For the first time in his professional baseball career, Hunter Dozier entered spring training as the Royals obvious starting third baseman this season. Over the last eight seasons, there was always Mike Moustakas. Hunter Dozier never really had a chance to be the Royals third baseman. In 2016, what may have been Dozier’s best professional season, Mike Moustakas tore his ACL, but Dozier was still in AA. Cheslor Cuthbert filled in admirably at the big league level and we didn’t get to see Dozier in Kansas City until September.
In 2017, Dozier played in just 33 games. He broke the hamate bone in his hand and never saw the big leagues.