Kansas City Royals: 1 prospect to call up, 1 veteran to demote

Royals should demote Nicky Lopez until he shows improvement

Lopez has started 28 of the Royals’ first 30 games at shortstop thus far, in place of the injured Mondesi. In 2020, he primarily played second base (50 starts). That position utility has some value, with an offensive game centered on a lot of contact and speed.

When Mondesi returns, Lopez will fall into a utility infielder role. After being tabbed for a possible breakthrough heading into last year, he delivered a .201/.286/.266 slash-line with one home run, 13 RBI and zero stolen bases over 192 plate appearances.

So far this season, entering Friday over an even 100 plate appearances, Lopez has a .210/.323/.284 slash-line with seven RBI and two steals. He’s hitting the ball in the air a bit more (19.4 percent fly-ball rate), but power is not his game

At 26 years old, and as a .304 hitter over 88 Triple-A games, a demotion would not mean the Royals have totally given up on Lopez. The recent reunion with Alcides Escobar on a minor league deal adds another body to the infield depth within the Royals’ organization, perhaps as an extra buffer to allow Witt more time if necessary.

Whether it’s Mondesi returning (and avoiding setbacks), Witt being called up or Escobar coming up from his assignment in Triple-A as a short-term option, Lopez is on thin ice as the Royals’ starting shortstop and his place on the major league roster is equally getting tenuous.