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Starling Marte Starling Marte Back on bench vs. righty
Sun, Jul 5, 2026, 1:35 PM
Marte is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.
Analysis: Marte will retreat to the bench after he served as the Royals' designated hitter in each of the last three games while going a collective 2-for-9 at the plate. All three of those starts came against left-handed pitching, and Marte appears unlikely to break out of a short-side platoon role anytime soon. He's logged 116 plate appearances on the season, with 88 coming against lefties. |
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Nick Loftin Nick Loftin Idle Sunday
Sun, Jul 5, 2026, 1:31 PM
Loftin is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.
Analysis: After missing a game last weekend due to a bruised groin, Loftin started at third base in each of the Royals' ensuing four contests and went 1-for-12 with two walks and an RBI. Loftin will head to the bench Sunday in what looks to be nothing more than a rest day, paving the way for Josh Rojas to pick up a start at the hot corner. |
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Maikel Garcia Maikel Garcia Not swinging yet
Sun, Jul 5, 2026, 11:52 AM
Garcia (hand) is rehabbing in Kansas City but has yet to resume swinging and will be re-evaluated during the All-Star break, MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Garcia hit the shelf June 23 due to a nagging muscle strain in his left hand that requires extended rest to heal. The extent of his current rehab regimen remains unclear, though he has yet to resume swinging a bat, and a clearer picture of the third baseman's timeline is likely to come following his re-evaluation over the All-Star break. Before landing on the injured list, Garcia slashed .261/.320/.373 with 22 extra-base hits (three homers), 30 RBI, 32 runs and five stolen bases across 69 games. |
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Salvador Perez Salvador Perez Back in lineup at DH
Sun, Jul 5, 2026, 10:17 AM
Perez (elbow) will start at designated hitter and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Phillies.
Analysis: Perez went unused off the bench during the Royals' previous two games while managing a sore elbow, but he's made enough improvement to re-enter the starting nine in a non-defensive capacity. Assuming Perez's elbow provides no complications for him during Sunday's contest, he should be available to make starts at catcher or at first base at some point during the upcoming week. |
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Tyler Tolbert Tyler Tolbert Swipes two bags Saturday
Sat, Jul 4, 2026, 11:22 PM
Tolbert went 2-for-2 with a pair of stolen bases in Saturday's loss to the Phillies.
Analysis: The Royals were mostly shut down by Philadelphia starter Jesus Luzardo, but Tolbert knocked two singles off the left-hander and stole a base after each hit. He was the only KC batter with multiple hits in the defeat. Tolbert hasn't gotten a lot of playing time of late -- his start Saturday was just his fourth over the Royals' past eight contests. While he's slashing a modest .243/.310/.243 with no extra-base hits on the season, he's made the most of his opportunities on the basepaths, stealing nine bags in 11 attempts. |
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Michael Wacha Michael Wacha Serves up three long balls in loss
Sat, Jul 4, 2026, 11:13 PM
Wacha (5-6) took the loss against Philadelphia on Saturday, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over six innings.
Analysis: Wacha kept the Phillies off the board for three frames before back-to-back homers by J.T. Realmuto and Gabriel Rincones in the fourth plated Philadelphia three runs. Wacha allowed one more run in the sixth on an Alec Bohm solo blast. The veteran hurler had previously gone three straight outings without allowing a long ball and hadn't yielded more than two home runs in an outing this season, and he's posted a HR/9 of less than 1.0 each of the past two campaigns, so his inability to keep the ball in the park Saturday is likely more of an aberration than a concerning development. Wacha will look to bounce back in his next start, which is lined up to be a matchup versus the Mets in New York. |
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Jose Cuas Jose Cuas Back with big club
Sat, Jul 4, 2026, 3:22 PM
The Royals recalled Cuas from Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.
Analysis: The move comes after Stephen Kolek (personal) was placed on the Family Medical Emergency List. Cuas' lone appearance with the Royals was Wednesday against the Rays, when he allowed one run on two hits while striking out three across two innings without issuing a walk. He's spent the majority of the 2026 season in Triple-A, where he has a 3.31 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 33:19 K:BB across 32.2 innings. |
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Stephen Kolek Stephen Kolek Goes on Family Emergency List
Sat, Jul 4, 2026, 3:19 PM
The Royals placed Kolek (personal) on the Family Medical Emergency List on Saturday.
Analysis: Kolek's next start is tentatively slated for next week on the road against the Mets, though it's unclear whether he'll be with the team at that time. He took the loss in his last start Thursday against the Rays, when he allowed three runs on four hits and one walk across two innings without recording a strikeout. The Royals recalled right-hander Jose Cuas from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. |
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Salvador Perez Salvador Perez Not in Saturday's lineup
Sat, Jul 4, 2026, 3:12 PM
Perez (elbow) is not in the Royals' starting lineup against the Phillies on Saturday.
Analysis: Perez is out of Kansas City's lineup for a second consecutive game while tending to a sore left elbow, though he could be available off the bench for Saturday's contest. Carter Jensen will start behind home plate while Starling Marte serves as the Royals' designated hitter. |
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Carter Jensen Carter Jensen Homers in multi-hit effort
Fri, Jul 3, 2026, 11:37 AM
Jensen went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 5-2 loss against the Rays.
Analysis: He kicked off the scoring with a monstrous 449-foot leadoff homer off lefty Ian Seymour, Jensen's 13th long ball of the campaign. The left-handed hitter has excelled against southpaws this season, batting .308 with an .831 OPS in 78 at-bats compared to a .229 batting average and .741 OPS in 201 at-bats against right-handers. Over his past 14 games, Jensen has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, slashing .368/.419/.702 with five homers, four doubles, 11 RBI, 11 runs and a stolen base. |
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Stephen Kolek Stephen Kolek Rusty in third loss
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 9:54 PM
Kolek (4-3) took the loss Thursday against the Rays, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk in two innings. He failed to record a strikeout.
Analysis: Pitching on 10 days' rest following a stint on the family medical emergency list, Kolek showed signs of rust in an abbreviated start Thursday. The 29-year-old right-hander has now been unable to register a single punchout in back-to-back outings, watching his season ERA balloon from 2.68 on June 18 to 4.50 after coughing up 12 runs in his last two appearances. Kolek, who also has a 1.24 WHIP and 34:12 K:BB over 54 innings, will be aiming to steady the ship against the Mets his next time out. |
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Kris Bubic Kris Bubic Receives cortisone injection
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 6:49 PM
Bubic (elbow/shoulder) received a cortisone injection Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Bubic will be shut down for 7-10 days before the team will reevaluate where he's at. The southpaw has been sidelined since mid-May while nursing left elbow and shoulder discomfort, and he was shifted to the 60-day injured list Wednesday. |
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Eric Cerantola Eric Cerantola Pushed off 40-man
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 4:57 PM
The Royals designated Cerantola for assignment Thursday.
Analysis: After being sent down to Triple-A on Wednesday, Cerantola will now give up his place on the 40-man roster for Luke Maile, who was selected to the big leagues in a corresponding move. Cerantola walked six batters while giving up two runs in 1.1 innings during his appearance against the Rays on Tuesday, and he'll likely need to show improvement at Omaha before the Royals begin to consider giving him another opportunity in the majors. |
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John Rave John Rave Optioned to Omaha
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 4:53 PM
The Royals optioned Rave to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.
Analysis: Rave will end up as the odd man out of the Royals' 26-man roster following Luke Maile's promotion from Omaha on Thursday. Rave appeared in nine games after getting called up June 14 and went 4-for-18 with a homer and two additional runs scored during his stint with Kansas City. He could return to the majors later in the year, though he'd likely be limited to a bench role. |
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Luke Maile Luke Maile Contract selected
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 4:49 PM
The Royals selected Maile's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.
Analysis: Maile has spent the entire season in the minors up to this point, slashing .202/.324/.303 with two homers, nine RBI and 12 runs scored over 105 plate appearances. He'll now join the big-league roster to give the Royals some depth behind the plate while Salvador Perez sits out with a sore elbow. John Rave was sent down to Omaha to make room for Maile on the active roster, and Eric Cerantola was DFA'd to free up a 40-man spot. |
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Cole Ragans Cole Ragans Undergoes UCL repair surgery
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 4:42 PM
Ragans underwent UCL repair surgery on his left elbow Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: It was unknown what type of procedure Ragans would need when the Royals announced last weekend that he was scheduled for surgery. Now confirmed to have undergone UCL repair surgery, the 28-year-old southpaw will officially miss the remainder of the season and is likely to remain out until midway through the 2027 campaign. He'll close the book on 2026 after putting up a 4.84 ERA and 1.42 WHIP alongside a 45:23 K:BB through 35.1 innings over eight starts. |
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Salvador Perez Salvador Perez Out Thursday with sore elbow
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 4:34 PM
Perez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays due to a sore left elbow, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: The severity of Perez's elbow injury isn't fully known, though the Royals were concerned enough to keep him on the bench Thursday and call up Luke Maile from Triple-A Omaha to provide an extra option at catcher behind Carter Jensen. Perez will exit the lineup for the first time since June 11, ending a stretch of 18 consecutive starts during which he slashed an ugly .216/.227/.311 with one home run, four RBI and seven runs. |
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Jose Cuas Jose Cuas Dispatched to minors
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 3:30 PM
The Royals optioned Cuas to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.
Analysis: Cuas was just added to the roster Wednesday and permitted one run over two innings out of the bullpen in a loss to the Rays. He's clearing out to free up a roster spot for Stephen Kolek (personal), who will be the starting pitcher for Thursday's series finale. |
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Stephen Kolek Stephen Kolek Activated ahead of Thursday's start
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 3:28 PM
The Royals activated Kolek (personal) from the family medical emergency list Thursday.
Analysis: Kolek had been on the paternity list and then the family medical emergency list, but he will rejoin the Royals' rotation with a start Thursday against the Rays. The right-hander will be pitching on 10 days' rest, so it's not clear how sharp he will be or how big of a workload he'll be able to handle. |
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Scott Barlow Scott Barlow Back to Kansas City on MiLB deal
Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 1:15 PM
The Royals signed Barlow to a minor-league contract Thursday.
Analysis: It's a homecoming for Barlow, who spent the first five-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Royals. The veteran reliever was released by the Athletics in late June after posting a 6.48 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 29:19 K:BB in 33.1 innings over 36 appearances. Barlow could get another opportunity in the majors before long if he can get off to a good start at Triple-A Omaha. |
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