KC Royals reinstate Michael Massey from injured list among flurry of roster moves
Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey is back from the injured list while the Royals continue a series against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.
Massey, who missed 15 games with a left-hand laceration, was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday. He was set to bat seventh in the lineup against Twins starter Kenta Maeda.
“It feels good to be back,” Massey said. “You never like to watch the team on TV and not be in it with them. I’m happy to be back. Just as far as the finger goes, I’m working on healing up the cut and getting the movement back to where I feel comfortable.”
The laceration occurred on his left pointer finger. He mentioned it took around 10 days for him to grip a baseball bat again. He used the time to evaluate his swing and retool with minor adjustments.
“Honestly, I think it was looking at some film earlier in the year at things that haven’t worked and things that have,” said Massey, who has had an eventful year that included hitting a home run one day after getting engaged. “I just tried to go down (to Triple-A Omaha) and try to find something that hopefully I can execute.”
Massey went 2 for 11 in three rehab games. He had to adjust to fielding the baseball again and the vibrations from catching with his glove. He is hitting .217 with four home runs and 20 RBIs through 60 games this year.
Massey also plans to wear a band-aid and sleeve over the laceration. The protective measure will keep the area clean and provide some compression as well.
In a corresponding move, the Royals sent down infielder Samad Taylor, who had a memorable walk-off hit in his major-league stint, to Triple-A Omaha.
Taylor made his MLB debut on June 17. He appeared in 12 games and hit .133 with (4 for 30) with three RBIs, six walks and 10 strikeouts.
Royals recall Jonathan Heasley, option Austin Cox
The Royals made a second roster move on Tuesday. KC promoted pitcher Jonathan Heasley and optioned Austin Cox to Triple-A Omaha.
Heasley owns a 5.27 ERA in 25 career games. He offers versatility with the ability to pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen. Heasley pitched 74 1/3 innings across 17 appearances in Triple-A.
Cox was solid in his latest stint with the Royals. He set an MLB record with 39 batters faced without allowing a hit to start his career. Cox pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on Monday night.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro explained the move. He said the team wanted a fresh arm as they navigate bullpen changes. Recently, the Royals traded veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers.
“He pitched well and he was not sent down for any lack of performance by any means,” Quatraro said. “We told him that and we were very clear.”
Quatraro added that Cox is in the mix to return in the near future. He filled in with a couple of spot starts in the rotation.
The Royals will continue to roll with a five-man starting unit. Jordan Lyles is slated to return Thursday after missing a start due to illness. Meanwhile, rookie starter and recent call-up Alec Marsh will get another turn in the rotation.
“We need to do this to be responsible for the rest of the guys here, too,” Quatraro said. “By all means, (Cox) is in the mix to come back.”
This story was originally published July 4, 2023 at 1:03 PM with the headline "KC Royals reinstate Michael Massey from injured list among flurry of roster moves."
