Nick

Pratto

Pratto fortifies Texas’ infield depth after hitting .196/.289/.331 with nine homers and eight steals in 114 games at the Triple-A level last season. The 27-year-old got into 145 games for the Royals from 2022-2024, slashing .216/.295/.364 with 14 big flies and one steal over 527 plate appearances. He can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats.

This will surely be a minor league deal. Pratto once looked like the Royals’ first baseman of the future, but he was largely ineffective in 527 plate appearances between 2022 and ’23 (.216/.295/.364) and things went from bad to worse the last two years, as he finished with Triple-A OPSs of .734 in 2024 and .620 in 2025.

Pratto and Velázquez were subjected to waivers, but both managed to go unclaimed and will remain with Kansas City. The Royals have cleared three 40-man roster spots with Carlos Hernández being claimed by the Phillies. Pratto and Velázquez will serve as minor league depth in case the Royals have an injury at the major-league level.

Pratto is 2-for-13. The former top prospect is coming off a poor .242/.324/.410 season in Triple-A and is now out of options. The Royals are giving him outfield time in the hopes that he’ll crack the roster as a bench player, but he’d seem to be a long shot at this point.

The Royals are also using Jonathan India and Michael Massey in the outfield during spring to try to increase their roster flexibility. Pratto is out of minor league options, so the Royals would have to subject him to waivers if he doesn’t make the opening day roster. As a result, they’re trying to find multiple ways to ensure he can be useful to the team if he starts the season as a bench bat. He should remain off fantasy radars for now.

Pratto has been shipped back to the minors following Thursday’s game against the Yankees with Adam Frazier likely back for Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers out in Los Angeles.

Pratto is up with Adam Frazier on the bereavement list. The 25-year-old is a former first-round pick, but he’s likely only up as a bench option while Frazier is away for the next three days.

Even though this won’t count toward his Spring Training stats, Velázquez has to feel good to see one go over the fence. It’s been a rough spring for Velázquez who has gone 6-for-27 (.222 AVG) with nine strikeouts. Velázquez appears to have eked out a roster spot for Opening Day as Nick Pratto was optioned to Triple-A after he slashed .421/.476/.816 with four homers and just eight strikeouts in 38 Cactus League at-bats.

There simply isn’t a spot for Waters with Kyle Isbel, Nelson Velázquez and MJ Melendez occupying Kansas City’s outfield spots in addition to Adam Frazier, Garrett Hampson and Dairon Blanco on the bench as reserves. Nola will open the season back in the minors as emergency catching depth.

Pratto got the scoring started in the second inning, blasting a three-run homer off Paul Blackburn to put the Royals on top. He later added a base hit to lead off the fourth. The 25-year-old first baseman is battling for a roster spot this spring. He’s making his case so far, going 9-for-22 at the plate.