It’s crunch time for the Royals. They have two Cactus League games remaining after Saturday’s game against the Brewers at Surprise Stadium before heading north to Kansas City, where they open the season against the Rangers on Thursday. By then, the Opening Day roster will be set.

Until then, however, decisions remain.

Most of the 26-man roster has sorted itself out, but the final few spots are still up for grabs. Royals manager Mike Matheny has started to have conversations about the roster crunch that will be greeting him at the end of Spring Training, but he’s using these last few games to let the battles play out on the field.

“We’re not waiting to wait,” Matheny said. “We’re watching. And giving them the privilege of competing this whole thing through and just come in here and fight for a spot. There are guys that are still fighting.”

Here’s a breakdown of the Royals’ looming decisions:

Bullpen
What we know: Greg Holland, Josh Staumont, Scott Barlow, Jesse Hahn and Jakob Junis appear to be locks. Junis will begin the season out of the 'pen and has a chance to make spot starts down the road. Wade Davis was added to the roster on Sunday, and Ervin Santana is on track to make the team as well. Despite an up-and-down spring, Kyle Zimmer pitched well in 2020 and earned trust in high-leverage spots -- he seems likely to be in the Royals' bullpen on Opening Day. With four starters (Brad Keller, Mike Minor, Brady Singer and Danny Duffy) in the fold, that leaves one bullpen spot available.

What’s left to solve? The Royals have a few different looks they could go with for that final spot. Is it a left-hander, with Richard Lovelady and Jake Brentz (a non-roster invite) battling for that role? Matheny has mentioned his openness to not carrying a lefty, but Lovelady and Brentz have pitched their way into the conversation. Is it a hard-throwing right-hander in Carlos Hernández? After making his debut in 2020, Hernández has been groomed for a relief role this spring, and his stuff will play there as long as he can command his 99-100 mph fastball. Jake Newberry is another name worth mentioning, with 11 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings this spring.

Second base … and right field
What we know: What the Royals decide to do at second base will determine what right field looks like on Opening Day. With Nicky Lopez scuffling this spring (.118 average in 34 at-bats entering Saturday), the Royals must decide if Lopez can get back on track as an everyday starter or if they need to turn to someone else while he continues to work with hitting coaches John Mabry and Terry Bradshaw. Whit Merrifield has seen the most time at second base recently, and the Royals could take advantage of his versatility to make sure they get production from the position.

“We’re going to make the decisions that we feel best for our club as a whole, so keep working to improve what you can do individually, and try not to get too distracted,” Matheny said of the conversations he's had with Lopez this spring. “Hard not to, right? You’re in the mix and looking around and always trying to read the landscape. … Just trying to be as honest as we can as we figure things out, but sometimes it’s just, ‘All right, we want to give everybody opportunities. Go compete, somebody take it.’”

What’s left to solve? If Merrifield does take over second base, the Royals have an opening in right field. They could take advantage of more versatility and put Hunter Dozier there and have non-roster invite Hanser Alberto at third base. Or they could promote outfield prospect Kyle Isbel, who has seen starts in right field recently. Matheny said earlier this week that Isbel -- the Royals’ No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- is still in the mix for an Opening Day spot after a solid spring both offensively and defensively.

Bench
What we know: The Royals signed Jarrod Dyson to be their fourth outfielder for what he brings off the bench: Energy, speed and defense. If Alberto isn’t turned to as a starter, he’ll take on a bench role and fill in as needed around the infield. The Royals have been impressed with Alberto’s defense this spring and can rely on him at second base, shortstop and third base. He’s even taken some reps at first and the outfield, so he can fill a true utilityman’s role this year.

What’s left to solve? The other bench pieces will depend on what the second base and right field situations look like. Lopez could fill a utility role or be a late-inning defensive replacement off the bench. If Isbel makes the team, that would leave one spot open for either Ryan O’Hearn or Ryan McBroom -- first basemen who have big power potential off the bench. O’Hearn is left-handed and McBroom is right-handed, so the Royals could carry both on their bench for a platoon split if there’s room. Another name worth mentioning here is Emmanuel Rivera, who has moved his name into the conversation as a depth piece if the Royals need help at third.