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Vinnie Pasquantino Vinnie Pasquantino Starting rehab assignment Tuesday
Mon, Jul 6, 2026, 12:07 PM
Pasquantino (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Pasquantino has been rehabbing at the Royals' spring training complex in Arizona and is now ready to test things out in games. The first baseman had surgery in mid-June to remove a fractured hamate bone in his right hand and is tracking toward a return to the active roster immediately following the All-Star break. |
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Kyle Isbel Kyle Isbel Rehab assignment delayed
Mon, Jul 6, 2026, 12:04 PM
Isbel will not begin a rehab assignment Tuesday as hoped after feeling soreness in his left foot while running this past weekend, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Isbel has been sidelined for nearly a month after being diagnosed with a Grade 3 tear of a portion of his left plantar fascia. He had aimed to play a handful of rehab games before returning to the Royals' active roster after the All-Star break, but now Isbel will be re-evaluated before next steps are determined. With Isbel's status unclear, Lane Thomas will get more run in center field for Kansas City. |
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Isaac Collins Isaac Collins Absent from lineup
Mon, Jul 6, 2026, 10:07 AM
Collins is not in the lineup for Monday's contest versus the Phillies.
Analysis: Collins will get a routine breather after starting the last three and nine of the last 10 games. Starling Marte will occupy left field and bat sixth in Monday's rubber match. |
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Michael Massey Michael Massey Not starting versus Sanchez
Mon, Jul 6, 2026, 10:03 AM
Massey is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Phillies.
Analysis: The left-handed-hitting Massey is retreating to the bench as the Phillies send southpaw ace Cristopher Sanchez to the bump. Nick Loftin will cover second base for the Royals. |
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Carter Jensen Carter Jensen Exiting starting nine
Mon, Jul 6, 2026, 10:00 AM
Jensen is absent from the lineup for Monday's contest against the Phillies.
Analysis: It's a well-earned day of rest after Jensen started each of the previous 16 contests. The Royals will turn to Luke Maile at catcher in the series finale. |
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Bobby Witt Jr. Bobby Witt Jr. Records 30th steal Sunday
Mon, Jul 6, 2026, 3:30 AM
Witt went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a steal and a walk in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Phillies.
Analysis: Witt didn't drive in any runs but still made an impact offensively, reaching base three times and scoring twice. After drawing a walk in the eighth inning, the speedy shortstop swiped second base for his 30th stolen base of the season. Only Nasim Nunez (32) has more stolen bases than Witt this season. Since re-entering the lineup after dealing with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee, the 26-year-old is slashing .241/.303/.483 with two homers, four RBI, six runs and two stolen bases across eight games. |
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Salvador Perez Salvador Perez Drives in two during win
Mon, Jul 6, 2026, 2:00 AM
Perez went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Phillies.
Analysis: After starting the afternoon 0-for-3, Perez came through with a two-run double in the eighth inning to provide Kansas City with valuable insurance runs. The veteran catcher has endured one of the toughest offensive seasons of his career and closes in on the All-Star break with career lows in most major offensive ratios. Through 82 games, he is slashing .202/.241/.329 with 10 home runs, 11 doubles, 32 RBI and 29 runs scored. |
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Luinder Avila Luinder Avila Earns fourth win
Sun, Jul 5, 2026, 10:49 PM
Avila (4-3) earned the win Sunday against the Phillies, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings.
Analysis: Avila threw 41 of his 69 pitches for strikes and limited Philadelphia to one hit through the first four innings. His lone blemish came in the fifth, when Bryson Stott tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly one batter later. Avila has now allowed one run or fewer in five of his seven starts since the beginning of June. Two blowup outings have inflated his numbers to a 5.04 ERA with a 27:19 K:BB across 30.1 innings during that span. Avila is scheduled to make his next start on the road against Baltimore. |
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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 the ensuing four contests and went 1-for-12 with two walks and an RBI. He'll head to the bench in what looks to be a routine 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 a bat, and he'll 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 required extended rest to heal. The extent of his current rehab regimen remains unclear, and a clearer picture of the third baseman's timeline is likely to come following his re-evaluation. Before landing on the injured list, Garcia was slashing .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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