Melendez isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Detroit.
Melendez has now been absent from the starting nine in each of Kansas City's last three games, which indicates a change in the depth chart following a 4-for-47 start from the 26-year-old. Drew Waters will start in left field and bat seventh.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Royals optioned Melendez to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.
Melendez has logged just one base hit across his last seven games and only three since the beginning of April. He'll now head to the minors in order to sort things out at the plate, making room on the active roster for Mark Canha (hip) to return from the IL.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Sitting Friday
Rotowire
Melendez is not in the Royals' starting lineup against the Tigers on Friday.
Melendez will sit for a second straight game while Drew Waters starts in left field and bats eighth against Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe. Melendez has gone 1-for-20 with a solo home run and eight strikeouts over his last five games.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Melendez is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Detroit.
Right-hander Reese Olson is on the bump for the Tigers, but the lefty-hitting Melendez will grab a seat. Drew Waters will start in left field and bat eighth for the Royals.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Hits first homer of 2025
Rotowire
Melendez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Yankees.
Melendez entered Tuesday's game with a .285 OPS, 36.4 strikeout rate and zero RBI across 44 plate appearances, but he managed to get the Royals on the board with a solo homer off Max Fried in the third inning. Melendez's early-season play has put him in jeopardy of losing out on his starting role, but Tuesday's homer may be a sign of things to come for the Royals and the 26-year-old outfielder.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Hitting bench Monday
Rotowire
Melendez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.
The Royals will move both of their struggling corner outfielders to the bench Monday, as Melendez (.285 OPS, 36.4 percent strikeout rate in 44 plate appearances) and Hunter Renfroe (.363 OPS, 27.9 percent strikeout rate in 43 plate appearances) give way to Drew Waters and Cavan Biggio in left and right field, respectively. Melendez's track record at the big-league level will likely buy him some time to work his way out of the extended slump, though his grasp on an everyday role has loosened since the beginning of the season. He's now started in just three of the Royals' last six games.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Moves to bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Melendez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.
The Royals often shield the left-handed-hitting Melendez from opposing southpaws, but he'll take a seat Wednesday while the Twins send a right-hander (Joe Ryan) to the hill. Melendez's move to the bench comes while he's gotten off to a horrid start to the season, slashing .115/.258/.154 with a 38.7 percent strikeout rate over 31 plate appearances. If Melendez is unable to turn things around soon, he could find himself out of the lineup versus righties on a more consistent basis.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Sitting against lefty
Rotowire
Melendez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.
Melendez and fellow left-handed-hitting outfielder Kyle Isbel will head to the bench for the series finale while the Orioles send southpaw Cade Povich to the bump. The Royals will roll out a starting outfield of Mark Canha, Maikel Garcia and Hunter Renfroe from left to right.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Melendez is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Milwaukee.
The Royals have faced all right-handers so far this season and Melendez has now been in the lineup for four of six contests. He will yield left field to Cavan Biggio, who is batting seventh in Wednesday's game.
Melendez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians.
Melendez went 0-for-6 with two strikeouts in the first two games of the year and will sit for Sunday's series finale. Jonathan India will move out to left field against Cleveland righty Tanner Bibee.
Royals' MJ Melendez: Showing off revamped swing in camp
Rotowire
Melendez said Tuesday that he spent the offseason in Miami revamping his swing during workouts, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Specifically, Melendez has adjusted his positioning at the plate, decreased his leg kick and demonstrated a more balanced stance in the batter's box. Melendez is hopeful that the change will simplify his movements and allow him to be more consistent at the plate, after he struck out at a 25.1 percent clip and slashed a career-worst .206/.273/.400 in 450 plate appearances a season ago. Melendez doesn't believe the adjustment will result in him sacrificing power, which was his main calling card during his minor-league career and through his first three seasons in the majors. The lefty-hitting Melendez should be poised to open the 2025 campaign as a strong-side platoon player in left field, though after catching in 10 games in 2023, he will no longer carry eligibility at catcher in any fantasy league since he didn't see any action behind the plate in 2024.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Avoids arbitration with Kansas City
Rotowire
The Royals and Melendez avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.65 million contract Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Melendez regressed in 2024 with just a .674 OPS over 135 regular-season games. The Royals will start off 2025 playing him regularly at least versus right-handers, but with the playoffs in mind they might not have as much patience with Melendez if he can't take some strides.
Royals' MJ Melendez: Sitting out Game 2 versus lefty
Rotowire
Melendez is absent from the lineup Monday in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees.
It's southpaw Carlos Rodon on the hill for the Yankees, so the left-handed-hitting Melendez will begin the festivities on the bench. Tommy Pham will be in left field and batting seventh for the Royals, while Hunter Renfroe will handle right and hit eighth.
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Player Bio
HT/WT: 6-1, 190 lbs
Birthplace: Daytona Beach, FL
Age: 26
Experience: 3
Bats/Throws: L, R
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