The plan, at the time, made a lot of sense. With second base having been a revolving door of epic proportions for the Kansas City Royals, Omar Infante was signed to a four year contract in the hope that, finally, second base would be set. Infante, at the very least, appeared to be the player to solidify the position for he next couple of seasons.

Instead, Infante struggled through a myriad of injuries last season and is already dealing with an elbow problem that he says may require surgery after the season. Obviously, this is not the news that the Kansas City Royals wanted to hear. This does, however, suddenly make Christian Colon an even more intriguing player going into this season.

As it was, Colon was likely to have an expanded role with the Royals this season. Considered the first option should Mike Moustakas struggle once again, Colon seemed destined to get some action at third while serving as the primary backup middle infielder. Now, Colon may see even more time than anticipated, especially given Infante’s elbow woes.

Thus far in Spring Training, Christian Colon has performed well. In his 22 at bats, Colon has produced a .409/.519/.455 batting line, drawing four walks while striking out only once. Keeping in line as a player who was projected to have more gap power than home run capability, Colon has a lone double as his extra base hit. However, he is putting the ball in play and displaying a solid batting eye in the early going.

The ongoing injuries that Omar Infante has been struggling with, coupled with Colon’s excellent start in Spring Training, may well lead to Colon receiving a lot more playing time. While he will not be a starter unless Infante spends an extended amount of time on the disabled list, Colon could well approach Jarrod Dyson levels and receive around 200 to 250 plate appearances this season.

Should this happen, Christian Colon could potentially set himself up to be more than just a utility infielder. As the Kansas City Royals had discussed trading Infante this past offseason, a solid performance from Colon could well set those discussions in motion once again.

The Kansas City Royals have been looking for someone to stop the revolving door at second base for years. Could it be that they had the answer right there with Christian Colon?