Is this struggling KC Royals hitter still worthy of a roster spot?

The promotion of Royals No. 1 prospect Jac Caglianone to the Royals on Sunday presents an interesting math problem. Caglianone will be penciled into the lineup almost every day starting Tuesday, June 3rd, at Busch Stadium when the Royals take on their in-state rivals in the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Royals announced that outfielder Dairon Blanco would be the corresponding roster move to make room for Caglianone, but the end may also be near for one Michael Massey.

Michael Massey could be in danger of losing roster spot due to his regression

Massey was entrusted this season to be one of the hitters the Royals rely upon in the lineup. 2024 was a breakout year for the young second basemen, hitting .259 with an OPS of .743 and a 102 wRC+.

He was expected to take another step in his development and realize his potential. Matt Quatraro had Massey hitting 5th on Opening Day. That promise has not materialized, and the Royals don't have time to wait for Massey to figure it out at the Major League level.

Massey has the second-worst OPS among qualified hitters in all of baseball. He has not found any rhythm this season, and he's bringing the quality of the entire lineup down when he plays.

His expected stats aren't saving him, either. His xBA is in the 14th percentile and his xSLG is in the 4th percentile, which is the wrong type of percentile you're looking for when identifying baseball players.

His spray chart shows a ton of weak-hit singles and not enough doubles and home runs. His saving grace is that he doesn't strike out or have a lot of swing-and-miss in his game (83rd percentile K-rate and 79th percentile whiff rate).

His low strike-out rate and stellar defense has likely been what's kept him safe from the initial Royals chopping block, but the math won't be "mathing" for long if Massey continues to be a light-hitting singles hitter with no pop.

Caglianone figures to be a DH in most games but will rotate between first base and the corner outfield spots. The Royals wanted Massey competing for outfield playing time with the addition of Jonathan India this off-season. However, Drew Waters, John Rave, and Nick Loftin figure to become more viable options.

Like MJ Melendez, the Royals are better when Massey contributes at the plate in Kansas City, not in Omaha, but we cannot ignore what is screaming at us in the face: Michael Massey needs a mental break from the big leagues.

It's in the team's best interest to get Massey going in any way they can so he can return to form and provide another professional at-bat in the lineup. It was Massey last postseason who came through in a big moment during the ALDS vs. the New York Yankees. He hit a game-tying triple in the bottom of the 5th inning in Game 3, doing his best to rally the team to take the lead. Postseason success shouldn't be ignored, and the Royals have been 100% behind Michael Massey since he debuted for the team in July of 2022.

A month or two in Triple-A should be the breather he needs to get back on track, but the Royals have players who have called up already to replace him if he can't find his swing. There's no guarantee that his spot on the roster will still be here when or if he figures it out.