KC Royals: Jeison Guzman called up to the 28 man roster

The KC Royals have made plenty of moves this year with many on the injured list. Now, a young position player may get the chance to show what he’s got.

It seems as though the KC Royals have made a roster change almost every day of the season so far. There have been players optioned back to the training site, DFA’d, and plenty moved onto the injured list, both for COVID restrictions or injury in general.

For a short time, the Royals 28 man roster sat at 27. In what may be a surprise to some, the Royals filled their last spot with a young shortstop prospect, Jeison Guzman. Guzman may seem like an interesting pick, as at only 21 years old he hasn’t made it above A-ball. With the young players coming out in full force for the Kansas City this season, though, it’s not too off the wall.

Guzman came to the Royals during the 2015-16 international signing period. He has struggled to get his bat going since he has been with the organization, but has seen more success in recent years. His defense, though, is where the Royals really pay attention.

According to the MLB prospect rankings, Guzman may not have to worry about his bat holding him back too much as his defense is somewhat of a spectacle. He is able to make all the right plays and can compete with top prospects in the Royals organization. Guzman has struggled with errors, though his prospect page suggests he is better than those errors and will get better with time.

While Guzman has done well enough to show progress and get himself added to the 40 man roster, his call up may have all been a matter of timing. Jeffrey Flanagan at MLB.com mentioned in a recent article that manager Mike Matheny needed a position player on the bench, but some other options may not have been available just yet.

“Once again, making a statement about how important it is to be on the 40-man roster,” Matheny said of Guzman. “And typically, this [move] would have been [Erick] Mejia, but he hasn’t had his 10 days [after being optioned] yet. We need a little bit more on our bench than we had.”

Either way, the call up shows the confidence the Royals have in Guzman. He has worked hard to improve his bat and has shown obvious defensive capabilities. While he may still have some work to do before he is a full-time major league player, before long, he may just get his chance to show the Royals what he’s made of.

The Royals put Jeison Guzman on their 28 man roster to add some position player depth. While his stay might not be long as others become available, the call up should add some confidence to help push his production forward.