Lopez Promoted to Leadoff, Greinke and Royals Go For Sweep of Twins
In this story:
The Kansas City Royals are riding a three-game winning streak and before they head to Seattle to square off in a series against the Mariners, they'll look to complete a sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
On Wednesday night, Kansas City won in a low-scoring battle. Lefty Daniel Lynch went five innings and didn't allow a single run, inducing eight swings and misses with a pair of strikeouts in the process. Manager Mike Matheny was proud of how his lefty found consistency in his location despite varying his pitches. The 2-0 win got the Royals back to .500 on the year, as their record stands at 5-5 in 2022.
On Thursday, Kansas City is back at home and is finishing up their Twins series. The team announced on Thursday morning that outfielder Kyle Isbel was optioned to Triple-A Omaha following the conclusion of Wednesday's game. In his place, RHP Ronald Bolaños has been recalled to the big-league club.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this afternoon's game:
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: RHP Zack Greinke (0-0, 2.45 ERA)
Minnesota: LHP Joe Ryan (1-1, 2.70 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Nicky Lopez (L) - 2B
- Whit Merrifield (R) - RF
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- Salvador Perez (R) - C
- Carlos Santana (S) - 1B
- Hunter Dozier (R) - DH
- Bobby Witt Jr. (R) - 3B
- Adalberto Mondesi (S) - SS
- Michael A. Taylor (R) - CF
Nicky Lopez leading off, Bobby Witt Jr. moved down in lineup
The Royals' lineup has struggled this season, failing to string together consistent at-bats for the sake of the club. At or near the top of the order, the duo of Whit Merrifield and Bobby Witt Jr. has struggled immensely. In a lineup shuffle ahead of Thursday's outing, second baseman Nicky Lopez is now batting leadoff and Merrifield is being moved down a rung on the ladder. Witt sees the biggest drop, now batting seventh.
Lopez is arguably the Royals' best on-base hitter, currently boasting a .367 batting average and an on-base percentage of .406. He'll look to spark an order that also sees Salvador Perez return to his normal catching spot and Carlos Santana re-enter the lineup after a couple of games off. Perhaps the changes will help Merrifield and Witt, who are hitting .150 and .128, respectively, this season.
Zack Greinke looking to remain steady for KC
Despite pitching fairly well this season, Zack Greinke has yet to record a win. In his last start, he went 5-1/3 innings while surrendering five hits and a pair of earned runs. In 11 innings this season, the veteran right-hander has just one strikeout compared to two walks. He and his 2.45 ERA will look for a win against a Twins lineup that hasn't fared particularly well against Kansas City in the past two games. Greinke is one of the Royals' steadiest pitchers and continues to serve as a leadership presence, so leading by example on Thursday could keep setting the tone atop the rotation.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: KCSP 610 AM
Jordan Foote is the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals, as well as the deputy editor of Arrowhead Report and a producer for Kansas City Sports Network. Jordan is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media with a minor in Sports Administration. Follow him on Twitter @footenoted.