MLB Player News

Royals manager Mike Matheny said Mondesi is scheduled to get more tests on his left knee Wednesday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. Mondesi is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Matheny noted that he's optimistic the knee injury Mondesi sustained in Tuesday's 6-0 win isn't too serious, but the Royals won't know the extent of the issue until doctors have a chance to evaluate the 26-year-old. The injury is a disappointing development it what has already been a rough start to the season for Mondesi, who is hitting .140 with no extra-base hits and is buoying his fantasy value almost exclusively through his five stolen bases.

Mondesi (knee) is out of the lineup Wednesday versus the White Sox, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The shortstop was forced to exit Tuesday's win early with knee discomfort and it'll sideline him for at least one contest. More information on his injury will likely come later Wednesday. Nicky Lopez will slide over to shortstop while Edward Olivares enters the lineup in right field and will bat eighth.

Bogaerts went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Blue Jays.

The shortstop continues to tear the cover off the ball, as Bogaerts has five three-hit performances in the last 10 contests. The hot streak has pushed his slash line on the season to .362/.380/.507, but he doesn't yet have the counting stats to match with one homer, one steal, seven RBI and 10 runs through 17 games.

Baez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Twins.

The Twins scored two in the ninth inning for a walkoff, 5-4 victory, but Baez did all he could to give the Tigers a win as he crushed a three-run home run in the eighth. The shortstop is now up to two home runs and eight RBI across only seven games, to go along with an outstanding .972 OPS. Baez has certainly hit the ground running with his new team.

Witt went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Witt was dropped from the top of the order April 21, but he has secured a hit in all five games since then. The rookie's average was at .128 after the first 10 games of his career, but the hitting streak has it back above the Mendoza-line at .203. It's possible he'll find his way back up to the top of the order if he can stay hot.

Franco went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer in an 8-4 loss Tuesday against the Mariners.

Franco homered off Matt Koch in the seventh inning. The homer ended an 0-for-12 mini-slump that saw his batting average drop below .350 for the first time all season. There's little to worry about, as the 21-year-old has homered four times in the last six games and has 12 extra-base hits in 16 appearances. Despite striking out twice Tuesday, the shortstop has only fanned seven times in 71 plate appearances this year.

Mondesi was removed from Tuesday's game against the White Sox with left knee discomfort, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old suffered the injury during the sixth inning while returning to first base on a pickoff attempt, and he was promptly lifted for a pinch runner. Mondesi continues to be evaluated, but manager Mike Matheny said the initial scans of the injury are encouraging, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

Mondesi was removed from Tuesday's game against the White Sox with an apparent leg injury, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi reached on an infield single during the sixth inning and appeared to suffer the injury while returning to first base on a pickoff attempt. The 26-year-old finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk and should be considered day-to-day until his status is updated.

Bichette went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Monday's 6-2 win over the Red Sox.

With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning and the bases loaded, Bichette drove a Matt Strahm sinker on the outer half of the plate to right field for his first career slam. The 24-year-old shortstop has had a sluggish start to 2022 that includes an uncharacteristic 28.0 percent strikeout rate, but Monday's homer -- his second of the season -- could be a sign Bichette is about to break out.

Velazquez is not in the lineup for Monday's game against Cleveland, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The 27-year-old was promoted April 12 and has started the past 11 games at shortstop with David Fletcher (hip) on the injured list, but he'll take a seat for Monday's series opener. Velazquez has a .139/.238/.167 slash line with a double, two RBI, five runs and two stolen bases in 42 plate appearances. Tyler Wade will shift to shortstop while Matt Duffy starts at the keystone.