Melendez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.
The Royals often shield the left-handed-hitting Melendez from opposing southpaws, but he'll take a seat Wednesday while the Twins send a right-hander (Joe Ryan) to the hill. Melendez's move to the bench comes while he's gotten off to a horrid start to the season, slashing .115/.258/.154 with a 38.7 percent strikeout rate over 31 plate appearances. If Melendez is unable to turn things around soon, he could find himself out of the lineup versus righties on a more consistent basis.