66 Ryan O'Hearn 1B

Manager Mike Matheny said March 6 that O'Hearn could begin the season in a "soft platoon" at first base with Ryan McBroom, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

O'Hearn burst onto the scene with a .950 OPS and 12 home runs over 44 games in 2018, but he struggled in a larger role last season with a .650 OPS and 14 homers in 105 contests. The 26-year-old was impressive prior to the suspension of spring training, posting a .343/.395/.679 slash line with five home runs in 35 at-bats, though McBroom also had a .314/.368/.657 slash line. O'Hearn would be in the strong side of the platoon as the left-handed bat, so he would still be in line for regular at-bats if Matheny employs that strategy.

Manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that O'Hearn will be under consideration for the Royals' everyday job at first base this spring, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Along with O'Hearn, the Royals are also expected to give Ryan McBroom the chance to battle for the job, while Hunter Dozier and Salvador Perez (elbow) could also see work at the position when they aren't playing third base or catcher, respectively. After a hot start to his big-league career upon being promoted from Triple-A Omaha in the second half of 2018, O'Hearn struggled mightily last season, slashing just .195/.281/.369 with 14 home runs in 370 plate appearances. O'Hearn will at least have the platoon advantage working in his favor in the competition, as McBroom, Dozier and Perez all hit from the right side of the plate.

O'Hearn is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against Minnesota.

O'Hearn has a .794 OPS over 21 games in September but will sit for the second straight contest with lefty Martin Perez taking the mound for the Twins. Cheslor Cuthbert receives the start at first base in the season finale.

O'Hearn is not in Saturday's lineup against the Twins.

He is hitting .222 with one home run over his last 10 games. Cheslor Cuthbert is starting at first base and hitting fifth.

O'Hearn went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 12-5 win over the Twins.

His two-run shot in the sixth inning off Jose Berrios tied the game at 5-5, setting the stage for a seven-run eruption by the Kansas City offense in the ninth. O'Hearn had gone 0-for-17 with 11 strikeouts over his prior seven games, and on the year he's slashing only .190/.279/.365 with 14 homers and 34 RBI through 99 contests.

O'Hearn is not in Thursday's lineup against the Twins.

He heads to the bench even with the Royals facing a righty (Kyle Gibson) in this one. Ryan McBroom will start at first base and hit sixth.

O'Hearn will hit the bench Tuesday against Oakland.

O'Hearn sits with lefty Brett Anderson starting for the Athletics. Cheslor Cuthbert gets the nod at first base.

O'Hearn will sit Sunday against Houston.

O'Hearn hits the bench with lefty Wade Miley on the mound for the Astros. Cheslor Cuthbert gets the start at first base.

O'Hearn will sit against lefty Caleb Smith and the Marlins on Saturday.

O'Hearn has started against just one of the last 21 lefties the Royals have faced. Ryan McBroom starts at first base Saturday.

O'Hearn is not in Thursday's lineup against the Tigers.

He will predictably head to the bench with southpaw Matthew Boyd starting for the Tigers. Ryan McBroom will start at first base and hit fifth.

O'Hearn hit a walkoff solo homer as a pinch hitter in a victory over Detroit on Tuesday.

O'Hearn started the game on the bench but came up big when called upon in the ninth inning, launching a home run to left field to give Kansas City the win. The 26-year-old is hitting only .188 this season but has provided some power for the Royals' beleaguered offense, slugging 11 homers in 276 at-bats.

O'Hearn is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Tigers.

O'Hearn has hit .429 with three homers over his last seven games. He'll sit in favor of the newly-promoted Ryan McBroom for Tuesday's contest.

O'Hearn is not in the lineup Friday against the Orioles.

O'Hearn hits the bench after starting nine straight games, a stretch in which he hit .267/.389/.600. Cheslor Cuthbert gets the start at first base.

O'Hearn went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's win over the A's.

With no outs in the sixth inning, O'Hearn tied the game with a two-run homer off Tanner Roark. The 26-year-old has been heating up of late, earning himself more opportunities in the Royals lineup. Through 81 games this season, O'Hearn is slashing just .177/.269/.331. He'll need to continue improving on those anemic numbers to secure playing time over Cheslor Cuthbert.

O'Hearn went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs, two walks and an additional run Sunday in the Royals' 9-8 win over the Indians in 10 innings.

O'Hearn had already been eating into Cheslor Cuthbert's playing time at first base versus right-handed pitching of late and may have cemented himself as the Royals' top option on the depth chart with his performance in the series finale. His extra-inning blast off reliever Nick Goody held up as the game-winning run, allowing the Royals to snap a four-game losing streak. O'Hearn will be back in the lineup Monday versus the Athletics, starting at first base and occupying the No. 5 spot in the order.

O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles.

With a lefty (John Means) on the bump for Baltimore, O'Hearn will take a seat after going 3-for-17 at the dish while starting each of the past five contests. Cheslor Cuthbert will handle first-base duties in the series opener.

O'Hearn will start at first base and bat fifth Sunday against the Mets.

O'Hearn will enter the lineup for a fifth consecutive contest while Cheslor Cuthbert shifts across the diamond. Though he only sports a .410 OPS in 15 games since returning from Triple-A Omaha in late July, O'Hearn could continue to earn steady work with Cuthbert stuck in an 0-for-24 slump over the past six contests.

O'Hearn went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Red Sox.

O'Hearn led off the fifth frame with a solo home run, his seventh long ball of the season. It was just his second hit since being recalled to the big-league club July 27 (eight strikeouts in 27 plate appearances in that span). O'Hearn currently appears to be slotted in behind Cheslor Cuthbert at first base, giving him only sporadic chances at the dish.

O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

O'Hearn will take a seat with a left-hander (Devin Smeltzer) on the bump for Minnesota, paving the way for Cheslor Cuthbert to occupy first base in the series finale. The 26-year-old was also on the bench in Saturday's loss when the Royals opposed a right-handed starting pitcher (Kyle Gibson), signaling that O'Hearn may no longer be viewed as a platoon option.

O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.

After being recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Saturday, O'Hearn drew back-to-back starts at first base, going 1-for-8 with two RBI between the two contests. O'Hearn will take a seat Monday with the Blue Jays bringing a lefty pitcher (Thomas Pannone) to the hill, but he could handle a large-side platoon role until the Royals get Adalberto Mondesi (shoulder) back from the injured list. Though he plays in the middle infield, Mondesi's eventual return would likely create a domino effect that would make O'Hearn the odd man out in Kansas City's regular lineup versus righties.