Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's series opener against left-hander Devin Smeltzer and the Minnesota Twins.
Brewer Hicklen is replacing Blanco in center field and hitting ninth. The Royals placed Kyle Isbel (illness) on the injured list Thursday, so there will be more playing time available in the outfield in the short-term.
Per numberFire's MLB Heat Map, the Royals have the fourth-lowest implied total (3.50) in the majors on Thursday.
Source: Baseball Press