Carter Jensen went 3-for-3 and blasted his first home run of the Cactus League season on Thursday as the Royals fell to the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
Salvador Perez
Player News
Carter Jensen went 3-for-3 and blasted his first home run of the Cactus League season on Thursday as the Royals fell to the Diamondbacks in Arizona.Jansen singled with two outs in the opening inning but the Royals were unable to cash him in. He then drove in Jac Caglianone with an RBI single in the fourth inning that extended his club's advantage to 2-0. He then walloped a 416-foot (102.2 mph EV) two-run shot off of Teofilo Mendez in the fifth that made it an 8-0 ballgame. Jansen should see regular action in the Royals' lineup to start the season, both as the backup to Salvador Perez behind the dish and as a designated hitter, giving him plenty of utility for fantasy purposes -- especially in two-catcher leagues.
Maikel Garcia went 2-for-2 from the leadoff spot Monday against the Cubs.Garcia spent a lot of time hitting cleanup down the stretch last season, but he's led off in all three of his appearances this spring, suggesting that the Royals are leaning towards employing him there in the regular season. That would give Salvador Perez's stock a little boost, since he'd move up from fifth to fourth. Jonathan India, who opened up in the leadoff spot last year, would hit in the bottom half of the order if Garcia leads off, making him a weaker bet as a late-round, bounce-back option.