Daniel Lynch IV Fantasy Stats

Right-handed reliever Alex Lange is the current closer for the Kansas City Royals, but left-hander Daniel Lynch IV could be worth stashing for fantasy managers in deeper leagues who are speculating on saves in the second half. Lynch, a former first-rounder in 2018 out of the University of Virginia, began his MLB career as a starter before transitioning to a full-time relief role in recent seasons. At the All-Star break, the 29-year-old southpaw sits with a 2-2 record, 2.35 ERA (3.15 FIP), 0.94 WHIP, one save, 33 strikeouts, and only 12 walks in 38 1/3 innings pitched across 39 appearances out of the bullpen. Since taking the loss to the Chicago White Sox on June 27, Lynch has thrown 4 1/3 shutout innings with a walk, three strikeouts, and a hold for the Royals in four games in July. Lynch has 10 saves on the season and could be next in line for saves in KC if Lange struggles. Veteran Carlos Estevez (shoulder) has been on the injured list all year after getting hurt in his first outing of the season, and there's no clear timetable for his return. Lynch is rostered in only 3% of Yahoo leagues.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch IV has emerged as a key piece of his team's bullpen in 2026, pitching to a 1.71 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and one save across 26 1/3 innings (26 games). The 29-year-old is averaging a career-high 94.8 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 27.1% of the batters he's faced this season. After removing the struggling Lucas Erceg from their closer role, the Royals have opted for veteran right-hander Alex Lange in the ninth inning in recent games. Lange has converted all three of his save chances so far, but he's struggled with command throughout his career and owns a 4.03 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 2026. Should Lange fail to lock down the closer role in Kansas City, Lynch IV could be the next man up. In deeper fantasy leagues, managers may want to consider stashing Lynch IV as a potential source of saves.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Daniel Lynch IV (elbow) was placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The left-hander is dealing with left elbow nerve irritation. There is no word on how long Lynch is expected to be sidelined. The expectation is Lynch is probably be sidelined for most of July. He posted a 2.59 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 29/22 K/BB ratio across 39 appearances with the Royals this season. In a corresponding move, right-hander Jonathan Bowlan has been recalled to take the spot on the active roster.

Kansas City Royals left-handed pitcher Daniel Lynch IV has put himself in the competition for the final spot in the rotation. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, his strong showing in camp has put him in the conversation alongside Kris Bubic, who was initially viewed as a "frontrunner." During camp, Lynch has tossed 10 innings to the tune of a 1.80 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. He has tallied nine punchouts and not served up a free pass. Last season, Lynch logged 43 1/3 innings with a 3.32 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He made three starts but was deployed primarily out of the bullpen. He generated an elite .213 xBA with a strong 46.2 percent ground-ball rate. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Lynch's progression during camp as he could be a viable target to improve your WHIP ratio if he begins the season in the rotation.

The Kansas City Royals called up left-hander Daniel Lynch IV from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday to make an emergency spot start against the Minnesota Twins after right-hander Brady Singer had to be scratched from his scheduled start due to an illness. Lynch will be making his second start of the season for the Royals. In his lone start in 2024, the 27-year-old left-hander threw five shutout innings with two walks and six strikeouts in a no-decision on May 5 against the reigning World Series-champion Texas Rangers. Lynch has only thrown seven innings in the big leagues this year, but he's yet to allow a run with six punchouts. At Triple-A Omaha, he's posted a less-exciting 4.76 ERA with 34 K's and 13 walks in 45 1/3 innings of work. Lynch just doesn't have much upside as a fantasy streamer on Thursday's small slate of games.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch IV (shoulder), who was held to 52 1/3 innings in 2023 due to a left-shoulder injury that first popped up in spring training, is healthy in camp and is building up as a starter to compete for a spot in the rotation. Lynch has also moved slightly on the rubber toward the first base side, which has allowed him to create different angles with his pitches to "maximize my arsenal." The 27-year-old southpaw is far from a guarantee to win a rotation job, though, and isn't fantasy relevant in single-year leagues. "It's probably the best I've felt in two years," Lynch said. He said he's put on 25 pounds as part of his rehab process, and he was able to throw two innings of live batting practice on Sunday afternoon. At best, Lynch will probably be a streaming option in AL-only leagues in 2024 if he's making starts.

The Kansas City Royals placed left-hander Daniel Lynch IV (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a left-shoulder strain and recalled left-hander Austin Cox from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. The move comes after Lynch allowed five earned runs on six hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out three in five innings in a win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. It's the same injury that kept him out for several months at the start of the 2023 season, so this is bad news for the 26-year-old southpaw. Don't be surprised if Lynch has an extended absence. He's been a low-upside, matchup-based streamer in deeper leagues this year and has gone 3-4 with a 4.64 ERA (5.21 FIP), 1.26 WHIP, 16 walks and only 34 K's in 52 1/3 innings over nine starts.

Kansas City Royals left-handed pitcher Daniel Lynch (shoulder) will start on Sunday against the Washington Nationals. The 26-year-old will be making his season debut after going down in spring training with a rotator cuff strain. Lynch has looked sharp in his minor league starts at Triple-A Omaha. He put together a rough 5-13 record, 5.13 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 122:52 K/BB ratio over 131 2/3 innings (27 starts) last season with the Royals.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch (shoulder) allowed five runs on nine hits (two homers surrendered) while walking none and striking out eight in 3 2/3 innings pitched in a minor-league rehab start last week for Triple-A Omaha. It wasn't all pretty in Lynch's fourth rehab start, but the eight punchouts in just over three innings was pretty impressive. The 26-year-old southpaw has yet to pitch this year, but he could be a candidate to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list in order to start on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers. In 27 starts in his second major-league season in 2022, Lynch went 4-13 with a 5.13 ERA (4.63 FIP), 1.57 WHIP and 20.3 percent strikeout rate in 131 2/3 innings.

Kansas City Royals lefty Daniel Lynch (shoulder) threw a bullpen on Tuesday and will toss three innings in an extended Spring Training game on Thursday. If all goes well, the 26-year-old will likely appear in a couple of rehab starts, according to Anne Rogers, before returning from a shoulder strain that he experienced near the end of March. Lynch is a former 34th overall draft pick but hasn't shown his potential on the field yet over his two seasons in the big leagues. He owns a career 5.32 ERA, 19.4% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate, and 1.57 WHIP in 42 starts. Fantasy managers should wait and see if Lynch has made any adjustments before making a move.