in 64 games to earn a trip to the farm.
Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (back) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday afternoon. The 26-year-old injured his back on Friday night and did not play on Saturday. Nick Loftin was recalled from Triple-A Omaha as a corresponding move. It is an unfortunate injury for Massey as he was swinging a hot bat over the past two weeks. Veteran infielder Adam Frazier is starting at second base and batting sixth on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Frazier will likely see the majority of playing time against right-handed pitching while Garrett Hampson or the aforementioned Loftin could draw in against lefties. None of those options are all that attractive for fantasy purposes.
Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (back) is being held out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays after injuring his back on Friday night in the series opener. Massey left Friday's 8-1 win in the sixth inning with lower-back tightness and will be held out as a precaution for the second game of the series. Fantasy managers should consider the 26-year-old second baseman to be day-to-day for now. The good news is that he went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run before departing. Veteran Adam Frazier is starting at the keystone on Saturday and is hitting sixth against Rays right-hander Aaron Civale. Massey is in the midst of a fine season so far, batting .294 (30-for-102) with six home runs, 23 RBI and 17 runs scored for the upstart Royals. Check back on Sunday to see if he's in the starting lineup.
Michael Massey Exits Friday's Game With Back Tightness
Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey exited Friday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays with low back tightness according to the team. Massey was replaced in the bottom of the 6th inning after going two-for-three with a three-run home run in the Royals 8-1 victory. Massey had been having a very solid month of May for the upstart Royals, hitting for a .906 OPS. The lefty should be considered day-to-day until more info is released on the seriousness of his back tightness. If Massey is forced to miss much time, Adam Frazier should be expected to pick up playing time against righties while Garrett Hampson should find time against lefties.
The Kansas City Royals reinstated infielder Michael Massey (back) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder Nick Loftin to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Massey is immediately back in the Royals' starting lineup on Friday, starting at second base and batting seventh against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer. Massey is back in Kansas City after a back strain caused him to miss the start of the 2024 regular season. The 26-year-old looked good on his minor-league rehab assignment and figures to split playing time at the keystone with veteran left-handed hitter Adam Frazier. In 129 games with the Royals in 2023, Massey slashed an underwhelming .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI and six stolen bases in 461 plate appearances. He's worth a pickup in AL-only leagues, at least, for middle infield depth.
Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (back), who was placed on the injured list back on Opening Day due to lower back tightness, is closing in on returning to the major-league lineup and making his 2024 debut. Entering Wednesday's action, Massey is batting .407 (11-for-27) with six extra-base hits and eight RBI over six games on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha. He could rejoin the Royals as early as Friday for the start of a three-game weekend set versus the visiting Baltimore Orioles. The 26-year-old lefty-hitting infielder should serve as the club's everyday second baseman upon his imminent activation, with neither Adam Frazier nor Nick Loftin doing much to stand out at the keystone in the early stages of the season. With KC's lineup hitting well to begin the campaign, Massey is a name to watch for fantasy managers in AL-only or deep mixed leagues.
Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (back) returned to his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with three RBI while playing seven innings in the field. After playing one rehab game at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and experiencing minor soreness, Massey felt good enough to play on Tuesday. Closing in on a return for KC, Massey likely still needs a few more rehab games before doing so. The 26-year-old lefty-hitting infielder has been on the injured list since Opening Day with lower back tightness, and the Royals hope it won't linger and Massey can return as their everyday second baseman after he slashed .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 18 doubles, 55 RBI, and six stolen bases over 428 at-bats last season. Adam Frazier is filling in as the primary option at the keystone for now, but he's not doing enough to warrant consideration outside of the deepest fantasy leagues.
Kansas City Royals infielder Michael Massey (back) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Friday. Massey suffered a lower-back strain in spring training in the middle of March and was forced to open the 2024 regular season on the injured list for the Royals. The 26-year-old infielder is nearing a return, though, and could make his season debut in KC at some point next week as long as he doesn't suffer a setback during his rehab assignment. The former fourth-rounder in 2019 out of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is an infield bench option, at best, in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues when he's healthy. Massey hit just .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI and six stolen bases in 129 games in his first full season in the majors in 2023.
Michael Massey On Track For Rehab Assignment This Week
Kansas City Royals infielder Michael Massey (back) is progressing well and is playing in simulated games in Arizona and is on track to go on a minor-league rehab assignment this week, according to manager Matt Quatraro. Massey started the 2024 season on the 10-day injured list due to lower-back tightness that he experienced at the end of spring training, but Massey should be able to make his debut for the Royals sooner than later as long as everything goes well on his rehab assignment. In his first full MLB season for the Royals in 2023, Massey slashed .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI, six stolen bases and 42 runs scored in 461 plate appearances. He'll be an option for fantasy managers in AL-only leagues when he returns to KC.
Michael Massey Expected To Start Season On The Injured List
Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (back) is expected to start the season on the injured list due to lower back tightness. Massey has been sidelined since Tuesday due to back tightness. He will likely miss the start of the season and could return sometime in mid-April. The 26-year-old slashed .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI, 42 runs scored, and six stolen bases over 129 games in 2023. Adam Frazier and utilityman Nick Loftin should see extra playing time at second base with Massey sidelined. Despite receiving an uptick in at-bats, Frazier is mainly an option in deep-league formats heading into 2024 drafts.
