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The Royals hired Mike Matheny nine months ago, and it is only today that he finally manages his first regular season game with the Royals. The Royals will open the 2020 season in Cleveland tonight against the Indians, with Danny Duffy tabbed to get the start on the mound.
Matheny revealed the lineup for tonight’s game, and there aren’t any big surprises. We will see the return of Salvador Pérez, and it will be the first Opening Day for first baseman Ryan McBroom and center fielder Bubba Starling, who was the Royals’ first-round pick in 2011. Here’s how the Royals line up against Cleveland right-handed starter Shane Bieber.
Royals starting lineup
| Pos. | Hitter | Bats | BA | OBA | SLG | PA | HR | rWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Hitter | Bats | BA | OBA | SLG | PA | HR | rWAR |
| RF | Whit Merrifield | R | .302 | .348 | .463 | 735 | 16 | 3.7 |
| SS | Adalberto Mondesi | S | .263 | .291 | .424 | 443 | 9 | 2.4 |
| DH | Jorge Soler | R | .265 | .354 | .569 | 679 | 48 | 3.6 |
| C | Salvador Perez | R | N/A | |||||
| LF | Alex Gordon | L | .266 | .345 | .396 | 633 | 13 | 1.3 |
| 1B | Ryan McBroom | R | .293 | .361 | .360 | 83 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 3B | Maikel Franco | R | .234 | .297 | .409 | 428 | 17 | -0.6 |
| 2B | Nicky Lopez | L | .240 | .276 | .325 | 402 | 2 | 0.1 |
| CF | Bubba Starling | R | .215 | .255 | .317 | 197 | 4 | -0.8 |
All stats are from 2019.
The game airs at 6:10 CT on Fox Sports Kansas City.