Royals to call up Jorge Bonifacio

The Royals will call up outfielder Jorge Bonifacio to add some punch to the lineup, according to MLB.com reporter Jesse Sanchez. He will join the team in Texas. No announcement has been made and no corresponding move has been mentioned.

The 23-year old Bonifacio has hit for power in the minors, but has yet to make his Major League debut. He was hitting .304/.385/.587 with three home runs in 12 games for Omaha this year. Last year he hit .277/.351/.461 with 19 home runs in 134 games for the Royals top minor league affiliate. John Sickels ranked him as the #5 prospect in the system, writing:

has finally learned to tap his raw power more consistently but contact and batting average are going to be issues when he reaches the majors; right now looks like a .240-.250, 20 homersish hitter but still young enough to develop further; 60-grade outfield arm and average range make him a right fielder.

Shaun Newkirk ranked him as the #20 prospect in the Royals organization.

The Dominican-born Bonifacio, the younger brother of former Royals infielder Emilio Bonifacio, is adequate defensively as a right-fielder with a strong arm. He had a weird home/road split last year, hitting 14 of his 19 home runs at home last season. He strikes out a bit with a career rate of 21%, but has shown some patience with an 8.6% walk rate. He does not bring much speed to the bases.

The Royals could also bring back reliever Matt Strahm today, the first day he is eligible to be recalled. Paulo Orlando and Raul Mondesi are both candidates to be optioned down. Christian Colon and Cheslor Cuthbert are both out of options, and the team will likely want to keep Whit Merrifield for his offense. Reliever Scott Alexander is also a candidate to be optioned down.