Lopez will sit Saturday against the Dodgers.
Lopez sits after starting five straight games, a stretch in which he went 3-for-18 at the plate. Bobby Witt shifts to shortstop Saturday as Hunter Dozier starts at third base.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Ends RBI drought
Rotowire
Lopez went 1-for-4 with a two-run single, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 5-3 win over the White Sox.
Lopez hadn't driven in a run since July 15 entering Thursday's contest. He changed that with a two-run single in the seventh inning before stealing second and scoring on an MJ Melendez single. Since the All-Star break, Lopez is hitting .271 (16-for-59) with six stolen bases and nine runs scored, but he has only one extra-base hit in that span. The light-hitting infielder continues to find playing time as a versatile defender, but he's put up a meager .246/.301/.290 slash line with 12 steals, 15 RBI and 40 runs scored through 106 games this season.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Resting against right-hander
Rotowire
Lopez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
The lefty-hitting Lopez gets most of his days off against left-handed pitching, but he'll cede his spot in the infield to Michael Massey while right-hander Kutter Crawford takes the hill for Boston. Lopez had started each of the Royals' last six games while going 5-for-17 with four walks, four stolen bases and four runs.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Adds 11th steal
Rotowire
Lopez went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Red Sox.
Lopez has seen some increased freedom to run in August -- he's already recorded four steals in six games this month after logging just two thefts in all of July. He's gone 5-for-17 (.294) in August, putting his season slash line at .247/.305/.294 with 11 steals, 13 RBI, 39 runs scored, 11 doubles and two triples through 102 contests. Lopez should continue seeing steady playing time in the middle infield and occasionally at third base as one of the more veteran infielders on the Royals' young roster.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: On base thrice, swipes two bags
Rotowire
Lopez went 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs and two stolen bases in a 7-3 victory over Boston on Thursday.
Lopez singled and stole second in second inning, walked, stole second and scored in the fifth and walked and scored in the seventh in recording his first game with multiple walks since April 28. The pair of thefts gives Lopez three in four contests to open August, as the 27-year-old has posted a 4-for-11 line with four walks in the stretch. He's slashing .249/.308/.297 with 38 runs, 13 RBI and 10 stolen bases without a home run through 100 games.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Adds eighth steal
Rotowire
Lopez went 2-for-3 with a stolen base in Monday's 2-1 win over the White Sox.
Lopez was the only Royal with multiple hits in the contest, and he added a steal in the seventh inning. He's gone 4-for-20 (.200) over his last eight games, which isn't doing much to earn him more playing time. Maikel Garcia is hitting .316 in the majors this year and appears to have taken over as the starting shortstop with Bobby Witt (hand) sidelined. That's left Lopez to compete with Hunter Dozier for time at third base. For the season, Lopez has a mediocre .248/.300/.297 slash line with eight steals, 13 RBI, 35 runs scored, 11 doubles and two triples. He'll likely be in the lineup mostly against right-handed pitchers.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Sitting against lefty
Rotowire
Lopez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees.
With southpaw Jordan Montgomery on the bump for the Yankees, the lefty-hitting Lopez will retreat to the bench for the second time in the series. Hunter Dozier will pick up the start at third base in Lopez's stead.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Sitting Thursday
Rotowire
Lopez is not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Yankees.
Lopez will get a breather after he went 0-for-9 with a walk and three strikeouts over the series against the Angels. Hunter Dozier will take over at third base while Ryan O'Hearn enters the lineup in right field and bats fifth versus New York.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Day off Sunday
Rotowire
Lopez is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale versus the Rays.
Lopez will get a day off after he went 4-for-8 with two runs scored and a stolen base in the first two games of the series. Emmanuel Rivera will take over at the hot corner and bat seventh against Tampa Bay.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Logs steal in Friday's loss
Rotowire
Lopez went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Rays.
Lopez has hit .364 (8-for-22) during a six-game hitting streak, and he's picked up a pair of stolen bases in that span. The light-hitting infielder is up to a .244/.296/.290 slash line with seven steals, 13 RBI, 32 runs scored, 11 doubles and a triple through 87 contests. Even with more consistency at the plate, Lopez's lack of power makes it likely his contributions are limited to speed and a fairly empty average.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Picks up sixth steal
Rotowire
Lopez went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base in Friday's 8-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
A depleted Kansas City lineup couldn't get much going as a group, but Lopez was able to produce a little fantasy value. The steal was only his sixth of the season and his first since June 20, snapping a 20-game drought. Lopez is showing signs of regaining last year's form at the plate -- he's batting .333 (10-for-30) over his last 10 games.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Sitting Friday
Rotowire
Lopez will sit Friday versus the Guardians.
Lopez will get a day off after he went 4-for-16 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in a series against Houston. Emmanuel Rivera will take over at third base and bat ninth in the series opener against Cleveland on Friday.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Perfect at plate Sunday
Rotowire
Lopez went 4-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's 7-4 win over the Tigers.
Unsurprisingly, the light-hitting infielder contributed four singles Sunday, including one that knocked in Edward Olivares for an insurance run in the ninth inning. Lopez has hit well over his last 14 games, going 14-for-43 (.326) in that span. He's up to a .232/.295/.281 slash line for the season, and he's added seven RBI, 24 runs scored and five stolen bases. While he's maintained a strong-side platoon role at third base lately, Lopez is almost exclusively hitting at the bottom of the order and adds almost nothing in the power categories.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: On bench against lefty again
Rotowire
Lopez will sit against lefty Martin Perez and the Rangers on Monday.
Lopez had close to an everyday role for much of the year, but it looks as though he's slipped into a platoon in recent weeks. His off day Monday means he's now been on the bench against the last five lefties the Royals have faced. Whit Merrifield will be the second baseman Monday, with Emmanuel Rivera starting at third.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Sitting versus southpaw
Rotowire
Lopez is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the A's.
Lopez finds himself on the bench for the fourth time in the past six games. Each absence, including Saturday versus Jared Koenig, has come against a left-handed pitcher. Hunter Dozier will shift to the hot corner while MJ Melendez rests his legs as the designated hitter.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Out of lineup
Rotowire
Lopez will sit Friday against Oakland, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Lopez finds himself on the bench for the third time in five games. All three absences, including Friday's game against Cole Irvin, have come against lefties, so it looks like he may be slipping into the strong side of a platoon. Whit Merrifield will be the second baseman Friday while Emmanuel Rivera starts at third.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Heads to bench
Rotowire
Lopez will sit for the second time in three games Tuesday against the Angels.
Lopez's .300 average and 22 steals last season put him on the fantasy map, but he hasn't looked like the same guy so far this year. He's hitting just .220, while his five steals put him on pace for a modest 12. Emmanuel Rivera will start at third base Tuesday against the left-handed Reid Detmers.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Posts steal Monday
Rotowire
Lopez went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a stolen base in Monday's 6-2 win over the Angels.
Lopez recorded his first steal since May 27 in this contest. He's hit safely in four of his last six games, going 6-for-19 (.316) in that span. The light-hitting 27-year-old has a .220/.288/.260 slash line with no home runs, six RBI, five stolen bases, 21 runs scored and eight doubles through 63 contests overall. He started at third base for the third time in six games, and it appears he'll take the strong side of a platoon with Emmanuel Rivera at the hot corner. Lopez also has experience at second base and shortstop, but Whit Merrifield and Bobby Witt have commanded starting roles at those positions.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Heads to bench Sunday
Rotowire
Lopez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.
Lopez will take a seat for the series finale after he went 4-for-13 with two runs while starting in each of the Royals' previous four games. Whit Merrifield will pick up the start at the keystone while Emmanuel Rivera starts at third base, the position where Lopez has been seeing more work of late as he transitions into more of a utility role for Kansas City.
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Royals' Nicky Lopez: Loses arbitration case
Rotowire
Lopez signed a one-year, $2.55 million contract with the Royals on Friday after losing his arbitration case, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
It's the first year of arbitration eligibility for Lopez, and he's coming off a .300/.365/.378 slash line in 2021 with two home runs, 43 RBI, 78 runs and 22 steals. However, he's struggled so far in 2022 and has a .537 OPS and only four steals through 59 games. Lopez is starting at third base and batting ninth Friday against the A's.
