Second base: Michael Massey is the KC Royals' man at second...for now
Michael Massey sent the Royals home winners Sunday with this walk-off single against Washington:
The game-winner capped Massey's 2-for-4 day and provided the latest evidence that despite a poor start to the season, he's hanging on to the everyday big league job he's had since the Royals promoted him last August.
That he'd need to supply such proof may surprise some; after all, Massey starting at second for Kansas City this season was all but a foregone conclusion when the Royals opened their exhibition schedule in late February, and a .279 Cactus League average did nothing to dispel that notion.
Unfortunately, Massey's April did. He was slashing .167/.173/.180 with one extra-base hit when the calendar turned to May and calls for the club to replace him with hot-hitting Omaha infielder-outfielder Samad Taylor began bubbling throughout social media.
Fortunately, Massey's May is much, much better—for the month, he's slashing .308/.395/.492 heading into this afternoon's 1:15 p.m. CT game against the Cardinals in St. Louis. Keeping his job won't require maintaining those numbers, but another awful slump akin to April's may tempt general manager J.J. Picollo to give Taylor a try.
On to shortstop...