Melendez went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Nationals.
The Royals rallied with three runs over the final three innings to pull off the comeback victory over the Nationals. Melendez got things going with a solo blast to left center off of Mackenzie Gore for his first home run since May 8. The 24-year-old had 18 home runs over 534 plate appearances last year and sits at just five long balls over 203 plate appearances thus far. His power is down and his strikeouts are up while his average remains low at the dish. For the year, he's slashing just .208/.296/.360 with 16 extra base hits, 22 RBI, 23 runs and a 22:64 BB:K.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Swipes bag Friday
Rotowire
Melendez went 1-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 12-10 loss to the Nationals.
Melendez has hit safely in just three of his last seven games while posting a 3:11 BB:K in that span. The steal was his first of the season -- he recorded only two steals in 129 contests last year, so speed is not a big part of his game. For the season, he's slashing .209/.292/.349 with four home runs, 21 RBI and 21 runs scored. Melendez is likely to maintain a starting role in right field for now, but with Drew Waters back in the mix and Kyle Isbel (hamstring) potentially returning by mid-June, playing time for Melendez could decrease if he can't get his bat going.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Out of lineup Monday
Rotowire
Melendez is not in the starting lineup against the Padres on Monday.
Melendez has performed well in the month of May with a .313/.370/.500 slash line and two homers in 48 at-bats, but he'll get Monday off against the Padres. Hunter Dozier is starting in right field and hitting seventh.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Knocks in four runs Monday
Rotowire
Melendez went 2-for-5 with a home run, two total runs and four total RBI in Monday's 12-5 win against the White Sox.
Melendez led the way offensively for Kansas City in the big victory, knocking a two-run homer in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the sixth. The four RBI were a season high for the outfielder, who came into Monday with only two RBI over his previous 11 games. Melendez is slashing just .208/.284/.383 on the campaign, though he's reached base in eight straight contests, batting .333 (10-for-30) over that span.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Not in Saturday's lineup
Rotowire
Melendez is on the bench for Saturday's game against Oakland.
Melendez's off day against lefty Ken Waldichuk means he's now been on the bench against four of the nine southpaws the Royals have faced this season. After showing promise as a rookie, Melendez is hitting just .200/.276/.364 in his sophomore season, and he's currently seen as just an outfielder and designated hitter with the Royals calling up Freddy Fermin to back up Salvador Perez at catcher.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Racks up three hits in loss
Rotowire
Melendez went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in Thursday's 13-10 loss to the Orioles.
Melendez has gone 6-for-15 (.400) during his current four-game hitting streak. He appears set for a near-everyday role in right field after the Royals decided to call up Freddy Fermin to back up Salvador Perez behind the dish. It's possible that simplifying things defensively for Melendez could help get his season on track at the plate. He's slashing .200/.280/.371 with three home runs, 12 RBI, 11 runs scored, seven doubles and a triple through 28 contests.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Set for full-time outfield, for now
Rotowire
Melendez is expected to exclusively work as an outfielder or designated hitter for the time being after the Royals called up Freddy Fermin from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday to serve as Salvador Perez's top understudy, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Melendez has thus far split time between right field and catcher, making 16 and seven starts at those positions, respectively. According to Rogers, the Royals are hoping that by having Melendez focus on just playing the outfield, he won't be bogged down by having to game plan with the Royals' pitching staff and can instead turn his full attention toward getting back on track with the bat. Like many of his teammates, Melendez is off to a rough start to the season at the plate, with his OPS down nearly 100 points from 2022 (.706 to .610) and his strikeout rate up more than 10 percentage points (from 24.5 percent to 34.9 percent). The Royals could revisit getting Melendez some more work behind the plate later this season, so perhaps he'll still have a chance to pick up enough starts at catcher to retain eligibility at that spot heading into 2024.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Blasts homer in win
Rotowire
Melendez went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's 11-7 loss to the Orioles.
Melendez took Tyler Wells deep in the first inning with a 401-foot shot to right-center field as the Royals climbed out to a quick 3-0 lead. He was quieted the rest of the way at the plate and is now slashing .177/.266/.344 with three homers, 12 RBI, 10 runs and a 11:38 BB:K over 109 plate appearances this season. He is striking out 34.9 percent of the time which is currently the fourth-highest rate in Major League Baseball. Melendez showed his ability to hit for power upon being called up in 2022 with 18 homers in 129 games, and he will need to get the power going some more in order to help offset the strikeouts.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Out of lineup Sunday
Rotowire
Melendez is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.
Melendez dealt with back trouble earlier in the week, but this appears to just be a day of rest for the 24-year-old. Nick Pratto is getting the start in right and hitting fifth.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Good to go Wednesday
Rotowire
Melendez (back) will serve as the Royals' designated hitter and No. 3 batter Wednesday against the Diamondbacks.
Melendez will return to action after sitting out both of the Royals' last two games with lower-back tightness. He'll be eased back in a non-defensive role, but it shouldn't be long before Melendez is ready to catch or play the corner outfield.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Remains out Tuesday
Rotowire
Melendez (back) isn't starting Tuesday against Arizona, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.
After being removed from Sunday's loss to the Angels due to back tightness, Melendez has now missed two consecutive games. Hunter Dozier will take his place Tuesday and bat eighth.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Managing back tightness
Rotowire
Melendez was removed from Sunday's game against the Angels due to lower-back tightness.
Melendez clubbed a solo home run, his second of the season, during the opening frame Sunday, but he was lifted with the injury after the top of the fourth inning. The 24-year-old should be considered day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener against the Diamondbacks.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Drives in three Wednesday
Rotowire
Melendez went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 10-1 win over the Rangers.
Melendez did his damage early -- his two-run double in the second inning gave the Royals a lead they wouldn't give up. He added an RBI single in the fourth. The biggest concern with Melendez so far is his 39.6 percent strikeout rate over 48 plate appearances, which has suppressed his slash line to .190/.292/.333. He struck out at a 24.5 percent clip last year, and there's plenty of time for him to turn it around.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Getting breather Monday
Rotowire
Melendez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers.
After starting each of the past five games while going 3-for-19 with seven strikeouts, Melendez will get a rest as the Royals open a three-game set in Texas. Nate Eaton will cover right field in Melendez's stead.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Getting a breather
Rotowire
Melendez is not in the Royals' lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Blue Jays.
The Royals are facing a left-handed starter for the first time this season, so they're giving a few lefty hitters a day off. Nate Eaton is in right field and Franmil Reyes will be the designated hitter.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Goes yard in win
Rotowire
Melendez went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, an additional run scored and a double in Monday's 9-5 win over the Blue Jays.
After posting no runs over their first two games, Royals manager Matt Quatraro shuffled things up by putting Melendez atop the order for the last two contests. It finally worked Monday, with the 24-year-old adding a two-run blast in the sixth inning to cap the Royals' scoring in their first win of the year. He's still just 2-for-14 with eight strikeouts and three walks over four contests. Melendez hit just .217 last year, but he slugged .393 with 18 homers and 21 doubles, and it's the power potential that's most enticing.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Will get most outfield reps in RF
Rotowire
Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters before Monday's spring game that Melendez will see the majority of his outfield reps in right field to begin the year, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
It was assumed by many that Melendez would see most of his outfield time in left, but instead the promising young hitter will be on the other side of the outfield for the majority of his time. Melednez is also expected to see time at designated hitter while also getting some time behind the plate. No matter the position, his power and likelihood to see plenty of time at the top of the order makes him an intriguing option for the 2023 campaign.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Hitting well so far
Rotowire
Melendez has gone 6-for-16 (.375) with three extra-base hits, six RBI, six runs scored, a stolen base and a 2:3 BB:K through six Cactus League games.
Melendez should be able to find a near-everyday home in the Royals' lineup this season, with catcher and designated hitter likely his two most common spots. He showed off solid power in 2022 with 18 home runs in 129 contests while frequently playing in the corner outfield. While it's unwise to read too much into spring stats, the fact that he's making some consistent contact is encouraging -- he batted .217 with a 24.5 percent strikeout rate last year. If nothing else, his positional versatility could be attractive to fantasy managers, especially if he ends up playing more than most catcher-eligible players.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Posts three hits
Rotowire
Melendez went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Guardians.
Melendez was solid atop the Royals' order, and he contributed an RBI single in the eighth inning as the team tried to claw back from a deficit. The rookie has hit safely in four of his last five games, contributing a home run, three doubles, three RBI and three runs scored while going 7-for-19 in that span. For the season, he's up to a .224/.321/.405 slash line with 18 home runs, 62 RBI, 57 runs scored and two stolen bases through 126 contests.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Tallies 18th homer
Rotowire
Melendez went 1-for-3 with two walks and a solo home run Wednesday against the Tigers.
Melendez took Will Vest deep to lead off the game for his 18th homer of the season. Melendez now has three home runs across his last seven starts, though he's gone hitless on four occasions in that span. Through 503 career plate appearances, Melendez owns a .314 wOBA and 101 wRC+.
