On Tuesday morning, MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers reported that utility player Michael Massey suffered a low-grade calf strain and would be out for a little bit of time, according to Royals manager Matt Quatraro.

 

The injury is an unfortunate one for Massey, who has had a strong Spring Training campaign thus far. In eight games and 24 plate appearances, the 28-year-old is slashing .364/.417/.545 with a home run, a double, three RBI, and a stolen base. Massey also has a .445 wOBA and is posting some impressive Statcast metrics in Cactus League play, as evidenced by his TJ Stats summary this spring. 

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Massey is coming off a tough 2025 campaign, which is a shame after a promising 2024 campaign (.743 OPS) that saw him get some leadoff at-bats in the postseason. 

In 277 plate appearances, he slashed .244/.268/.313 with a .581 OPS. He only had three home runs, and his 3.1% barrel rate ranked in the 9th percentile last year. While he did a good job of making contact at the plate (85th percentile whiff rate and 86th percentile K rate), he also didn’t walk much, as his 3.3% walk rate ranked in the second percentile. Thus, when balls weren’t falling for base hits, he struggled to get on base or provide much value.

While the injury doesn’t seem “serious”, Massey has a history of injuries in his short career. He’s only had more than 400 plate appearances in a season once (2023, when it was 461). Thus, the Royals may take it slow with Massey’s return, especially if he didn’t respond positively to the calf injury on Friday.

If that’s the case, that could open up a spot for a non-roster invitee to make the Royals’ Opening Day roster. Josh Rojas may be the ideal candidate to replace Massey in Atlanta on March 27th. 

 

Rojas Standing Out in Spring Training

The Royals signed Rojas to a Minor League contract this offseason, giving him an invitation to Minor League camp. The 31-year-old veteran infielder is coming off a brutal 2025 campaign with the Chicago White Sox, which explains why he didn’t receive a Major League deal this offseason.

In 69 games and 211 plate appearances with the White Sox, Rojas hit .180 with a .232 wOBA and 44 wRC+. He only had 2 home runs, 14 runs scored, and generated a -1.3 fWAR. However, in Cactus League play, it’s been a much different story at the plate for Rojas.

In 10 games and 26 plate appearances, he is hitting .304 with a 1.081 OPS. He also has two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, and three walks to five strikeouts. His Statcast percentiles have also been stellar this spring, per TJ Stats, though the sample size is small. 

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Some of the metrics may be hard for Rojas to sustain. I don’t think Rojas will carry his 22.2% barrel rate into the regular season, especially since he has a career barrel rate of 4.6%. Furthermore, his 50% hard-hit rate is 15.7% higher than his career hard-hit rate (34.4%). Still, it’s been nice to see him flex some power, even in the hitter-friendly environment of the Cactus League.

 

However, there are some encouraging trends at the plate from Rojas this spring that could be helpful to this Royals roster, especially off the bench.

First off, Rojas has done an exceptional job this spring, limiting whiffs and making contact, especially at balls in the zone. His 19.4% whiff rate ranks in the 74th percentile, and his 91.7% Z-Contact% ranks in the 85th percentile. He had an 83% Z-Contact% and 23% whiff rate last year with the White Sox, so what he’s doing this spring isn’t out of the realm of possibility for the regular season. 

Another promising trend with Rojas this spring has been his discipline at the plate.

The Royals hired assistant hitting coaches Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames because they had a reputation for improving hitters’ swing decisions. Rojas has seemed to benefit from their limited tutelage this spring, as his 22.2% O-Swing% ranks in the 71st percentile and his BB% ranks in the 60th percentile. Even last year, the former Hawaii product had an 18.6% O-Swing% with the White Sox. That is vastly better than the 40.5% O-Swing% Massey put up with the Royals in 2025. Thus, the Royals could slow-play Massey’s return because Rojas may be a better fit, initially, for what they want to do as a group of hitters in 2026 (which is to limit chasing). 

Lastly, Rojas can play multiple positions in the field, including second, third, and left field, much like Massey. That positional versatility is something Quatraro values from the bench, and Rojas would seamlessly fit in that multi-utility role if Massey is not ready to go by Opening Day. 

How Does Massey Fit on the Active Roster? 

 

With Massey out, Rojas would likely fit in that utility role off the bench. Roster Resource predicts that the bench would also include Nick Loftin, Tyler Tolbert, and Starling Marte. Rojas fits in Massey’s role well because, like Massey, Rojas is a left-handed hitter. 

My guess is that Rojas would split a lot of time at second base with Jonathan India, depending on the matchups (which Massey would’ve done as well).

India is having a solid spring campaign with a .267/.500/.533 slash and .460 wOBA in 22 plate appearances. India has not shown much power. However, he has six walks to two strikeouts and has posted strong Statcast percentiles in plate-discipline categories during Cactus League play. 

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Yes, there are some concerns with India’s profile this spring. The Hard-Hit% is low (20%), as is his average EV (79.9 MPH). However, he has a 100th-percentile O-Swing% and 98th-percentile Whiff and BB rates. If India can transition that to the regular season, the Royals will be happy, especially with less expected from India than a year ago.

 

It should be common for Rojas to play 2-3 games a week, with India playing the other 2-3 games, depending on the matchup. Rojas can also fill in left field as necessary, though that may be tougher with Loftin and Marte on the roster. Speaking of Loftin, he was held out of Tuesday’s game, so his health will be something to watch as the Royals prepare for Opening Day.

 

 

Loftin seems like a sure thing for the Opening Day roster. However, if this “soreness” persists, Rojas could get his spot on the Opening Day roster, and Massey could keep his if the former 2019 MLB Draft pick is fully recovered by next week. 

Regardless, Rojas’ chances to make the Royals Opening Day roster are looking much better than they did when players first reported to camp in Surprise. He may not be a long-term solution in Kansas City, especially if Massey can bounce back to 2024 form. That said, Rojas has done everything he can in Arizona to show that he deserves a spot on this Royals roster in 2026.