Predicting which KC Royals player will lose roster spot when Dairon Blanco returns

If all goes according to plan, Omaha, the Triple-A farm club of the Kansas City Royals, will welcome two additions to its roster before hosting Indianapolis Tuesday morning. The KC organization promoted red-hot infielder-outfielder Peyton Wilson from Double-A Northwest Arkansas to Omaha Monday, then announced a few hours later that Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco is "anticipated" to join the Storm Chasers on an injury rehab assignment Tuesday.

That Wilson will spend more time in Omaha than Blanco is all but certain. He's there for further seasoning, while Blanco will return to the big leagues as soon as he's deemed sufficiently recovered from the right Achilles tendinopathy that forced him to the injured list almost a month ago. That means the Royals must make a roster decision tied to Blanco long before any is required concerning Wilson.

Specifically, general manager J.J. Picollo will soon be deciding who'll lose their major league roster spot when Blanco returns to Kansas City. Sending Tyler Tolbert, who replaced Blanco on the 26-man roster, would be the easy thing to do.

But are things really that easy?

Determining whose KC Royals roster spot Dairon Blanco takes may not be simple

Understanding the future move underlying this situation isn't difficult — the Royals are bringing Blanco back. They wouldn't send him on a rehab assignment unless they were. And to bring him back, someone has to go. Who that someone will be is the big question.

Tolbert is the obvious choice, primarily because he's the player the Royals summoned to Kansas City to fill in for the injured Blanco. The choice made sense — Blanco and Tolbert are both speedy outfielders capable of pinch-running in high-leverage spots and spelling other KC outfielders in late-inning situations.

But Tolbert isn't on the active roster. The club placed him on the bereavement list Sunday, where he can remain for three to seven games. Simply put, he may or may not be immediately available to be optioned back to the minors to make room for Blanco.

Chances are excellent, though, that Tolbert comes off the bereavement list before Blanco is deemed major-league ready. What happens then? Do the Royals reactivate Tolbert, a move requiring removing someone else from the 26-man roster, or send him back to the minors?

To keep Tolbert in the majors, the Royals could designate struggling outfielder Hunter Renfroe for assignment, a move sure to please Renfroe's detractors but unlikely to occur because the club probably isn't willing to eat the bulk of the $7.5 million 2025 salary he earned by exercising his player option in November. Parting ways with Renfroe is what the club should do, but won't.

Instead, and much to the chagrin of those who believe he deserves a full shot at the majors, Picollo could send Nick Loftin, recalled just Sunday to replace Tolbert, back to Omaha. But that won't happen unless the Royals value Tolbert's speed more than they do Loftin's bat — Tolbert had six steals but was hitless in three at-bats and Loftin, who had seven steals of his own, was slashing .307/.485/.453 when the Royals called him up. So, look for Tolbert to return to the Storm Chasers if he's ready to come back before Blanco.

But that doesn't mean Loftin is safe. Expect the Royals to option him back to Omaha when Blanco is ready for Kansas City. Loftin stays with the Royals only if they create room for him to do so — Renfroe and utility man Cavan Biggio are expendable, but the club isn't likely to cut either one until much later in the season ... if then.

Bottom line? Tolbert is headed for Omaha regardless of when Blanco's rehab assignment ends, and Loftin is the most likely player to be sent down when Blanco returns.