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Top Nelson Velazquez News

  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Seen as primary DH

    Velazquez is penciled in as the Royals' designated hitter, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

    Velazquez mashed when he came to the Royals from the Cubs last season, but it remains to be seen if he can do it over a full season. The power is real, but his 28.5 percent strikeout rate is a concern. With Salvador Perez also getting up there in age -- he'll be 34 for much of the season -- the longtime catcher could see more games as the DH, which likely would leave Velazquez on the bench against some right-handers.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Not in Sunday's lineup

    Velazquez is not in Sunday's lineup against the Yankees.

    Velazquez hit .244 with nine home runs, 17 runs and 20 RBI over 23 games in a huge month of September. It would seem that he played well enough down the stretch to enter 2024 as a regular in the middle of the Royals' lineup.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Absent from lineup

    Velazquez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Tigers.

    It's a routine day off for Velazquez, who had started each of the previous 11 contests for the Royals. Drew Waters will occupy right field Thursday while Edward Olivares serves as the designated hitter.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Goes deep twice

    Velazquez went 2-for-3 with two solo homers in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Astros.

    Velazquez tallied the first Royals run of the game with his 380-foot homer off Hunter Brown in the second inning. He wasn't done for the day, as he cranked a 396-foot solo shot the next inning, again off Brown. Velazquez has been on a torrid power tear lately, hitting five home runs over his past nine games. The former Cub is slashing .239/.313/.632 with 14 homers, 25 runs and 27 RBI over 36 games since joining the Royals.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Reaches 15-homer mark

    Velazquez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Guardians.

    Velazquez's first-inning blast was all the Royals needed to earn the win. The outfielder has gone a modest 15-for-55 (.273) in September, but seven of his hits have left the yard. He's up to 15 homers, 31 RBI, 30 runs scored, six doubles and no stolen bases while slashing .244/.313/.622 over 46 contests between the Royals and the Cubs this season. The 24-year-old outfielder's power has helped him earn fairly steady playing time over the last month.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Smacks 14th homer

    Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a home run, one RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 6-4 win over Cleveland.

    Velazquez launched a 425-foot solo home run off Cal Quantrill in the sixth inning to chase the Guardians' starter from the game. The 24-year-old has been a steady source of power since arriving from the Cubs at the trade deadline. Velazquez has hit .235/.303/.602 with 11 homers, 21 RBI and 20 runs in 31 games with the Royals.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Smacks homer in win

    Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 4-2 win over the Astros.

    He's not seeing a full-time role in September, but Velazquez has made the most of his playing time with five homers over his last 11 games. He's hitting .289 this month, which has gotten him up to a .246/.305/.619 slash line with 13 homers, 24 RBI, 25 runs scored and five doubles over 41 games between the Royals and Cubs. Velazquez should continue to see a bit more than a typical platoon role while filling in at designated hitter and the corner outfield spots.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Sitting again Wednesday

    Velazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

    Velazquez has a 1.028 through 10 games in September but will sit Wednesday for the third time in Kansas City's past five contests. Edward Olivares is serving as the designated hitter and has earned a larger share of the playing time with four home runs, three doubles and 10 RBI since being called up by the Royals when rosters expanded Sept. 1.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Not starting Game 2

    Velazquez isn't in the Royals' lineup for Tuesday's nightcap against the White Sox.

    Velazquez went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Game 1 of Tuesday's twin bill, and he'll get a chance to rest while Dairon Blanco starts in right field with Salvador Perez operating as the Royals' DH.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Gets breather Sunday

    Velazquez is absent from the lineup Sunday at Toronto.

    This looks to be a routine day of rest for Velazquez, who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Saturday's loss to the Blue Jays but still boasts a .916 OPS across his first 87 plate appearances with Kansas City. Edward Olivares is filling the DH role Sunday as Drew Waters patrols right field.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Keeps up power binge

    Velazquez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the White Sox.

    This was Velazquez's third straight game with a homer, and he's already gone deep four times over six contests in September. The outfielder is 8-for-24 (.333) this month, which has helped him become a near-everyday player in the Royals' lineup. For the year, he's batting .250 and slugging .644 with 12 homers and 23 RBI over 36 games between the Royals and the Cubs.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Smacks another homer

    Velazquez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox.

    Velazquez already has three homers in September, which comes after he hit five long balls in his first 17 games with the Royals. The outfielder's power has helped him earn consistent playing time since he was traded from the Cubs. For the season, the 24-year-old has a .250/.306/.630 slash line with 11 homers, 21 RBI, 23 runs scored and five doubles over 108 plate appearances.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Reaches double-digit homers

    Velazquez went 1-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and one run scored in Monday's 12-1 win over the White Sox.

    Velazquez hit a ball 419 feet for his 10th homer (sixth with the Royals) of the season in the fourth inning. The 24-year-old drew his eighth straight start and appears to be gaining the trust of manager Matt Quatraro. Velazquez has hit .250 with three homers, eight RBI and five runs in 28 at-bats over that eight-game span.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Goes deep in win

    Velazquez went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer, a double and two runs scored in Friday's win over Boston.

    Velazquez capped off a six-run sixth inning and 13-run game by Kansas City with his ninth homer of the year. He entered Friday in a 3-for-28 skid with just one home run during that span. The 24-year-old now has 13 extra-base hits to go along with an .886 OPS through 91 plate appearances.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Swats eighth homer

    Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Mariners.

    Velazquez started his Royals career hot, but he had gone 1-for-16 across his previous six games. His homer Sunday prevented Kansas City from getting shut out. For the year, he has eight long balls, 14 RBI, 17 runs scored and two doubles while batting .239 with an .886 OPS over 75 plate appearances. He should see plenty of playing time against left-handed pitchers, but he has not been exclusively limited to a short-side platoon role with the Royals so far.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Hits bench Wednesday

    Velazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.

    Velazquez appears to have inherited the role that Edward Olivares had occupied for Kansas City before being optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Aug. 13. Though the righty-hitting Velazquez should play regularly versus southpaws, he'll be more of a part-time option against right-handed pitching. He'll sit for the second time in three games while the Athletics bring righty Adrian Martinez to the hill for the series finale.

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  • Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Clubs another homer

    Velazquez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Mariners.

    Velazquez is finding a groove with three multi-hit efforts and four homes over his last six games. The 24-year-old outfielder is seeing time between right field and designated hitter, putting some pressure on Drew Waters and Matt Beaty for playing time. Velazquez is batting .288 with seven homers, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored and two doubles over 55 plate appearances between the Cubs and the Royals this season.

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Player Bio

HT/WT: 6-0, 190 lbs
Birthplace: Carolina, Puerto Rico
Age: 25
Experience: 1
Bats/Throws: R, R