KC Royals: Adalberto Mondesi looks good in first look

The KC Royals may have a few who have to sit out to start summer camp, but some players look ready to go for the 2020 season.

The 2020 season is drawing closer every day and excitement is likely building. The KC Royals are set to play their first game of the season on July 24 in Cleveland and it will be a game that fans won’t want to miss having gone without baseball for months.

While it’s typical for the Royals to play plenty of spring training games before the season starts, for right now, intrasquad games will have to do. While they may not be typical live baseball games, at least fans get to see the boys in action.

The first intrasquad scrimmage was held yesterday and through social media, fans got a chance to see how many of the players are looking and who is already ready to begin the season. One player that provided some excitement is Adalberto Mondesi.

Mondesi managed a couple of hits, including a double off of reliever Scott Barlow. While a couple of hits in the first intrasquad game might not mean much, for Mondesi, it provides a good look at where he is on his recovery from his shoulder injury.

Mondesi wasn’t sliding into bases and stealing left and right, but with a couple of good hits, he looks to be right on track to begin the season. Mondesi’s middle infield partner Nicky Lopez also managed a double off of Braden Shipley.

What may be more interesting to fans though is the combination of both Mondesi and Bobby Witt Jr. on the field, with Witt at third base. While Witt is known more for playing shortstop, an ability to move his skills to third could open up a future where he and Mondesi are both on the field. In an article from Lynn Worthy, he noted that Mike Matheny had some thoughts on this placement.

“There are going to be times when Mondi and Bobby Witt are on the field at the same time, and Mondi is going to be at shortstop,” Matheny said. “We felt better about putting him on the left side of the infield, where he wasn’t necessarily having to deal with turns in the middle. We got him some work at third base so he’d have some comfort to him.

While there is still a lot to be done before the season gets started, some interesting things have already been taking place. Most importantly, though, may be that Mondesi looks like he is getting back to normal, and ready to take on the 2020 season.

Things can always change before the season starts, but as of now, the Royals look to be on the right path. With players like Mondesi recovering from surgery, the team should be able to get back to work and continue progressing with their rebuild.