Kansas City Royals News

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Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Returning to Saturday's Lineup

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (hand) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting third in Saturday's contest on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Bubba Chandler, per MLB.com. Caglianone suffered a minor hand injury before Friday's series opener at PNC Park, but he is back in action on Saturday and should be returned to fantasy lineups against a right-hander, despite his cold streak of late. The 23-year-old former first-rounder has produced a .277/.328/.483 slash line with an .811 OPS, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, 66 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 484 at-bats in 2026 in his first full big-league season with the Royals. Cags was red-hot in August, slashing .411/.429/.684 with a 1.113 OPS, six home runs, eight doubles, 26 RBI, 17 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 24 games, but he has been banged up in September and has gone just 4-for-27 (.148) with zero homers, four RBI, one walk, and 11 strikeouts. He has never faced Chandler in the majors.

Sep 19

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Out With Hand Injury

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (hand) is out of Friday's starting lineup against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to a hand injury that he suffered on Thursday night, manager Matt Quatraro told Royals broadcaster Joel Goldberg. "It was in the dugout after one of the at-bats. It was my decision to not play him today," Quatraro said. Nick Loftin is making the start in right field for the Royals and will bat eighth in the order against Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes. For now, fantasy managers should consider Caglianone to be day-to-day and check back to see if he is available to play as the series continues in the Steel City on Saturday. The 23-year-old former sixth overall pick from Florida has had a great first full season in the big leagues in 2026, hitting .277/.328/.483 with an .811 OPS, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, 66 runs scored, and six stolen bases across 484 at-bats. However, he has been banged up lately and is limping to the finish line. Cags has gone 4-for-27 (.148) with four RBI, a walk, and 11 strikeouts in 10 games so far in September.

Sep 18

Maikel Garcia • 3B • Royals

Maikel Garcia Reinstated and Starting on Tuesday

The Kansas City Royals announced on Tuesday that they reinstated infielder/outfielder Maikel Garcia (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list and optioned outfielder Matthew Lugo to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Garcia will immediately return to Tuesday's starting lineup against the hosting Houston Astros and right-hander Hunter Brown, starting at third base and batting cleanup for the Royals. The 26-year-old Venezuelan returns for the final couple of weeks of the regular season as he looks to turn his season around in short order. Garcia has been a major disappointment for fantasy managers this year, playing in only 73 games due to injury and hitting .269/.324/.385 with a .709 OPS, only three home runs, 32 RBI, 34 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 309 plate appearances in his fifth year in the big leagues. It is especially disappointing when considering that Garcia was a first-time All-Star in 2025, when he slashed .286/.351/.449 with 16 homers, 74 RBI, 23 steals, and 81 runs scored in 160 games.

Sep 15

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Missing his Sixth Straight Game

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (elbow) will sit out for a sixth straight game on Saturday at Fenway Park against the hosting Boston Red Sox, per MLB.com. John Rave will make yet another start in right field for the Royals while batting seventh against Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez. Caglianone has been slow to recover from a flexor strain in his left elbow, but the Royals continue to say that he is day-to-day, so the left-handed slugger could have an opportunity to return for the series finale in Boston on Sunday. It is a terrible time for the 23-year-old former first-rounder to miss time with an injury during the fantasy playoffs in most leagues. Caglianone has developed into a must-start asset in fantasy leagues for his power in what has been a strong first full season in the big leagues in 2026. He came into Saturday's action slashing .283/.331/.494 with an .825 OPS, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, 66 runs scored, and six stolen bases across his 474 at-bats. Cags tore the cover off the ball in 24 games in August, hitting .411 (39-for-95) with six home runs, eight doubles, 26 RBI, 17 runs scored, and three steals.

Sep 12

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Remains Out With Elbow Injury

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (elbow) remains out of Friday's lineup at Fenway Park against the hosting Boston Red Sox with a left flexor strain in his elbow, according to MLB.com. It will be Caglianone's fifth straight missed game, and if he cannot return during the weekend series in Boston, the Royals might have to put him on the 10-day injured list. John Rave will make another start in right field for KC and will bat sixth against Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray. Caglianone got off to a rather slow start in 2026 in his first full season in the big leagues, but he turned it around quickly and became a must-start for fantasy managers for his power from the left side of the plate. The former first-rounder from Florida is missing valuable games during the fantasy postseason, but hopefully he can return to the field at some point this weekend in Beantown. Over 474 at-bats this year, Caglianone is slashing a strong .283/.331/.494 with an .825 OPS, 23 long balls, 70 RBI, 66 runs scored, and six stolen bases. He has even hit .260 (39-for-150) with seven homers and 18 RBI against left-handed pitchers. Check back on Saturday to see if he is active for the Royals.

Sep 11

Maikel Garcia • 3B • Royals

Maikel Garcia Slated to Start Rehab Assignment on Thursday

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (hamstring) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Thursday, per a team announcement. It's been a bit of a lost year so far for Garcia, who has been limited to just 309 plate appearances in 2026 due to hamstring and hand injuries. However, it appears that the 26-year-old is working towards a return before the end of the regular season. Across 666 plate appearances in 2025, Garcia hit .286 with 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 81 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases. Upon his return from a hamstring injury, Garcia may not be overly aggressive on the basepaths. Still, he profiles as an asset for fantasy managers as a run producer and a source of batting average when he's on the field.

Sep 9

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Still Out on Wednesday

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (elbow) remains sidelined for Wednesday's contest against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Kauffman Stadium, according to MLB.com. John Rave will make the start in right field and will bat seventh for the Royals against Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, who is making his return from the injured list. Caglianone is dealing with a flexor strain in his left elbow and will miss a fourth straight start for the Royals. If he is not ready to return to the starting nine for Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox after another day off on Friday, the Royals may consider moving him to the injured list. That would be really bad timing for fantasy managers who are in the playoffs right now, as the 23-year-old left-handed slugger has turned into a must-start power bat in KC in his first full MLB season in 2026. Caglianone is currently hitting .283/.331/.494 on the season with an .825 OPS, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, 66 runs scored, and six stolen bases across his 474 at-bats.

Sep 9

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Still Out With Elbow Injury

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (elbow) remains sidelined with an elbow injury on Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Kauffman Stadium, according to MLB.com. Matthew Lugo is making the start in right field for the Royals and will bat eighth against Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes (elbow), who is making his 2026 debut. This will be Caglianone's third straight missed start due to a flexor strain in his left elbow. His next chance to play will be in Wednesday's series finale against Arizona, but with an off day coming on Thursday, the Royals might hold the left-handed slugger out until Friday's series opener at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. It is bad timing for Caglianone to be banged up with the fantasy playoffs starting in many leagues this week. After a slow start in 2026, the former sixth overall pick from Florida has taken off and is now sporting 23 home runs, 70 RBI, 66 runs scored, six steals, and a .283/.331/.494 slash line in 474 at-bats. When he returns to the Royals' lineup, he will be a must-start for his left-handed power.

Sep 8

Carter Jensen • C • Royals

Carter Jensen a Priority Waiver-Wire Target Amid Hot Stretch

Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen has been swinging a hot bat lately, and he's on the fantasy radar as a very appealing waiver wire target. Over his last six games, Jensen is 9-for-23 with three home runs, six RBI, two walks, and five strikeouts. The bulk of his hits have been of the extra-base variety. In addition to his three homers, he's slugged three doubles and a triple during that six-game window. Over the full season, he has a .755 OPS with 22 homers, a 10.9% walk rate, a 28.1% strikeout rate, and 107 wRC+. Jensen gets the day off Sunday, but he's expected to be back in the lineup Monday against the Diamondbacks. In doing so, he'll look to extend his on-base streak to 12 games. He is rostered in 49% of leagues and currently ranks as the #8 catcher in RotoBaller's rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings. Managers looking to strengthen or solidify their catcher position should consider picking up Jensen off the waiver wire if he's available.

Sep 6

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Leaves with Elbow Soreness

Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone (elbow) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. According to Joel Goldberg, Caglianone was removed in the third inning due to left elbow soreness. It's unclear when or how Caglianone suffered the injury. He notched an RBI single during his lone plate appearance in the first inning. For now, fantasy managers should consider Caglianone as day-to-day. The Royals should give an update on his status ahead of Sunday's contest. Nick Loftin and John Rave are candidates to see increased playing time if Caglianone misses time.

Sep 5

Maikel Garcia • 3B • Royals

Maikel Garcia Progressing, Not Ruling Out a Late-Season Return

Kansas City Royals infielder/outfielder Maikel Garcia (hamstring) is progressing well and is running at 80 percent while participating in baseball activity, according to MLB.com. Garcia has not ruled out a late-season return after straining his hamstring while running the bases on Aug. 20. The Royals placed him on the 10-day injured list the following day with a strained left hamstring. The 26-year-old Venezuelan has been a major disappointment for fantasy managers in 2026 after he was a first-time All-Star last year, when he hit .286/.351/.449 with an even .800 OPS, a career-high 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 23 stolen bases, and 81 runs scored across 160 games and 666 plate appearances. Garcia just has not been healthy in his fifth year in the majors, playing in only 73 games while hitting .269/.324/.385 with a .709 OPS, three homers, 32 RBI, 34 runs scored, and five steals. Garcia is particularly attractive because of his speed and multi-positional eligibility in fantasy baseball leagues, but he is quickly running out of time in 2026 to produce, and he is now rostered in only 66% of Yahoo leagues.

Sep 5

Carter Jensen • C • Royals

Carter Jensen Has Been a Batting-Average Drain in the Second Half

Across 516 plate appearances in 2026, Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen is hitting .224/.310/.412 with 19 home runs, 62 RBI, 61 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 23-year-old has shown off impressive power for a young backstop at times this season, posting a 10.3% barrel rate for the year. However, Jensen's batting average ceiling is limited by his 28.5% strikeout rate. He's also been working through an extended slump at the plate, as he hit just .187 across 102 plate appearances in July and .165 across 106 plate appearances in August. Jensen still hit four home runs and scored 14 runs last month, so he's not completely without value for fantasy managers. Still, managers may want to look to sell high on him ahead of the stretch run of the season, while his overall numbers still look better than his current production.

Sep 2

Carlos Estévez • RP • Royals

Carlos Estevez to Have Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery Next Week

Kansas City Royals veteran right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder) is set to have season-ending right-shoulder surgery next week, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Estevez had been throwing in Arizona, but he was not progressing much. It is very unlikely that he was going to get back to the Royals this year, but this will officially end his 2026 season and likely his time with the Royals with the club option for 2027. The 33-year-old Dominican hurler officially has a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Estevez, a two-time All-Star who had a league-high 42 saves with the Royals last year, appeared in just one game in 2026, allowing six earned runs in one-third of an inning against the Atlanta Braves on March 28 for a blown save and a loss. His issues started way back in spring training, when his velocity was way down. Estevez actually hit the injured list initially after being hit by a comebacker, and then he suffered a shoulder injury while rehabbing. A bounce-back season could be coming with a new team in 2027, but at this point, we have most likely seen the best that Estevez has to offer as a late-inning reliever.

Sep 1

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Peaking Late in the Season

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone recently missed a few games with ankle soreness, but he is back now and just had a monster performance offensively in Thursday night's 13-2 blowout win on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays. Caglianone carried the Royals' offense, going 5-for-6 at the plate with a home run, a double, a career-high six RBI, three runs scored, and a strikeout to raise his season batting average to .282 and his OPS to .832 in his first full year in the majors. The five hits by Cags were also a career high to boost his overall season line to .282/.332/.500 with 23 home runs, 66 RBI, and six stolen bases in 479 plate appearances. The former first-rounder and two-way player from the University of Florida has come into his own in 2026 after a slow start at the plate, and he should now be rostered in all fantasy baseball leagues. Caglianone has been one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball in August, coming into Thursday's big game with a .382/.405/.658 slash line and a 1.063 OPS, five home runs, six doubles, 20 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three steals in 20 games played. Scoop him up immediately if he is available in your league.

Aug 28

Bobby Witt Jr. • SS • Royals

Bobby Witt Jr. is Scorching-Hot at the Plate

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has been nearly impossible to get out at the plate lately. Over the last two weeks, Witt is slashing .327/.450/.551 with three home runs and six RBI. His hot play stretches longer than that as Witt owns a .930 OPS over the last 30 days. It is well known that Witt is one of the best players in baseball, but now he's really showing it. Witt has been limited to 115 games due to injury, but he has been incredible when healthy. This season, Witt is slashing .288/.366/.458 with 16 home runs, 48 RBI, and 35 steals during his fifth season in Kansas City. Witt is obviously a must-start in all fantasy formats.

Aug 27

Michael Massey • 2B • Royals

Michael Massey Carries Waiver-Wire Appeal Amidst August Hot Streak

Across 366 plate appearances in 2026, Kansas City Royals second baseman/outfielder Michael Massey (head) is hitting .274/.308/.441 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI, 46 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 28-year-old has largely been solid throughout the year, but he's really picked up the pace of late. Across 69 plate appearances in August, Massey is hitting .323 with three home runs. Massey does not profile as a huge source of power for fantasy managers, but he's struck out in just 16.9% of his plate appearances. The lefty-swinging Massey is also hitting .323 against same-handed pitching so far this year, which could help him earn a bit more playing time against left-handed starters down the stretch. With his balanced profile at the plate, Massey profiles as a valuable depth piece to target on the waiver wire in deeper leagues.

Aug 26

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Returns From Ankle Soreness

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (ankle) is starting in right field and batting third on Wednesday against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Spencer Miles at the Rogers Centre, according to MLB.com. Caglianone will return to action after missing the last two games with minor soreness in his right ankle. Fantasy managers will want to get him back into their starting lineups in all leagues, especially after the young left-handed slugger has been crushing baseballs in August. The 23-year-old returns to an overall .276/.328/.491 slash line with an .819 OPS, 22 home runs, 60 RBI, 59 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 434 at-bats in his first full season in the big leagues. Cags, a first-rounder in 2024 and former two-way player at the University of Florida, has never faced Miles, but he's gone 29-for-72 (.403) with five home runs, six doubles, 20 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 19 games during the month. He's one of the hottest hitters in baseball, with 15 of his 22 long balls on the year coming against right-handed pitchers.

Aug 26

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Out Tuesday With Sore Ankle

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (ankle) will sit out of Tuesday's tilt against the Toronto Blue Jays on the road due to soreness in his right ankle, per MLB.com. Caglianone will miss a second straight start with an ankle injury that has been bothering him for the last week. For now, fantasy managers should consider Cags to be day-to-day and check back on him to see if he is playing on Wednesday. If his injury lingers into the weekend, though, the Royals could consider placing him on the 10-day injured list. John Rave is making the start in right field on Tuesday and will hit eighth for the Royals at the Rogers Centre against Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer. Caglianone, a former sixth overall pick in 2024 from the University of Florida, has quickly developed into a strong left-handed power bat for fantasy managers in his first full year in the big leagues in 2026. The 23-year-old came into Tuesday's action sporting a .276/.328/.491 slash line with an .819 OPS, 22 home runs, 60 RBI, 59 runs scored, and six steals in 434 at-bats. He is now rostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues.

Aug 25

Jac Caglianone • RF • Royals

Jac Caglianone Scratched on Sunday With Ankle Soreness

The Kansas City Royals announced that first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (ankle) has been scratched from Sunday's starting lineup against the division-rival Detroit Tigers due to ankle soreness. John Rave will make the start in right field for KC and will bat sixth against Tigers right-hander Jacob Waguespack. Caglianone left Wednesday's contest early against the Athletics with a right-ankle injury and was also kept out in the series finale on Thursday. Apparently, the left-handed slugger is not over his ankle injury and will miss another game, but fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. The next opportunity he will have to play will be for Monday's series opener in Toronto against the Blue Jays. The 23-year-old former sixth overall pick from the University of Florida in 2024 got off to a slow start in 2026 in his first full year in the majors, but he's rebounded nicely and has become a must-start for his left-handed power in KC. Cags currently holds a .276/.328/.491 slash line, an .819 OPS, 22 homers, 60 RBI, 59 runs scored, and six steals in his 434 at-bats.

Aug 23

Steven Cruz • RP • Royals

Steven Cruz has Interesting Deep-League Appeal

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Steven Cruz has been working as the closer lately. He has earned four of the team's last five saves and appears to have a strong hold on the closer role right now. Cruz did give up two earned runs during his latest appearance against the Athletics on Wednesday. Outside of that, Cruz has looked good enough on the mound to warrant adding in deep leagues. Overall, Cruz owns a 4.37 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 51/18 K/BB ratio across 45 appearances. There's enough value here to warrant scooping up Cruz in deep leagues.

Aug 21

Kansas City Royals News

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