Pratto has gone 5-for-12 across five Cactus League games.
Pratto started off a little slowly, but he posted four hits over the last two games, including his second double of the spring in Sunday's contest against the Giants. Pratto needs a strong spring to begin the year in the majors -- he was surpassed by Vinnie Pasquantino on the depth chart at first base a year ago, and it's expected catchers MJ Melendez and Salvador Perez will share the bulk of the time at designated hitter when they're not behind the dish. Pratto slashed just .184/.271/.386 with seven home runs, nine doubles and 20 RBI across 182 plate appearances as a rookie last season.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Out Friday against righty
Rotowire
Pratto is not in Friday's lineup against the Red Sox.
Pratto is hitting .103 with a 40 percent strikeout rate in 11 games this month, and things have gotten so bad that he's out of Friday's lineup even against a right-hander in Michael Wacha. Vinnie Pasquantino is starting at first base, while MJ Melendez is the designated hitter.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
Pratto was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.
Pratto struggled over 11 games in September, hitting just .103 with a home run, three runs, two RBI, five walks and 18 strikeouts. He was on the bench for two of the last three matchups and will head to the minors after Edward Olivares (quadriceps) was reinstated from the injured list.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Excluded from Wednesday's lineup
Rotowire
Pratto isn't starting Wednesday against the Twins.
Pratto will get a breather after he went 0-for-9 with a run, an RBI, a walk and six strikeouts over the last three games. Vinnie Pasquantino will start at first base and bat cleanup Wednesday.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: On bench Friday
Rotowire
Pratto isn't starting Friday against the Tigers.
Pratto is getting a day off after he went 2-for-14 with three walks and six strikeouts over the last four games. Vinnie Pasquantino will take over at first base and bat cleanup.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Launches solo home run
Rotowire
Pratto went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Saturday's 12-2 win over the Tigers.
Pratto launched a solo shot in the first inning to lead off the scoring. He would come around to score again in the fifth on a Kyle Isbel grand slam. It was Pratto's seventh homer since he was called up July 14. The rookie first baseman has seen his struggles this season including an eight-game hitless streak in August. Since then, he has gone 11-for-33 (.333), raising his season batting average from .163 to .206.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Homers twice in four-hit game
Rotowire
Pratto went 4-for-5 with two home runs for a total of three RBI and three runs scored in a 9-7 victory over the White Sox on Tuesday.
Pratto put together the best game of his young career with a four-hit effort that included two home runs off Lucas Giolito. The rookie first baseman is slashing .209/.295/.461 in 115 at-bats this season and has a path to continued playing time with Vinnie Pasquantino sidelined due to shoulder discomfort.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Drives in three in Sunday's win
Rotowire
Pratto went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, three RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 15-7 win over the Padres.
Pratto contributed to the Royals' two biggest rallies. He earned an RBI on a fielder's choice and scored in the first inning, then added a two-run double and another run in the eighth. The first baseman finished the three-game series 4-for-12 with seven RBI, a home run and three doubles. While he's slashing just .182/.276/.382 through 36 major-league games, Pratto should have a clear path to playing time while Vinnie Pasquantino (shoulder) is out.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Two-run homer in loss
Rotowire
Pratto went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run in Friday's loss to the Padres.
Pratto knocked in Michael Taylor on a two-run shot in the fourth inning for his fourth homer of the year and his third this month. The first baseman picked up his first hits since Aug. 13 and is batting 9-for-63 (.143) this month. Pratto has struggled to find consistency since getting called up in mid-July. He is slashing just .176/.271/.373 across 34 games this season.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Sits against righty again
Rotowire
Pratto is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Pratto's playing-time outlook appeared to improve when Vinnie Pasquantino (shoulder) was moved to the injured list Tuesday, but the lefty-hitting Pratto will now find himself on the bench against a right-handed pitcher (Zac Gallen) for the second time in three games. Hunter Dozier will pick up the start at first base in place of Pratto, who is hitting .163 with a 36.5 percent strikeout rate over his first 33 big-league games.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Riding pine Monday
Rotowire
Pratto is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox.
The Royals will give veteran Ryan O'Hearn a rare look in the starting nine at designated hitter, leaving no room for Pratto in Monday's lineup. Pratto started in three of the Royals' four games at Tampa Bay over the weekend, going 0-for-7 with four strikeouts to drop his season average to .170.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Takes seat Friday
Rotowire
Pratto isn't starting Friday against the Rays.
Pratto has sat against most left-handed pitchers since joining the Royals, and he'll get a day off with southpaw Shane McClanahan starting for Tampa Bay on Friday. Vinnie Pasquantino is shifting to first base while Brent Rooker serves as the designated hitter.
Pratto isn't starting Wednesday against the Twins.
Pratto started the last two games and went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. He'll get a breather while Vinnie Pasquantino shifts to first base with Brent Rooker starting in right field.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Out of Sunday's lineup
Rotowire
Pratto is not in the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Dodgers, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.
Pratto started the last nine games and will receive a day off after posting a .789 OPS with two home runs, four RBI and seven runs during that span. MJ Melendez will work in left field while Brent Rooker serves as the designated hitter in Sunday's series finale.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Collects three RBI in doubleheader
Rotowire
Pratto went 3-for-7 with a two-run home run, a sacrifice fly and three strikeouts as the Royals split Tuesday's doubleheader versus the White Sox.
Pratto's two-run home during the sixth inning of Game 1 extended Kansas City's lead to 4-1, and he also delivered a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning of the nightcap to cut the deficit to one run. The 23-year-old was called up by the Royals in mid-July, and he has a .212/.316/.439 slash line with three home runs, eight RBI and six runs in his first 21 big-league games. However, he's also struck out 26 times in 79 plate appearances.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Delivers game-winning hit
Rotowire
Pratto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Red Sox.
Pratto walked it off in the ninth inning with a two-out solo shot off Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock. After beginning his major-league career with three multi-hit efforts in his first five games, Pratto's cooled off noticeably. Saturday's homer made this just the second time the first baseman has hit safely in consecutive contests this year. He's slashing .196/.313/.393 with two long balls, five RBI, four runs scored, a triple and three doubles through 67 plate appearances. Despite the growing pains, the Royals are likely to give the 23-year-old an extended audition in a lost season for the team.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Not starting Thursday
Rotowire
Pratto is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Red Sox.
Pratto is 2-for-24 with seven walks and 14 strikeouts over his past nine contests and will head to the bench Thursday. Michael Massey will enter the lineup in his place, with Hunter Dozier shifting to first base.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Sitting Tuesday
Rotowire
Pratto isn't in the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Hunter Dozier will play first base in Pratto's place. Pratto went 0-for-4 with a trio of strikeouts Monday, and he's struck out 13 times in 29 at-bats since the All-Star break.
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Royals' Nick Pratto: Retreats to bench
Rotowire
Pratto isn't starting Saturday against the Yankees, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.
Pratto started the last two games and went 1-for-6 with a triple, two walks and three strikeouts. Vinnie Pasquantino will man first base while Maikel Garcia stays in the lineup at shortstop for a third straight game.
