CLEVELAND -- Royals second baseman Omar Infante struggled filling in for rookie Whit Merrifield, who had the day off in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Indians. Infante went 0-for-4 and was unable to turn a double play in the eighth inning that could've allowed the Royals to escape unscathed.
Instead, a run scored in the eighth before the Indians rallied in the ninth for two runs, including a walk-off sacrifice fly.
On Friday night, Merrifield was back in the lineup and playing second base, where he's expected to stay for most of the season.
When Merrifield was called on May 18, Royals manager Ned Yost said Merrifield's versatility was a key reason for the move.