(Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
There was a not-so-short time in February and March a young infielder not named Bobby Witt Jr. had the KC Royals facing a hard spring training decision.
While most Cactus League attention focused squarely on Witt, and speculation he’d make the Royals’ Opening Day roster ran rampant, Emmanuel Rivera busied himself in Witt’s shadow trying to stake his own viable claim to a spot in Kauffman Stadium’s infield. Although he hadn’t seen a pitch or fielded a ball above Double-A, the Royals played him 23 times and he responded well, hitting .