Merrifield went 0-for-6 in Thursday's loss to Seattle.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield set a franchise record by extending his hitting streak to 31 games Wednesday night, but his historic run would come to an end after taking the collar at the plate in the series finale. He'll look to begin a new streak starting Friday against the Indians.

Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Mariners.

EDGE Analysis

His seventh-inning bunt single not only brought home Terrance Gore from third to tie the game at 5-5, it extended Merrifield's hitting streak to 31 games -- breaking George Brett's franchise record, set during his historic 1980 campaign. Merrifield is now slashing .340/.380/.532 through 11 games with a homer, five RBI, 11 runs and four steals.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Monday's 13-5 loss to Seattle.

EDGE Analysis

Dating back the 2018 campaign, Merrifield has a hit in 29 consecutive games. Over the last four games, he's collected eight hits and five runs scored, raising his season average to a robust .342.

Merrifield will start in right field and bat leadoff Saturday against the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield appeared at second base in 108 games a season ago and was expected to receive the majority of his action at the keystone in 2019, but he'll instead make both of his first two starts in right field. According to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, manager Ned Yost recently said that using Merrifield in right gives the Royals their best defensive outfield, as it allows the team to shift the slow-footed Jorge Soler to designated hitter. Merrifield made 39 appearances in the outfield in 2018 and should already have eligibility at the position in the majority of the leagues, so the more notable takeaway from the news is that he looks on track to carry dual-position eligibility into 2020 as well.

Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run Friday night against the Dodgers.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield clubbed his first long ball of spring training in the fifth inning, putting the Royals out in front 4-3. The 30-year-old hit for average in 2018 (.304) but his power numbers noticeably declined from his 2017 season. He belted 12 homers and 60 RBI through 158 games last year compared to 19 home runs and 78 RBI in 145 contests in 2017.

The four-year contract extension Merrifield agreed to Sunday with the Royals includes a $10.5 million team option for 2023, Jeff Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield's deal will guarantee him at least $16.25 million. He'll make $15.5 million over the first four years of the deal and will be due a $750,000 buyout in the event the Royals choose not to exercise the 2023 team option in what would be his age-34 season. The speedster's contract also contains salary escalators in 2021 and 2022 for reaching certain award or plate appearance-based thresholds. It's an extension that works well for both sides, as it gives Merrifield a higher salary ceiling while buying out his arbitration years and enables the Royals to retain one of their top performers over the past two seasons at an affordable price.

Merrifield agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Royals on Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kansas City now has Merrifield locked up until after his three seasons of arbitration. The 30-year-old second baseman finished his second full year in the big leagues with a .304/.367/.438 slash line including 12 homers, 60 RBI and 45 stolen bases in 158 games. Merrifield will aim to piece together another stellar campaign heading into 2019 and could solidify himself as one of the top fantasy options at second base if he manages to pick up where he left off last season.

Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a stolen base Sunday against the Indians.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield wasn't particularly productive at the plate in the regular-season finale, but managed to record his 45th stolen base. He was extremely aggressive on the basepaths to close the season, stealing 10 bags in his last 10 starts. Though he's not much of a power producer, he hit for a good average (.304) and scored plenty of runs (88).

Merrifield went 1-for-5 with two stolen bases and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield singled to lead off the third inning, swiping second and third base before scoring on a single from Alex Gordon. The utility man is now sitting at 41 stolen bases on the season, putting him just two behind the major-league leader, Trea Turner. He's also hitting .303/.367/.440 with 12 homers and 87 runs scored.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a double, two singles, two runs and a steal in Thursday's loss to the Tigers.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield continues to lead the American League with 37 steals, and the three-hit effort extended his hit streak to 11 games. He owns a .303 batting average with 12 home runs, 57 RBI and 84 runs over 665 plate appearances in 2018.