MJ Melendez - Page 6 - MLB News, Rumors, & Updates

Heads to bench Melendez will be on the bench for Saturday's game against St. Louis.

Impact Melendez hits the bench after starting six straight games, a run in which he went 9-for-24 with four homers. That recent hot streak has only been enough to drag his OPS on the season up to a disappointing .681. Samad Taylor starts in left field Saturday.

AUGUST 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Two long balls in loss Melendez went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Impact He was the only Royals hitter who was able to solve Nick Pivetta on the night, taking the right-hander deep in the second and fourth innings. Melendez continues to heat up, socking four homers in the last four games and slashing .281/.340/.551 over 24 games since the All-Star break, but GMs in keeper and dynasty leagues should note that the 24-year-old hasn't seen action behind the plate since the end of April, and he remains stuck on 10 games played at catcher for the season. As a corner outfielder instead of a backstop, he'll face pressure to produce at a level much higher than his career .695 OPS if he wants to hang onto a starting spot.

AUGUST 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Homers in Tuesday's win Melendez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Red Sox.

Impact Melendez is starting to show a little more consistency, going 5-for-12 with two homers over his last three games. He's up to 10 long balls and a .146 ISO through 107 contests, though that's still a reduced power pace from last year (18 homers, .176 ISO in 129 games). Melendez has added 39 RBI, 45 runs scored, six stolen bases and a .220/.298/.366 slash line in 2023.

AUGUST 9, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Knocks three hits Monday Melendez went 3-for-4 in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Red Sox.

Impact Melendez did his part to get on base, but the Royals' Nos. 5-9 hitters went a combined 2-for-19 with one walk, leaving him stranded. The 24-year-old had gone just 6-for-32 across his previous nine contests since his last multi-hit effort. Melendez is up to a .220/.297/.359 slash line through 106 games overall. He slashed a reasonable .241/.290/.402 in July, which was his steadiest month at the plate this season.

AUGUST 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Swats homer in loss Melendez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Phillies.

Impact Melendez is still not hitting for average, going 8-for-36 (.222) over his last 10 games, but he has two home runs and a triple in that span. The 24-year-old continues to see regular playing time in the corner outfield positions. He's recorded a .214/.293/.355 slash line with nine homers, six stolen bases, 37 RBI and 44 runs scored over 105 contests this season while striking out at a passable 28.6 percent rate.

AUGUST 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Reaches base three times Melendez went 1-for-3 with two walks, one RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Mets.

Impact Melendez's bat is starting to come around -- he's hit safely in 14 of 16 games since the All-Star break, batting .279 (17-for-61) in that span. The 24-year-old is up to six steals in eight attempts after his theft Tuesday. While he's slashing just .218/.296/.351 on the year, he's trending in the right direction and should continue to see ample playing time for the remainder of the season.

AUGUST 2, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Kansas City Royals vs. New York Mets Highlights

AUGUST 2, 2023 • FOX SPORTS

Homers Wednesday Melendez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-3 loss against the Guardians.

Impact Melendez has recorded a hit in 10 of 12 games since the All-Star break -- he's batting .289 (13-for-45) with two homers and an .844 OPS in that span. After an inconsistent first half, the 24-year-old Melendez is slashing .217/.294/.356 with eight homers, 39 runs scored, 34 RBI and five steals across 394 plate appearances this season.

JULY 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Taking seat Tuesday Melendez is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's game in Cleveland.

Impact It looks to be a routine day off for Melendez. The Royals are starting Edward Olivares in left field, Maikel Garcia in the designated hitter spot and Nicky Lopez at third base.

JULY 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Goes deep Sunday Melendez went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and two RBI in Sunday's win over the Rays.

Impact Melendez opened up the scored with an RBI double in the first and then added some insurance in the eighth with a solo home run. The long ball was his first since June 17 and Sunday's effort was his first multi-hit game since June 22. The 24-year-old now has four hits in three games since the All-Star break and will look to turn things around after a very disappointing first half. Melendez is now slashing .211/.291/.346 with 27 extra-base hits, 33 RBI, 35 runs and a 35:106 BB:K in 358 plate appearances.

JULY 16, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Notches fifth steal Melendez went 2-for-8 with a stolen base across both games of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Rays.

Impact Melendez's steal came in the afternoon contest. He's gone 17 games without a multi-hit effort, slumping to a .156/.229/.234 slash line over that span. The power-hitting 24-year-old has struggled to make an impact for much of the season, hitting .207 with a .619 OPS, six home runs, five steals, 31 RBI and 34 runs scored over 86 contests despite a near-everyday role. He's been a bit unlucky based on his .288 BABIP, but he's hindered by a 29.9 percent strikeout rate.

JULY 16, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Not starting versus lefty Melendez isn't in the Royals' lineup Saturday versus the Dodgers.

Impact Julio Urias will make his return from a hamstring injury Saturday for Los Angeles, meaning the left-handed bat of Melendez will stay put on the bench to begin the game. Samad Taylor will start in left and bat seventh while Drew Waters gets the nod in right.

JULY 1, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Very productive in win Melendez went 3-for-4 with a run, two RBI and two stolen bases in Thursday's 6-5 victory against Tampa Bay.

Impact Melendez had been mired in a bad slump coming into the contest, going 1-for-15 with 10 strikeouts over his previous five games. He turned things around with a big effort against the Rays, which he culminated with an infield single that plated the game-winning run in the ninth inning. From a fantasy perspective, Melendez's biggest contribution was his two thefts. It was a nice surprise for those who roster him, as he had notched just two steals on four attempts over 68 games coming into Thursday.

JUNE 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sitting Wednesday Melendez is not in the starting lineup Wednesday against Detroit, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Impact Melendez will take a seat after he went 0-for-7 with a run scored, a walk and six strikeouts while starting the first two games of the series. Edward Olivares will take over in right field while Freddy Fermin enters the lineup behind the plate and bats eighth in the series finale with the Tigers.

JUNE 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Hits first homer of June Melendez went 1-for-3 with two walks, a solo homer and an additional RBI in Saturday's victory over the Angels.

Impact Melendez notched his first multi-walk outing since May 29 and hit his first home run since May 28. He was slashing just .260/.283/.300 over his first 13 June appearances before Saturday, but the Royals currently don't have many options available to challenge Melendez for the starting right field spot.

JUNE 18, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

MJ Melendez smashes a two-run homer, bringing the Royals to a tie with the Angels

JUNE 17, 2023 • FOX SPORTS

Notches second steal Melendez went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 9-6 loss to the Marlins.

Impact Melendez seems to be turning things around a bit, as he's hit safely in eight of his last 10 games while going 10-for-35 (.286) in that span. Both of his stolen bases this season have also come in that stretch. He's slashing .220/.307/.375 with five home runs, 25 RBI and 27 runs scored through 55 contests, but the 24-year-old should remain in the lineup consistently since the Royals have few better options available to challenge Melendez for time in right field.

JUNE 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Goes yard in win Melendez went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Nationals.

Impact The Royals rallied with three runs over the final three innings to pull off the comeback victory over the Nationals. Melendez got things going with a solo blast to left center off of Mackenzie Gore for his first home run since May 8. The 24-year-old had 18 home runs over 534 plate appearances last year and sits at just five long balls over 203 plate appearances thus far. His power is down and his strikeouts are up while his average remains low at the dish. For the year, he's slashing just .208/.296/.360 with 16 extra base hits, 22 RBI, 23 runs and a 22:64 BB:K.

MAY 29, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Swipes bag Friday Melendez went 1-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 12-10 loss to the Nationals.

Impact Melendez has hit safely in just three of his last seven games while posting a 3:11 BB:K in that span. The steal was his first of the season -- he recorded only two steals in 129 contests last year, so speed is not a big part of his game. For the season, he's slashing .209/.292/.349 with four home runs, 21 RBI and 21 runs scored. Melendez is likely to maintain a starting role in right field for now, but with Drew Waters back in the mix and Kyle Isbel (hamstring) potentially returning by mid-June, playing time for Melendez could decrease if he can't get his bat going.

MAY 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Out of lineup Monday Melendez is not in the starting lineup against the Padres on Monday.

Impact Melendez has performed well in the month of May with a .313/.370/.500 slash with two homers in 48 at-bats, but he'll get Monday off against the Padres. Hunter Dozier is starting in right field and hitting seventh.

MAY 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Knocks in four runs Monday Melendez went 2-for-5 with a home run, two total runs and four total RBI in Monday's 12-5 win against the White Sox.

Impact Melendez led the way offensively for Kansas City in the big victory, knocking a two-run homer in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the sixth. The four RBI were a season high for the outfielder, who came into Monday with only two RBI over his previous 11 games. Melendez is slashing just .208/.284/.383 on the campaign, though he's reached base in eight straight contests, batting .333 (10-for-30) over that span.

MAY 9, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals Highlights

MAY 9, 2023 • FOX SPORTS

Not in Saturday's lineup Melendez is on the bench for Saturday's game against Oakland.

Impact Melendez's off day against lefty Ken Waldichuk means he's now been on the bench against four of the nine southpaws the Royals have faced this season. After showing promise as a rookie, Melendez is hitting just .200/.276/.364 in his sophomore season, and he's currently seen as just an outfielder and designated hitter with the Royals calling up Freddy Fermin to back up Salvador Perez.

MAY 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Racks up three hits in loss Melendez went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in Thursday's 13-10 loss to the Orioles.

Impact Melendez has gone 6-for-15 (.400) during his four-game hitting streak. He appears set for a near-everyday role in right field after the Royals decided to call up Freddy Fermin to back up Salvador Perez behind the dish. It's possible simplifying things for Melendez could help get his season on track. He's slashing .200/.280/.371 with three home runs, 12 RBI, 11 runs scored, seven doubles and a triple through 28 contests.

MAY 5, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Set for full-time outfield, for now Melendez is expected to exclusively work as an outfielder or designated hitter for the time being after the Royals called up Felix Fermin from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday to serve as...

Impact Melendez has thus far split time between right field and catcher, making 16 and seven starts at those positions, respectively. According to Rogers, the Royals are hoping that by having Melendez focus on just playing the outfield, he won't be bogged down by having to game plan with the Royals' pitching staff and can instead turn his full attention toward getting back on track with the bat. Like many of his teammates, Melendez is off to a rough start to the season at the plate, with his OPS down nearly 100 points from 2022 (.706 to .610) and his strikeout rate up more than 10 percentage points (from 24.5 percent to 34.9 percent). The Royals could revisit getting Melendez some more work behind the plate later this season, so he'll still have a chance to pick up enough starts at catcher to retain eligibility at that spot in most fantasy leagues heading into 2024.

MAY 3, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

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Kansas City Royals vs. New York Mets Highlights

MJ Melendez smashes a two-run homer, bringing the Royals to a tie with the Angels

Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals Highlights