Injury Lingers for Royals Infielder Michael Massey as Opening Day Nears
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Opening Day is less than a week away, and the Kansas City Royals are looking to build on their 2025 season. After using the offseason to address areas that plagued them last year, a few roster decisions still remain.
Kansas City has until Wednesday to set its Opening Day roster. While most of the roster appears set, one or two bench spots remain up for grabs. The number of available spots depends on Royals infielder Michael Massey.
Massey is dealing with a left calf strain he suffered just over two weeks ago and has been ramping up his return. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, he remained in Arizona to get more at-bats in Minor League spring training games while the team traveled to Texas.
The spot belongs to Massey if he is healthy
Royals general manager J.J. Picollo made it clear that if Massey is healthy and ready to go then one of the roster spots is his.
“If Massey’s ready, he’ll be on the team," Picollo said, via Rogers. “It may affect which way we go if he’s not on the team. We’ve got Drew Waters, we’ve got Nick Loftin. Trying to figure out how they fit. The good thing is we’re confident in anybody. We’d like to have Michael on the team. But it’s a deeper roster, and that’s a good thing. We’re in a good spot either way.”
It’s clear that if Massey is healthy he will be on the roster. If not, it opens up two available spots. Fortunately for the Royals, they have multiple options to fill those roles, and it comes down to fit.
The most notable options are Nick Loftin and Drew Waters. Loftin has had a productive spring training and has made a strong case to earn a roster spot. Waters is out of Minor League options which complicates things because the Royals would have to designate him for assignment if he does not make the roster.
This decision will likely come down to the last minute, and it will be difficult, especially if Massey is healthy which would leave just one roster spot available. With the deadline set for Wednesday time is running out and rosters must be finalized so this will be something to monitor in the coming days.
Brian Sparks is a graduate of the University of Missouri–Kansas City with a background in digital journalism and sports media. Born and raised in Kansas City, he brings experience in writing, radio, and social media to sports coverage across multiple digital platforms. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Kansas City Royals On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@moreviewsmedia.com
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