Nicky Lopez to start at third base, giving Kansas City Royals infield a new look
Two years ago, Kansas City Royals infielder Nicky Lopez garnered a spot as one of the American League finalists for the Gold Glove at second base. Last season, he ranked among the top defenders in baseball as a shortstop.
Tuesday night against the San Francisco Giants, Lopez was to start his first game at third base in his major-league career. He was to start on the infield along with Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop and Whit Merrifield at second base for the second game of a three-game series at Oracle Park.
“I think 2020 I played a couple innings and never got a ball, then obviously freshman year of college,” Lopez said of his experience with third base. “That was the last time I played third.”
Lopez has started 37 games at second base this season and 16 at shortstop.
Lopez entered the day having played a total of three innings at third base in the majors, all having come during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and he did not have a ball hit to him at that position.
“I did a little bit in spring training, just messing around there,” Lopez said prior to Tuesday’s game. “This is the first go-round. I’m going to take some in (batting practice) and see how it goes.”
That season, Lopez was a finalist for the AL Gold Glove at second base.
Last season, he took over as the everyday shortstop after Adalberto Mondesi suffered an injury that forced him to miss the start of the season.
As the season went on and injuries continued to plague Mondesi, Lopez settled into the shortstop job to the point that Mondesi played games at third base late last season.
In his lone season in the majors as a shortstop, Lopez led big-league shortstops in outs above average (25) and runs prevented (19). He recorded the highest fielding percentage of any shortstop in the AL.
Lopez has played more innings in the majors at shortstop (1,658 2/3 of 3,051 2/3 innings) than any other position.
But last month, the Royals began getting talented rookie Witt into regular playing time at shortstop with Mondesi having suffered a season-ending knee injury in late April and Emmanuel Rivera earning increased playing time at third base.
Witt’s last start at third base came in Arizona on May 24. He entered Tuesday having started 29 games at shortstop and 28 at third base.
“Anytime you get on the baseball field, it’s exciting,” Lopez said. “Obviously, I wasn’t really expecting it, but it’s a chance to play. So I guess whatever they need me to do.”
Thinking back to his limited experience at the position in college, Lopez said he remembered playing third base being more “instinctual reaction plays” with the ball coming at you faster than at shortstop or second base.
“As good a defender as he is, you just know he’s going to be able to handle that adjustment as good as anybody,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “We’ve had Rivera playing a lot, realizing too he needs days (off), especially when we’ve got a tough matchup.”
Having Lopez play third base also opens up second base for Merrifield, who has also played the outfield. With two of the outfield positions predominantly filled by everyday veteran Gold Glove defenders in left fielder Andrew Benintendi and center fielder Michael A. Taylor, that has primarily left the right field position open.
If Merrifield takes time in right field, that leaves Kyle Isbel on the bench. The Royals have also wanted to use right field to get rookie catcher MJ Melendez in the lineup along with starting catcher Salvador Perez.
“It’s good having that many tough decisions, but some guys are going to have to be more flexible with where they’re playing,” Matheny said. “Whether it’s Whit bouncing (around), Nicky bouncing. It’s just kind of what we’ve got to do.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Nicky Lopez to start at third base, giving Kansas City Royals infield a new look."
