Kansas City Royals News

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Carlos Estévez • RP • Royals

Carlos Estevez Still in Boot, Unlikely to be Available on Monday

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (ankle) is still in a walking boot on Monday, and the team will see how he feels, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Estevez probably won't be available to pitch to begin the week, but with an off day on Tuesday, the Royals will determine if he needs to go on the injured list. The 33-year-old veteran took a line drive off his left ankle when he allowed a whopping six runs in a blown save on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves, and he wasn't available to pitch in the series finale in Atlanta on Sunday. With Estevez out, Lucas Erceg picked up the save for KC in the 4-1 win. Even if Estevez was available on Sunday, manager Matt Quatraro hinted that the Royals want to use the struggling reliever in lower-leverage situations going forward. Estevez could certainly be used in save situations again in 2026, but right now, he's firmly on the closer hot seat, and fantasy managers need to scoop up Erceg wherever they can. An IL stint seems likely for Estevez, mainly so that he can figure out a way to get his velocity back up.

17 hours ago

Lucas Erceg • RP • Royals

Lucas Erceg Sliding into Closer Job in Kansas City

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg appears to have taken over as the team's closer for the time being. Carlos Estevez (ankle) opened the season in the closer role, but he allowed six runs over 0.1 innings on Saturday and blew the save along the way. He also suffered an ankle contusion during the loss. Between the poor performance and the injury, Estevez has quickly worked his way out of the closer role. Erceg has taken his place, and the 30-year-old stepped up by earning the save in Sunday's win over the Atlanta Braves. He has yet to allow an earned run through two innings, and his fastball velocity has jumped to a career-high mark of 98.9 mph. Erceg's closer role isn't as safe as some of the other prominent relievers in baseball, but it's safe to say that it's his job to lose at this point. The right-hander has legitimate streaming appeal in most fantasy leagues as he continues to handle save situations.

20 hours ago

Lucas Erceg • RP • Royals

Lucas Erceg Profiles as a Priority Early-Season Waiver-Wire Target

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg was primarily utilized as a setup man in 2025, posting a 2.64 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 48 strikeouts, eight wins, and two saves across 61 1/3 innings (61 games). However, Royals closer Carlos Estevez (ankle) allowed six earned runs while recording just one out in his first appearance of the 2026 season on Saturday. Estevez also allowed three home runs and four walks in five innings pitched in Spring Training, and he's currently nursing an ankle injury. Royals manager Matt Quatraro alluded to using Estevez in lower-leverage situations for the time being, which could open the door for Erceg to take over as Kansas City's primary closer. Erceg recorded 14 saves and a 28.5% strikeout rate across 61 2/3 innings split between the Athletics and Royals in 2024. He profiles as a priority waiver-wire target in any fantasy league where he is not currently roster.

Yesterday

Carlos Estévez • RP • Royals

Carlos Estevez Unlikely to See High-Leverage Opportunities in Near Future

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (ankle) was in a walking boot on Sunday morning and will have his ankle contusion re-evaluated, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Manager Matt Quatraro said that he would be "surprised" if Estevez would be available on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. And if Estevez was available, Quatraro said, "We would not be averse to putting him in a lower-leverage situation." "I'm not going to say he wouldn't do it, but I also think it would be probably smarter for us to try to build him a little bit in lower leverage first," Quatraro added when asked if he would use Estevez in the ninth inning. Estevez took a line drive off his left ankle in an eventful blown save on Saturday in which he allowed six runs in just one-third of an inning. The 33-year-old saw a drop in his strikeout rate in 2025, and his velocity has been noticeably down this spring. It appears that Estevez is already on very shaky ground early on in 2026, so fantasy managers chasing saves need to run to the waiver wire and add Lucas Erceg, who figures to be next in line for ninth-inning duties in KC as the Royals look to get Estevez right.

Yesterday

Carlos Estévez • RP • Royals

Carlos Estevez Hit with Comebacker, X-Rays Negative on Ankle

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (ankle) was hit with a comebacker during the ninth inning of Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Braves. Initial X-rays came back negative, but he will be reassessed on Sunday morning, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Estevez entered Saturday's game with a two-run lead and an opportunity to earn the save. However, he allowed six runs, including a walk-off grand slam to Dominic Smith, while recording just one out. The veteran closer surrendered four hits and two walks along the way, and he was charged with the loss and blown save. Depending on the severity of the injury, Estevez could be headed for a stint on the injured list. Given that he likely lost his job as the team's closer on Saturday night, the Royals might feel less pressure to have him play through his ankle injury. Lucas Erceg, who had 14 saves in 2024, could be Estevez's successor if he does get removed from the closer role.

Yesterday

Carlos Estévez • RP • Royals

Carlos Estevez Allows Six Runs in Season Debut, Blows Save

Kansas City Royals right-handed closer Carlos Estevez had a rough night on Saturday in the 6-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Estevez was hit with a blown save and his first loss of the 2026 season after surrendering six runs on four hits (one home run) while walking two in one-third of an inning. The 33-year-old entered the ninth inning in Atlanta with a 2-0 lead in his season debut, but he imploded and continued to exhibit the diminished velocity that we also observed during spring training. Estevez will likely get some more chances to redeem himself early in the season, but this could become a real problem for his fantasy managers. The Dominican reliever was an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2025 and had a 2.45 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, a league- and career-high 42 saves, 54 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 66 innings pitched. Estevez's drop in velocity and strikeout rate have definitely made him more susceptible to outings like this. If it continues, Lucas Erceg would likely be next in line for save situations in KC.

2 days ago

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Making First Start on Saturday Against Braves

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone sat on the bench in the Opening Day loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday with tough left-hander Chris Sale on the mound, but he will make his 2026 starting debut on Saturday at Truist Park, according to MLB.com. Caglianone is starting in right field and is batting seventh against Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez. The Royals have said that Cags will start against left-handed pitchers this year, but they wanted to protect him to kick off the season against one of the most dominant southpaws in the game. The 23-year-old left-handed slugger has high-end power potential, but he looked overmatched in his MLB debut last year, hitting .157 (33-for-210) with seven home runs, 18 RBI, 18 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 232 plate appearances. The good news is that he didn't strike out all that much. Caglianone will get a longer runway in 2026 and could be an asset in all fantasy leagues, but he'll need to make more consistent hard contact to get there.

2 days ago

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Will Make Starts Against Lefties in 2026

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone, who is on the bench on Opening Day on Friday against the Atlanta Braves and left-hander Chris Sale, will make starts against left-handed pitchers this year, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Sale is one of the most dominant lefty arms in baseball, though, so the Royals will protect him on Friday and put veteran Starling Marte in right field. Caglianone struggled in his first taste of major-league pitching in 2025, hitting only .157/.237/.295 with seven home runs, 18 RBI, 18 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 232 plate appearances over 62 games played. He looked better in spring training, though, and the Royals are going to put more on his plate in 2026 in his first full year in the majors. The good news is that the 23-year-old former two-way star didn't have a major problem with strikeouts in his first exposure to the big leagues. However, he'll need to make more consistent contact, and it's not out of the question that he'll return to the minors if he struggles again early on. Long-term, Cags has high-end power potential, and he could have dual eligibility at first base and in the outfield.

3 days ago

Carter Jensen • C • Royals

Carter Jensen Serving as DH, Hitting Ninth on Opening Day

Kansas City Royals catching prospect Carter Jensen is serving as the team's designated hitter and is batting ninth in the order on Friday on Opening Day against the Atlanta Braves and left-hander Chris Sale, according to MLB.com. Jensen, 22, impressed in a 20-game cup of coffee in KC in 2025 in his MLB debut, going 18-for-60 (.300) with three home runs, 13 RBI, and 12 runs scored in 69 plate appearances. Jensen went just 9-for-42 (.214) during spring training, though, adding three homers, eight RBI, seven runs, one stolen base, four walks, and 11 strikeouts in 15 Cactus League games. He's expected to split catching duties in 2026 in his first full year in the majors with veteran Salvador Perez while also seeing at-bats at DH for the Royals. Don't overlook the fact that Jensen could be playing every day for the Royals this year. DFS managers will want to avoid him on Opening Day in the nine-hole against Sale, though.

3 days ago

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone on Bench Versus Lefty on Opening Day

Kansas City Royals left-handed-hitting outfielder/first baseman Jac Caglianone will start on the bench for the team's Opening Day game on Friday against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park with left-hander Chris Sale on the mound. The Royals aren't going to have Caglianone face one of the nastiest left-handers in the game to begin his first full season in the big leagues, especially after the left-handed power bat struggled mightily in his first taste of major-league pitching in 62 games in 2025. The former sixth overall pick in 2024 out of the University of Florida did hit seven games in 232 plate appearances, but he also struck out 52 times and hit just .157 (33-for-210). Things looked better in spring training, though, as Cags went 7-for-23 (.304) in a small sample size with a homer, four RBI, six walks, and seven strikeouts in 10 Cactus League games. He's expected to be on the strong side of a platoon against righties in right field for KC in 2026. Veteran Starling Marte is in right on Friday and will hit sixth against Sale. Marte has hit .286 with a .572 in just seven career at-bats versus Sale.

3 days ago

Kris Bubic • SP • Royals

Kris Bubic Carries Sleeper Appeal into 2026

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic had a breakout start to the 2025 season, posting an 8-7 record with a 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts across 116 1/3 innings (20 starts). However, the 28-year-old lefty's season was cut short after he suffered a rotator cuff injury in late July. Bubic is now healthy and has been impressive so far this spring, recording a 0.75 ERA and 14 strikeouts across 12 Cactus League innings. While Bubic's fastball isn't overpowering, he still struck out nearly one batter per inning in 2025 and did a good job limiting the long ball with a 0.46 HR/9. Bubic has never logged more than 130 innings in a season and is coming off a shoulder injury, so fantasy managers may be wise to limit their expectations for his workload. Still, Bubic could be an undervalued source of quality starting pitcher production in the later rounds of drafts heading into 2026.

Mar 22

Matt Strahm • RP • Royals

Matt Strahm Considered Day-to-Day After Being Hit By a Comebacker

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Matt Strahm (leg) was diagnosed with a leg contusion and is considered day-to-day after being struck by a line drive against the Rangers. He was removed as a precaution, but the injury doesn't look like it will impact his availability for Opening Day. Strahm was acquired by the Royals from the Phillies, where the 34-year-old has spent the last three seasons. He is expected to fill a high-leverage role in the Royals' bullpen, and he is worth a look in leagues that count holds as a category. He isn't expected to compete for saves, though, while Carlos Estevez is healthy, which limits his value in standard mixed leagues.

Mar 19

Isaac Collins • LF • Royals

Isaac Collins Serving as the DH on Wednesday

Kansas City Royals outfielder Isaac Collins (back, side) is serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Texas Rangers. It will be Collins' first spring training game since March 10 while recovering from back and left-side tightness. Barring a setback, Collins should be ready for Opening Day at the end of next week. In six Cactus League games before his injury, the 28-year-old switch-hitter went 2-for-18 (.111) with two walks and nine strikeouts in 20 plate appearances. Collins hit .263/.368/.411 with a .779 OPS, nine home runs, 54 RBI, 56 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases in 130 games over 441 plate appearances in his first full big-league season in 2025 with the Milwaukee Brewers. In deep-mixed and OBP leagues, Collins is a decent late-round flier with some speed and modest power. He will most likely be in some sort of platoon role in his first year in KC.

Mar 18

Cole Ragans • SP • Royals

Cole Ragans Named Royals Opening Day Starter

The Kansas City Royals announced on Tuesday that left-hander Cole Ragans will start on Opening Day this year for the third consecutive season. Ragans will have a tough task with a matchup in Atlanta against the Braves for his first start of the 2026 campaign. 2025 was a lost season for the 28-year-old southpaw, as he missed time with groin and left-shoulder injuries, which limited him to just 13 starts. When healthy, the former first-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2016 went 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA (2.50 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 98 strikeouts and 20 walks in 61 2/3 innings. In 2024, he was a first-time All-Star and had 223 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings pitched. That was the only time in Ragan's four MLB seasons that he's exceeded 100 innings pitched. Under the hood, Ragans' advanced metrics are solid, suggesting he has ace upside at a potential discount this year. In 10 2/3 spring training innings, he's allowed 10 earned runs, but he's walked only three and fanned 15. RotoBaller has Ragans ranked as the No. 10 fantasy starting pitcher going into his fifth year in the big leagues.

Mar 17

Jonathan India • 2B • Royals

Jonathan India Returns to Tuesday's Lineup

Kansas City Royals second baseman Jonathan India (groin) returned to Tuesday's Cactus League lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers and got the start at second base while batting leadoff. The Royals removed India as a precaution during Friday's spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with right-groin tightness, but the 29-year-old has returned to action this week. Barring a setback, India will be ready to start on Opening Day later this month in his second year with the team. The former National League Rookie of the Year in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds struggled in his first year in the American League, slashing .233/.323/.346 with a career-low .669 OPS, nine home runs, 45 RBI, and 63 runs scored over 567 plate appearances and 136 games played. India's fantasy stock is obviously way down -- he's the No. 42-ranked second baseman at RotoBaller -- but perhaps he rebounds for the Royals while sticking at the keystone this year.

Mar 17

Bobby Witt Jr. • SS • Royals

Is Bobby Witt Jr. Worthy of a Top-Three Pick Heading into 2026?

Across 687 plate appearances in 2025, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. slashed .295/.351/.501 with 23 home runs, 88 RBI, 99 runs scored, and 38 stolen bases. While the 25-year-old's numbers were slightly down across the board relative to his banner 2024 campaign, Witt Jr. still provided elite overall fantasy production. Overall, Witt Jr. profiles as one of the most bankable superstars in baseball. Across four MLB seasons, he has never finished with fewer than 20 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 80 RBI, or 80 runs scored. There may also be reasons to think that he can boost his power output closer to the 30-homer mark that he reached in both 2023 and 2024. For one, Witt Jr. posted an above-average 12.5% barrel rate in 2025. Additionally, the Royals are moving the fences in at Kauffman Stadium this year, which could lead to a more home run-friendly environment in half of Witt Jr.'s games. Heading into 2026, Witt Jr. looks like one of the safer picks for fantasy managers early in the first round of drafts.

Mar 17

Carter Jensen • C • Royals

Carter Jensen Continues to Look Like a Value Pick at Catcher

Kansas City Royals catching prospect Carter Jensen appears poised to break camp as the team's designated hitter for 2026, while also likely to spell veteran Salvador Perez behind the plate on occassion. The Royals' top-ranked prospect surged through the upper levels of the minor leagues last year, culminating with an impressive 20-game debut in the majors in which he slashed .300/.391/.550 with three home runs and a 9:12 BB:K. The left-handed slugger has looked solid again this spring, going 8-for-30 (.267) with three home runs in 10 games. While the 22-year-old may see some regression from the 2025 numbers over the course of a 162-game season, the contact ability and power are real, as is his ability to draw walks, owning a career 15.2 percent walk rate in the minors. The former third-round draft pick is the 15th catcher going off the board in fantasy drafts (ADP 199), but could easily find himself finishing within the top 12 at the position by season's end, and he currently owns the fourth-best odds for AL Rookie of the Year at +700 (FanDuel), not far behind the leader, Kazuma Okamoto, who is at +460.

Mar 17

Kris Bubic • SP • Royals

Kris Bubic Brings Solid Value

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic is back at full strength after having his potential breakout season cut short last year, and he can be a solid mid-round value to add depth to your pitching staff. Last year, the 28-year-old lefty posted a 2.55 ERA, 2.89 FIP, and 2.97 K/BB ratio in 116.1 innings but was shut down in July with a shoulder injury. Bubic wasn't a hard thrower before the injury, but his velocity has returned to around 92 mph with his fastball, which is more effective due to movement than raw speed. Even though he doesn't normally overpower hitters, he did have a strong strikeout rate last season, giving him a nice ceiling in his return this year. He has allowed just one run with 10 strikeouts in his eight spring training innings, and if you can grab him to add depth to your rotation, he is set up to be a solid contributor again this season. He's RotoBaller's No. 57 SP coming into the season, so don't reach for him as an elite arm, but he can be a solid mid-rotation addition with good returns after seemingly making a full recovery.

Mar 17

Cole Ragans • SP • Royals

Cole Ragans Could Re-Emerge as a Fantasy Ace in 2026

After breaking out as a fantasy ace in 2024, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans battled through injuries and underperformance in an underwhelming follow-up campaign in 2025. Across 61 2/3 innings (13 starts), the 28-year-old went 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 98 strikeouts. Ragans spent time on the Injured List with two separate groin strains and also dealt with a rotator cuff issue. However, Ragans is reportedly back to full strength heading into 2026 and could be in line for a resurgent season. Even in a down year, Ragans still posted a ridiculous 38.1% strikeout rate in 2025. His outlier 64.4% strand rate indicates that his inflated 4.67 ERA in 2025 was a symptom of poor luck, as he logged an excellent 2.67 xERA and 2.50 FIP. As long as Ragans can stay healthy, he could easily re-emerge as a fantasy SP1 in 2026.

Mar 15

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone is a Top Breakout Candidate

Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone could be ready to take the next step in 2026. Caglianone got his first taste of big league action last season, but struggled to adjust. He slashed .157/.237/.295 with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 62 games in 2025. The 23-year-old appears to have made the proper adjustments as he's tearing the cover off the ball in camp. Through six games, Caglianone is slashing .455/581/.970 with one homer, four RBI, and five walks. Caglianone was also impressive during his four games in the World Baseball Classic. The former first-round pick came into the league with a ton of hype, and wasn't ready last season. Early in camp, it looks like he's made the right adjustments and is ready to crush big league pitching.

Mar 15

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