Royals manager Matt Quatraro provided some updates today about players on the roster, with Anne Rogers of MLB.com relaying them on X. Outfielder Dairon Blanco, who departed Saturday’s game with some cramping, will get an MRI on his calf today. Quatraro framed it as precautionary, saying the MRI was “just in case.” Meanwhile, right-hander Carlos Hernández is playing catch as he ramps up after being shut down with shoulder soreness a couple of weeks ago.
Though Quatraro downplayed the issue with Blanco, an MRI always implies some level of concern. If healthy, Blanco would likely be in line for a part-time bench role for the club, similar to the job he had last year. He got into 69 games in 2023 but only garnered 138 plate appearances, often entering games as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He hit a solid .258/.324/.452 in that time for a wRC+ of 108 while also stealing 24 bases in 29 tries.
He was even more impressive at Triple-A, as he stole 47 bases in just 49 games at that level. His huge .347/.444/.451 slash line translated to a wRC+ of 136. He played all three outfield spots, both at Triple-A and in the majors, with his big league glovework getting positive reviews from advanced defensive metrics.
The Royals are likely to give regular playing time to Hunter Renfroe, MJ Melendez, Nelson Velázquez and Kyle Isbel between their three outfield positions and the designated hitter slot. Blanco will be backing up that group and coming off the bench as long as he doesn’t require a trip to the injured list. If he does need to miss some time, it could perhaps open a roster spot for Nick Pratto, Drew Waters or Tyler Gentry.
As for Hernández, as mentioned, he was shut down with shoulder soreness a couple of weeks ago. He played catch over the weekend and will do so again today as he starts to ramp back up. Whether he can be an option for the club early in the season will depend on how he progresses in the next little bit, with Opening Day now just over two weeks away.
Last year, he looked to be breaking out as a key reliever for the Royals. After an outing on August 4, he was sitting on an earned run average of 3.60 through 55 innings on the year. He had a 29.7% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and had earned 11 holds and a save. But he stumbled down the stretch, allowing 19 earned run in his final 15 innings and boosting his season ERA to 5.27.
Hernández will be looking to get back to that excellent form in 2024, though obviously with a strong finish. The year is off to a bit of a shaky start with the shoulder issue but it’s an encouraging sign that he has resumed throwing.