Royals send rookie Kyle Isbel to alternate site. Here’s why they made the move
Kyle Isbel started in right field on Opening Day for the Kansas City Royals, but his first stint in the majors lasted 12 games. He’d spent much of the last week on the bench against a litany of left-handed starting pitchers.
With the Royals set to begin a four-game road series against the Detroit Tigers with three of four scheduled opposing starting pitchers set to be right-handers, the Royals optioned the rookie outfielder to their alternate training site and recalled left-handed hitting slugger Ryan O’Hearn.
O’Hearn is in the starting lineup for Friday night’s series opener as the designated hitter.
“We’re just trying to get him some work here, one,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of Isbel. “Two, it’s taking advantage of Ryan O’Hearn being in a really good place. An opportunity to get (Jorge) Soler in right field and bolster our offense a little bit.”
Since Isbel started and played the entire game against the Los Angeles Angels on April 12, he has appeared in four of the Royals’ last nine games and logged just six at-bats.
Isbel, 24, made the Opening Day roster after having spent last summer at the club’s alternate training site. He slashed .265/.306/.324 with one triple, three RBIs, two walks and 15 strikeouts in 34 at-bats.
“Izzy went on a spell there where we faced a lot of lefties,” Matheny said. “It’s hard for a young player to stay sharp when they’re not getting the opportunities. So, we’ll give him a chance to get a couple things figured out and get an opportunity to take advantage of Ryan O’Hearn right now.”
Isbel impressed this spring training and earned a spot on the roster when the Royals decided Nicky Lopez would begin the season in the minors and moved Whit Merrifield back to second base on an everyday basis.
Entering spring training, Merrifield had been slated to play primarily in right field.
Lopez has since returned and played well at shortstop for the injured Adalberto Mondesi.
Recently, the Royals have inserted Hanser Alberto, who has hit left-handed pitchers very well in his career, in the starting lineup at third base at times and moved Hunter Dozier to right field, limiting Isbel’s playing time.
O’Hearn, a first baseman, slashed .195/.303/.301 with two homers and 18 RBIs in 113 at-bats last season.
He made some swing adjustments this offseason and hit five home runs during spring training.
After a hot start in Cactus League play, O’Hearn’s numbers did drop off in Arizona. He finished this spring slashing .209/.306/.628 in 21 games (43 at-bats).
Matheny said O’Hearn’s recent work at the alternate site made the club feel he could help the lineup, and Matheny called O’Hearn “the best hitter we have right now” of the club’s internal options.
Matheny has been an advocate of O’Hearn’s ability as a hitter since he took over as manager prior to last season.
“It just takes some players a longer time than others to have that translate at the major-league level,” Matheny said. “But when you can hit, you can hit. And Ryan can hit. He’s also improving defensively.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Royals send rookie Kyle Isbel to alternate site. Here’s why they made the move."
