Will his demotion be permanent?
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Earlier this month, the Royals finally demoted MJ Melendez, after he hit 4-for-47 (.085) with one home run and a 38 percent strikeout rate. He had been declining for the last few seasons and his defensive play in the outfield had produced mixed results.
Last week we asked Royals fans when we should expect to see Melendez return to the Royals. A plurality of fans aren’t holding their breath – 43 percent aren’t expecting Melendez to ever return to the Royals.
Another 33 percent must figure the Royals are a bit more loyal than that, and that Melendez will return before the end of the year.
So far, he hasn’t exactly played his way back to the big leagues, hitting 2-for-24 (.083) with one double in his first six games in the minors. He is still young, and there is time for him to turn things around.
But the clock is ticking.
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