Kansas City Royals

Royals bringing top prospect Lopez up from minors

Published May. 13, 2019 6:16 p.m. ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals are bringing up top prospect Nicky Lopez from Triple-A Omaha, and he could make his big league debut when Kansas City opens a series against Texas on Tuesday night.

Right-hander Jake Newberry was optioned to Omaha in a corresponding roster move Monday. The Royals will still need to make a move with their 40-man roster before selecting Lopez's contract from Omaha and facing the Rangers.

The 24-year-old Lopez was the Royals' fifth-round pick in the 2016 amateur draft. He was hitting .353 with three homers and nine stolen bases in 31 games for the Storm Chasers, and hit a combined .308 with Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas last season.

That success earned him the organization's George Brett Hitter of the Year award.