Mason Black News: Viewed as reliever

Black allowed no hits and two walks over a scoreless inning in Thursday's Cactus League loss to the Rangers. He did not record a strikeout.

In a high-scoring affair, Black managed to work a scoreless eighth inning, albeit while issuing a pair of walks. The right-hander has worked primarily as a starter throughout his professional career, but Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, "We view him more as a reliever. Just as a reliever? Not necessarily. If you need a spot start, maybe that would be the case," per MLB.com. After being traded from the Giants in November, a retooling of his repertoire with the assistance of Kansas City's coaching staff has proven effective thus far in Cactus League play, as Black has tossed five scoreless innings across four appearances. The 26-year-old may be ticketed to open the season with Triple-A Omaha, but the club appears to believe he can contribute at the big-league level in 2026.