CLEVELAND -- The Royals officially called up left-hander Jerry Vasto and right-hander Glenn Sparkman from the Minor Leagues, and reinstated left-hander Eric Skoglund from the 60-day disabled list.
But Kansas City did not call up first baseman Frank Schwindel or right-hander Josh Staumont -- the Royals' No. 11 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline -- and it doesn't appear it will, Royals manager Ned Yost said, unless there is a need because of injury.
One of the main reasons, Yost said, is that he would have difficulty finding any playing time for Schwindel or Staumont.
"Where am I going to play him?" Yost said of Schwindel. "I have [Jorge Bonifacio] sitting on the bench today. Do I want Boni sitting on the bench? No. I don't have enough at-bats for everyone.
"We thought about [calling up Schwindel]. We looked to see how we could get at-bats for [him]. I mean, I got [Rosell] Herrera sitting on the bench two days in a row. I got Boni sitting on the bench. I got to give this group at-bats. Yeah, I like [Schwindel]. But it wasn't going to work."
Yost has spoken often in recent days of the challenge of trying to get enough consistent at-bats for Bonifacio, Herrera, Hunter Dozier, Brian Goodwin, Ryan O'Hearn and Brett Phillips while still playing his regulars.
The other issue is a pending 40-man roster crunch that will hit the Royals this fall. Four more players [Cheslor Cuthbert, Nate Karns, Jorge Soler and Jesse Hahn] will have to come off the 60-day disabled list after the World Series and will need 40-man spots. The Royals also will have to ponder Rule 5 Draft protection for five other eligible players: Staumont, Foster Griffin, Scott Blewett, Arnaldo Hernandez and, of course, Schwindel, who had an .842 OPS this year at Triple-A Omaha with a club-record 38 doubles and 24 home runs.
One way to look at the issue is that the Royals essentially have a 49-man roster right now when you include the 60-day disabled list players and those they may want to protect from the Rule 5 Draft. Certainly, some spots will open, as pending free agents like Jason Hammel and Alcides Escobar are expected to leave, along with a non-tender or two. But the Royals will still have some tough decisions ahead to chisel away at the 40.
"We're not blind to what [Schwindel] has done," said Royals assistant general manager of baseball operations Scott Sharp, who is on this road trip. "We had a lot of discussions. But there's a core group of guys we want to see play, and while the rosters expand, the game doesn't get any longer. You're not playing 15-inning games. You want to get consistent playing time for Ryan O'Hearn and Hunter Dozier and all the other guys Ned has probably talked about.
"And the other thing is there is a level of roster management that has to be done going forward."
Duffy nominated for Clemente Award
Left-hander Danny Duffy is this year's Royals nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes the player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
Wednesday will mark the 17th annual Roberto Clemente Day. All 30 MLB clubs have a nominee for the Clemente Award, and this year's winner will be named during the World Series.