Kansas City Royals News

Hunter Harvey • RP • Royals

Royals Place Hunter Harvey On 15-Day Injured List

The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they placed right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 8) with a right teres-major strain and recalled right-hander Steven Cruz from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Harvey was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain, which is the most mild, so he could be ready to return to the Royals' bullpen when his 15 days are up. Veteran Carlos Estevez has settled in as KC's closer early on in 2025, with Lucas Erceg serving as the primary late-inning setup man. With Harvey on the shelf for a little bit, expect John Schreiber to be leaned on more in high-leverage setup spots. Although he won't see many save chances, if any, Harvey is a key member of the Royals bullpen and had tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings with no walks and seven K's in his first six outings this year.

1 hour ago

Lucas Erceg • RP • Royals

Lucas Erceg Earns A Hold On Thursday

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg pitched a perfect eighth inning to help the Royals emerge from Thursday afternoon's matchup with Minnesota with a 3-2 victory. Erceg took over in the top of the eighth after the Royals rallied for two runs in the seventh to take the lead on a sacrifice fly from Bobby Witt Jr. Erceg made the narrow lead stand up by getting three straight groundouts and handing the lead over to Carlos Estevez to close it out. The hold was Erceg's fifth of the season, and the 29-year-old righty has given up just two hits and no runs in 6 1/3 innings across seven appearances this season, with a total of four strikeouts. He'll continue to be a high-leverage setup option for the Royals, who head to Cleveland on Friday to start a series against the Guardians.

12 hours ago

Carlos Estévez • RP • Royals

Carlos Estevez Earns Fourth Save

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez has been busy on the mound early in the season. Estevez was called upon on Thursday to hold a one-run lead against the Minnesota Twins. The right-hander got himself into a jam by allowing a single and hitting Harrison Bader with a pitch. Despite that, Estevez worked around the base runners and secured his fourth save of the season. The veteran right-hander appears to be the primary closer for the Royals right now. That being said, Estevez should be rostered in most fantasy formats where saves matter.

20 hours ago

Hunter Renfroe • RF • Royals |

Kyle Isbel • CF • Royals

Kyle Isbel, Hunter Renfroe, Michael Massey Out On Thursday

Kansas City Royals outfielders Kyle Isbel and Hunter Renfroe and second baseman Michael Massey are all sitting in Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Minnesota Twins. Drew Waters is starting in center field and batting ninth, Cavan Biggio is in right field and hitting fifth, and Maikel Garcia is at the keystone and is batting sixth against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. Isbel has gone 8-for-30 with a homer, double and three RBI in his first 11 games, while both Renfroe and Massey have struggled to get going early on in the 2025 season for the Royals. Garcia is probably the best DFS bet as a sleeper on Thursday, as he's hitting .308 (12-for-39) with two homers, three doubles, six RBI and a steal in 12 games so far this year. He's hit just .143 in seven career at-bats against Ober, but it's come with a home run and two RBI.

Yesterday

Jac Caglianone • 1B • Royals

Jac Caglianone Hits Second Double-A Long Ball

Kansas City Royals first base prospect Jac Caglianone went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI on Tuesday evening. He also drew two walks and scored twice. This was Caglianone's second long ball of the Double-A regular season. He has tallied at least one hit in each of the first four contests and holds an overall .375/.455/.813 line with 10 RBI and a 4:4 BB:K. The Royals drafted Caglianone with the sixth pick in last year's MLB Draft out of Florida. Caglianone received a brief 29-game taste of High-A last summer and posted a .241/.302/.388 slash line with nine doubles and two home runs. While the 22-year-old may not be in contention for an MLB debut this summer, he is a rising star in dynasty formats and could find himself on the top of prospect boards next spring.

2 days ago

Noah Cameron • SP • Royals

Noah Cameron Strikes Out Five Across Six Shutout Frames

Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Noah Cameron tossed six shutout frames en route to picking up his second victory of the campaign on Tuesday evening over St. Paul. Cameron allowed just two hits and one free pass while striking out five. In his first start of the season, Cameron logged five innings of two-run ball (one earned) with a 3:6 BB:K. The 25-year-old was in the mix to earn a spot on the MLB roster during camp but eventually fell short in the competition. However, given his strong start to the Triple-A regular season, the southpaw could be in the mix for an early MLB debut. Last summer, Cameron logged 54 1/3 innings with Triple-A Omaha and held a 2.23 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP. Across this stint, he held a strong 11:62 BB:K. If he continues to perform well, he could enter stash territory.

2 days ago

Cole Ragans • SP • Royals

Cole Ragans Fans 11 In Tough No-Decision Tuesday

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans was dealing in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Twins. Ragans pitched six innings, allowing one run on four hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts. He also hit a batter. Unfortunately for him, Pablo Lopez (hamstring) was able to silence the Royals' bats, and they weren't able to pull ahead until late in the game. Ragans has delivered what fantasy managers were expecting through his first three starts, compiling a 2.81 ERA, a 13.50 K/9 rate, and a 2.25 BB/9 rate in 16 IP. He has yet to earn a win, but he has done everything in his power to position himself for them. Ragans will draw a decent matchup in his next start at the Guardians, a lineup that has been mediocre to this point but has not struck out much.

2 days ago

Mark Canha • 1B • Royals

Mark Canha Leaves Game With Possible Injury

Kansas City Royals outfielder Mark Canha was removed in the top of the sixth inning after colliding with the wall in an attempt to make a catch earlier in the game. He didn't exit the game immediately so the injury isn't likely to be extremely serious, but there's no indication yet on what the injury may be. The veteran is 5-for-17 on the season as the short side of a platoon, as he has historically been much more productive against lefties than righties.

2 days ago

Cam Devanney • SS • Royals

Cam Devanney Tied For Early Lead In Home Runs At Triple-A

Kansas City Royals infield prospect Cam Devanney is tied atop the minor league leaderboard with the Athletics' Nick Kurtz with four home runs through his first eight games at Triple-A this season. In addition to the home runs, the right-handed hitter is batting .370 with eight RBI, seven runs scored, and a stolen base. The former 15th-round pick belted 19 home runs last season at Triple-A and hit .254 in 136 games, but a high 26.0 percent strikeout rate may have been too concerning for the Royals to call him up for his MLB debut. That, and the fact that he's blocked at his primary position -- shortstop -- by one of the best players in the league in Bobby Witt Jr. Still, the product out of Elon University has played a lot of second and third base in the minors as well, so as long as he continues to hit, the Royals will hopefully find a place for him in the lineup at some point this season. Until he's up in the big leagues getting regular at-bats, however, the 27-year-old is not relevant for fantasy.

3 days ago

Maikel Garcia • 3B • Royals

Maikel Garcia Off To A Hot Start In 2025

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia is off to a fantastic start in 2025. On Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, he went 2-for-4 with a run scored. So far in the young season, he has a slash line of .345/.387/.444 with two home runs, five runs scored, six RBI, and one stolen base. Over the past two seasons, Garcia has swiped 60 bases, so look for him to stay aggressive on the basepaths as the season goes on. Right now, Garcia is batting eighth in the order but has batted leadoff for the Royals in the past, and after this hot start, it would only increase his fantasy value if the Royals decide to move him up in the order. Up next for Garcia is a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins, where he will look to continue his hot start.

4 days ago

Derlin Figueroa • IF • Royals

Derlin Figueroa Goes Deep Twice On Sunday

Kansas City Royals first base prospect Derlin Figueroa enjoyed a breakout game at Low-A on Sunday. In this contest, Figueroa went 2-for-2 with two long balls. He brought in six runs and drew four walks. After going 0-for-4 in his last game on Saturday, Figueroa got himself back on the scoresheet in a big way. In their season opener on Friday, Figueroa tallied three singles and swiped a bag. The 21-year-old spent the entire 2024 campaign with Low-A Columbia and dealt with some growing pains. Across 118 total games, the infielder held a modest .223/.303/.364 slash line with just 16 doubles and 13 home runs. He swiped 15 bags but held a 49:108 BB:K. However, it appears Figueroa has begun to take the next step early in the 2025 season. If he continues to produce, he should move up to High-A in the coming weeks.

4 days ago

Jac Caglianone • 1B • Royals

Jac Caglianone Posts Three-Hit Game On Sunday

Kansas City Royals first base prospect Jac Caglianone continued to swing a hot bat as he went 3-for-5 with a double during Sunday's contest. Caglianone scored twice and brought in three runs as well. The 22-year-old was assigned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas after spring training and has looked quite comfortable through his first taste. Caglianone has tallied five total hits in three games with one home run and a double. He has tallied seven RBI, scored four runs, and held a 2:4 BB:K. The Royals drafted Caglianone with the sixth overall pick in last year's MLB Draft out of Florida. He is currently considered the No. 22-best in the sport and the top prospect in the Kansas City system on MLB Pipeline. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his development as he could push for an early Triple-A debut.

4 days ago

Carlos Estévez • RP • Royals

Carlos Estevez Picks Up Second Save

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez was ready to redeem himself after struggling on the mound during his last outing. Estevez was called upon to hold a three-run lead against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The 32-year-old didn't have any issues as he tossed a scoreless inning with one strikeout to secure his second save of the season. It appears that Estevez is going to be the primary option for saves this season. However, Lucas Erceg could be a candidate as well if Estevez finds himself in trouble at some point. For now, Estevez should be a viable option for saves in fantasy formats where that matters.

4 days ago

Bobby Witt Jr. • SS • Royals

Bobby Witt Jr. Has Three-Hit Day

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was a tough out at the plate during Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Witt went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and run scored in the victory over the O's. This marked Witt's first three-hit game of the season and it likely won't be his last. Witt has collected a hit in every game, but one so far this season. The 24-year-old is one of the best hitters in the league and should make a case for MVP this season. He hasn't been an elite fantasy option early in the season, but this game could be Witt finally turning the corner.

4 days ago

Kris Bubic • SP • Royals

Kris Bubic Looks Stellar On Sunday

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic made easy work of the Baltimore Orioles during Sunday's contest. The southpaw carried his success from the season opener into this game. He tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run, while striking out eight batters in the win. Bubic did allow five hits, but the O's hitters weren't able to do much with the runners. He has been showing good control with his secondary pitches, so continuing to do that will be crucial for him. Bubic is well worth a look as a streaming option for his next start against the Cleveland Guardians.

4 days ago

Bobby Witt Jr. • SS • Royals

Bobby Witt Jr. Slugs First Homer Of The Season

Kansas City Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 8-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Witt provided the Royals only run by smashing a shot off Tomoyuki Sugano over the left field wall during the bottom of the sixth inning. His homer had an exit velocity of 105.2 mph at a distance of 399 feet. It was Witt's first home run of the season. Overall, the 24-year-old is slashing .242/.324/.394 with a homer, four RBI, five runs, and three stolen bases over the eight games of the season. Witt has collected a hit in seven of his last eight games and will look to build on Saturday's performance in the series finale against the Orioles on Sunday.

5 days ago

Alec Marsh • SP • Royals

Alec Marsh Shut Down For At Least Seven Days

Kansas City Royals right-handed pitcher Alec Marsh (shoulder) has faced a setback in his recovery. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Marsh has begun to feel soreness in his shoulder and will be shut down for the next seven to 10 days. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but this setback will likely push Marsh's timeline further back. Marsh has been on the 15-day injured list due to tightness in his shoulder. Last season, Marsh logged 129 innings for the Royals and held a 4.53 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP. He struck out 123 batters and held a strong 7.1 percent walk rate. He generated a modest 4.97 xERA with a .264 xBA, which were both well below the average marks. While Marsh remains out, fantasy managers should expect Michael Lorenzen to remain in the starting rotation.

6 days ago

Tyson Guerrero • SP • Royals

Tyson Guerrero Strikes Out Seven Across Five No-Hit Frames

Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Tyson Guerrero tossed five no-hit innings during his start on Friday evening. Guerrero struck out seven batters and did not allow a walk in their victory over Triple-A Louisville. This was a strong bounce-back outing for the left-hander as he allowed seven hits and four earned runs across his first start of the campaign (four innings). The 26-year-old spent most of the 2024 season at Double-A and logged 102 1/3 innings of work and held a 3.69 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. He held a 43:109 BB:K. He then earned a brief look at Triple-A, where he allowed 21 earned runs across 20 1/3 innings. However, it already appears Guerrero is taking the next step forward at Triple-A at the start of the 2025 campaign. His outing on Friday was a significant step in the right direction. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should continue to monitor Guerrero's development as he could contend for an MLB debut in the second half of the season.

6 days ago

Seth Lugo • SP • Royals

Seth Lugo Logs Quality Start In Victory Over Baltimore

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo tossed six innings of two-run ball (one earned) with five hits en route to picking up his first victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He served up one walk and struck out two batters. Heston Kjerstad would bring in the first run of the evening in the second inning. Later in that frame, Kjerstad would cross home on a throwing error. This was a nice bounce-back outing for the 35-year-old as he allowed three runs, four hits, and three walks across five frames in his first start of the campaign. Last summer, Lugo enjoyed an impressive season as he logged 206 1/3 innings to the tune of a strong 3.00 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He tallied 181 punchouts and served up 48 free passes. Lugo will look to continue this momentum in his next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins.

6 days ago

Hunter Renfroe • RF • Royals

Hunter Renfroe Riding Pine In Series Opener Against O's

Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe is out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. MJ Melendez is starting in right field and batting eighth, while Cavan Biggio is serving as the designated hitter and is batting sixth versus Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer. Melendez and Biggio have a combined 10 career at-bats against Kremer without a single hit. The 33-year-old Renfroe could find himself on the bench more frequently in 2025 if his bat is cold, regardless of whether he still has some power in his lumber. He's off to a rough 2-for-18 start with a double, three RBI, three walks and six strikeouts in 21 plate appearances over five contests. Outside of some modest power at this stage of his career with infrequent playing time, Renfroe is really only valuable in AL-only formats.

7 days ago

Kansas City Royals News

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