The Royals placed Melendez on the 10-day injured list Tuesday.
Melendez suffered a sprained left ankle during Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Red Sox and will miss at least the Royals' first six games coming out of the All-Star break before he's eligible for activation July 26. While Melendez is sidelined, Dairon Blanco and Garrett Hampson should see action in left field.