KC Royals resting some, not others after clinching MLB Playoffs spot

KC Royals manager Matt Quatraro has a delicate lineup balance to strike tonight in Atlanta. Less than 24 hours after Baltimore helped his club land its first ticket to the MLB Playoffs since 2015, Quatraro has to deploy his team in its best pre-postseason interest, but must also take care to field a lineup befitting the hot playoff pursuit in which the host Braves remain engaged.

Neither Quatraro nor the Royals want to invite criticism for not providing Atlanta a suitable test. The Braves, after all, enter this evening's contest at Truist Field tied with the Mets and Diamondbacks for the final two National League Wild Card spots; there is no chance the second-year KC skipper will dilute his lineup to give any club an advantage over any other, but that many will scrutinize to what extent he rests key players is a fact of late-season, playoff-chase baseball life.

So, what's Quatraro's plan for tonight's second game of his club's three-game series with Atlanta?

It includes a couple of at least mildly surprising features.

Some KC Royals stars will start, others will be on the bench

Many probably believed the Royals would skip Seth Lugo's regular start tonight so he'll be ready for Tuesday's opening game of the American League Wild Card Series — either Baltimore or Houston will host KC — but that's not the case. Lugo's spot is next up after Brady Singer started Friday, and the right-hander who leads the Royals in wins with 16 will take it.

How long he'll pitch remains to be seen, but don't be shocked if Quatraro pulls him after two or three innings. A shorter effort than usual will satisfy the need for Lugo to get some work in but still keep him available for WCS Game 2, or Game 3 if the latter becomes necessary in the best-of-three Wild Card format.

Lugo is 16-9 with a 3.03 ERA in 32 starts since joining the club in the offseason on a three-year deal (the third is a player option). He's tied with San Francisco's Logan Webb for the major league lead in innings pitched with 204.2.

Righty Reynaldo López, 8-5 with a fine 2.03 ERA, will start for the Braves.

While Lugo plays, AL MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr. will rest for the first time this season. He's played in every one of the club's 160 games, and could conceivably see some action tonight. Witt leads the big leagues with a .332 average and has a seven-point advantage over Toronto's Vladimir Guerrro with two regular season games left to play.

Here's the rest of Kansas City's lineup:

Salvador Perez gets "half" a night off by serving as designated hitter; Michael Massy, Kyle Isbel, and Tommy Pham are on the bench unless they're needed in the later innings.

Who's playing for Atlanta this evening?

Manager Brian Snitker's lineup looks like this:

How can KC Royals fans follow the game?

Televising tonight's 6:20 p.m. CDT contest are Bally Sports Kansas City and Bally Sports Southeast. Streaming options for KC fans are here. Kansas City's 96.5 FM The Fan and Royals Radio Network affiliates have the broadcast.

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