Tyler Tolbert is brought up.
The Royals announced Michael Massey has been placed on the Injured List with a left ankle sprain and they have promoted Tyler Tolbert to replace him. Massey started Saturday at DH, against the White Sox, exiting mid-game, and he did not play on Sunday. He has struggled mightily this year, hitting .202/.221/.258 with just two home runs, and his 25 wRC+ is the worst among all qualified hitters in baseball.
Massey has struggled all year with no signs of improvement. He’s hitting just .176 in his last 20 games and he has the lowest walk rate in baseball. He still has options remaining and seemed poised for a demotion until his injury. Cam Devanney is an infielder at Triple-A Omaha, hitting .289/.383/.572 with 12 home runs, but is not currently on the 40-man roster and would require opening up a roster spot to add him.
Tolbert has spent 13 games with the Royals this year, mostly as a pinch runner, stealing six bases, but only getting five plate appearances. He was hitting .265/.339/.408 with three home runs and 11 steals in 29 games at Omaha.