The Kansas City Royals are giving Samad Taylor, a career minor leaguer acquired from the Blue Jays in the Whit Merrifield trade last summer, the opportunity to make his MLB debut this weekend. Taylor will join the Royals for the series opener against the Angels at Kauffman Stadium. To make room on the roster for Taylor’s arrival, the Royals optioned utility player Nate Eaton to Triple-A Omaha.
Manager Matt Quatraro spoke highly of Taylor, praising his energy, versatility, and speed. Taylor has performed well with the Omaha farm team, slashing .304 with 34 stolen bases and six home runs in 62 games this year. He will see playing time in left field, center field, and at second base.
In injury news, Salvador Perez, the Royals’ catcher, was hit in the left hand during Wednesday’s game against the Reds. While X-rays came back negative, Perez was still sore and did not start in Friday’s lineup. The team is hopeful that Perez’s hand will continue to improve and that he will only miss a couple of days.
Additionally, second baseman Michael Massey was originally slated to start on Friday but was scratched due to a left finger laceration sustained during a bunt attempt on Wednesday. Matt Duffy replaced him at second base.
