Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) was placed on the 10-day injured list due to right Achilles tendinopathy on Monday. The 31-year-old did not receive a start during their opening series against the Cleveland Guardians. Last season, Blanco appeared in just 88 contests but did provide value in category formats. During this stretch, the 31-year-old swiped an impressive 31 bags, which was the eighth-most in the AL. In the batter's box, he posted a .258/.308/.392 slash line with just four doubles and four long balls. Through the first three games of the 2025 season, Blanco already swiped two bags. In a corresponding move, the Royals promoted Tyler Tolbert from Triple-A Omaha. He is worth monitoring in deeper category formats given his elite speed upside.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) will be back in action on Sunday. The speedy outfielder has been sidelined lately due to Achilles tightness. The team will ease him back into action by letting him play three innings. The expectation is that Blanco will slowly progress into playing full games again and should be fine in time for Opening Day. Blanco slashed .258/.308/.392 with four home runs and 13 RBI across 88 games with the Royals last season. His best asset is his speed considering Blanco has stolen 55 bases over the last two seasons with KC.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) has resumed on-field baseball activities and should be able to get back into a spring game soon, although it will likely be a minor-league game first. Blanco was scratched from a Cactus League game at the end of February with an Achilles injury, but X-rays came back negative and he's nearing a return to game action at spring training. The 31-year-old veteran should have the time he needs to get ready for Opening Day in late March. Blanco is merely competing for a roster spot as a reserve outfielder in camp after slashing .258/.308/.392 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 31 stolen bases and 37 runs scored in 88 games in 2024. He has swiped 55 bases the last two years, giving him some appeal in AL-only and deep-mixed leagues, but Blanco has primarily served as a late-game defensive replacement and pinch-runner.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) had an X-ray on Monday that showed nothing concerning regarding his right-Achilles soreness, but he is getting an MRI exam on Tuesday as a precaution. The 31-year-old was scratched from Monday's Cactus League lineup against the Athletics and should be considered day-to-day for now in camp. When healthy, Blanco will likely be a reserve outfielder for the Royals' big-league squad in 2025. The Cuban outfielder played in a career-high 88 games for the Royals in his third major-league season in 2024 and hit .258/.308/.392 with a below-average .699 OPS, only four home runs, 13 RBI, 31 stolen bases and 37 runs scored in 132 plate appearances. Most of his success has come against left-handed pitching, but he can be useful for his speed in deeper fantasy leagues as a pinch-runner/defensive replacement late in games.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) is dealing with Achilles tightness and is considered day-to-day. He was a late scratch from Monday's starting lineup. Instead, Joey Wiemer got the starting nod in center field. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he may miss additional time throughout the week. Last season, Blanco logged a career-high 88 games and held a .258/.308/.392 line with four doubles, four home runs, and 31 stolen bases. He placed in the 97th percentile in sprint speed but generated a weak .279 xwOBA. When healthy fantasy managers should expect Blanco to compete for a depth role in the outfield alongside Wiemer. Currently, Kyle Isbel is expected to be the team's starting center fielder.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco got a rare start on Saturday and made the most of it, homering twice and driving in seven runs during a 3-for-5 day at the plate in a 13-1 romp over the Reds. Blanco typically appears as a pinch-runner, and although he did not record a steal in Saturday's game, the speedster has 21 stolen bases on the season despite having just 111 plate appearances. If this performance somehow earns Blanco more playing time, he would quickly become an intriguing fantasy asset, as he easily has the highest stolen-bases-per-plate-appearances ratio of any player with at least 25 plate appearances using his 97th-percentile sprint speed.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco showed up big on Thursday, leading his team to a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Blanco went 3-for-3 with four runs scored, two RBI, a homer, and two stolen bases. It was a full stat line for Blanco, but unfortunately the 31-year-old hasn't done much to warrant being rostered in fantasy outside of this game. He will steal the occasional base, with 10 on the season, but he hardly starts games and is usually used as a late-game pinch-runner. He might see more at-bats now, but he shouldn't be rostered unless steals are at a premium.
The Kansas City Royals selected outfielder Dairon Blanco's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Monday and designated outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. for assignment in a corresponding move. Blanco will be making his return to the big leagues after going 2-for-7 with two RBI and a stolen base in five games in his major-league debut in 2022. The 30-year-old has earned another opportunity for KC by hitting an impressive .347/.444/.451 with an .895 OPS, seven doubles, a triple, three home runs, 19 RBI, 47 stolen bases and 37 runs scored in 49 games for Omaha. Because Blanco is unlikely to see a starting role for the Royals, he'll only be worthy of a waiver-wire pickup in deeper leagues for fantasy managers in need of steals. Bradley gets the boot after hitting .133 (14-for-105) with a homer and six RBI in 43 games.
Dairon Blanco
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Royals
