Edward Olivares’ return to the Kansas City Royals pushes Nick Pratto back to minors
Outfielder Edward Olivares jumped back into the Kansas City Royals’ starting lineup on Saturday in Boston, rejoining the team on the field the first time since July.
Olivares returned from a left-quad strain that forced him onto the 60-day injured list, and Royals manager Mike Matheny plugged him into the lineup batting sixth and playing right field against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
In order to make room for Olivares on their active roster, the Royals optioned first baseman/outfielder Nick Pratto to Triple-A Omaha.
Olivares, 26, had been on the IL since July 19 (retroactively on July 22). He sustained the injury while running to first base during the final game of the club’s series in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Acquired from the San Diego in a 2020 trade that sent Trevor Rosenthal to the Padres, he had been one of the best hitters in the Royals’ lineup this season when healthy.
But injuries marred his season. A right-quad strain caused him to miss 43 games earlier in the year.
In 36 games in the majors this season, Olivares batted .303 with a .358 on-base percentage, a .434 slugging percentage, three home runs and four doubles in 99 at-bats.
Baseball America dubbed Pratto, 23, the top prospect in the Royals’ farm system in their annual mid-season rankings. The left-handed hitting former first-round draft pick (14th overall in 2017) made his major-league debut during the Royals’ trip to Toronto in July.
Pratto has played in 49 games in the majors this season and slashed .184/.271/.386 with seven home runs, including a walk-off homer against the Red Sox. He’s hit nine doubles and one triple and driven in 20 runs.
Pratto, who had been sharing time at first base with Vinnie Pasquantino, presumably will get the chance to play daily at Triple-A Omaha. There are 10 games remaining on Omaha’s schedule, not including Saturday’s game.
