Player News
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The Royals released Velazquez on Wednesday. Velazquez has been in the minors all season but will now enter the open market after slashing .202/.298/.377 across 131 plate appearances at Triple-A Omaha. The 26-year-old owns a career .719 OPS in the majors and should still be able to latch on with another club on a minor-league deal.
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Velazquez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. Velazquez posted a .595 OPS over 29 plate appearances during spring training, so Kansas City won't keep him on the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old clubbed 14 homers in just 40 games for the Royals in 2023 but delivered a .200/.274/.366 slash line in 64 regular-season contests last year.
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Velazquez was removed from Wednesday's Cactus League game against Seattle due to an apparent injury, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. Velazquez suffered the injury while fielding a ball near the outfield wall, though it's not immediately apparent what he's dealing with. Kansas City will take a closer look at him and should provide some clarity on his status soon.
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The Royals optioned Velazquez to Triple-A Omaha on Monday. Velazquez was hitting just .122/.240/.171 in June and had seen his playing time dry up, so the Royals have elected to send him down to the minors with the hope that he can get on track at the plate. Expect Freddy Fermin to continue seeing an uptick in playing time with Velazquez now at Omaha.
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Velazquez will serve as the designated hitter and bat seventh in Sunday's series finale against the Rangers. Velazquez was originally slated to sit for the fourth consecutive game Sunday, but he was inserted into the lineup after Adam Frazier was scratched due to a right thumb sprain he sustained in Saturday's 6-0 loss. Velazquez will look to take advantage of the opportunity as he faces off against the returning Max Scherzer on Sunday.
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Last 7 Games
| DATE | Opp | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | BB | KO | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/28 | @  |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/27 | @ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/26 | @ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/25 | @  |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/24 | @ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/23 | @ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/21 | vs  |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Upcoming Games
| date | Opp | time | Scheduled Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/26 | @  |
12:00 AM | Not Announced Yet |
| 3/28 | @ |
12:00 AM | Not Announced Yet |
| 3/29 | @ |
12:00 AM | Not Announced Yet |
| 3/30 | vs  |
4:10 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 4/01 | vs |
7:40 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 4/02 | vs |
7:40 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 4/03 | vs  |
7:40 PM | Not Announced Yet |