Kansas City Royals Roster
- AL Central
- Stadium
- Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Daniel Lynch suffered his sixth loss of the year as the team fell 4-1 to the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday. He pitched six innings and allowed four hits, three walks and four earned runs while striking out five. The majority of the damage came in the first inning when Lynch gave up a three-run triple to Indians shortstop Yu Chang. Over 14 starts on the year, the rookie left-hander has gone 4-6 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. He should make two more starts on the year as he's lined up to face the Indians again next Tuesday and then the Minnesota Twins in the team's season finale.
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow was called upon to close out Game 2 of the team's doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians on Monday. He entered in the seventh inning while the team was ahead 4-1. He went on to give up a solo home run to Bobby Bradley, but that was the only damage that was done. Barlow recorded two strikeouts in the inning and went on to earn his 14th save of the year. The 28-year-old has now converted six consecutive save opportunities and appears to be the clear closer for the team. He should be rostered in all leagues where saves are scarce for the final weeks of the year.
Kansas City Royals third baseman/outfielder Hunter Dozier went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in Game 1 of the team's doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians on Monday. The 30-year-old veteran is quietly putting together a solid month of September. Over 19 games this month, he's slashing .291/.379/.600 with four home runs, five doubles, 11 RBI and eight runs. It's been a nightmare season so far for Dozier, who was slashing just .203/.271/.352 before the calendar flipped to September. He could be a worthy and sneaky add in deep leagues and AL-only leagues for managers who can utilize either his third base, first base or outfield eligibility for the final weeks of the year.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi has been doing his best to make up for lost time in September. In Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians, he went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and a run scored. He has now stolen 12 bases over 15 games this month. He is slashing just .204/.246/.333 across the month, but the stolen bases alone have made him an exceptional asset in all rotisserie and head-to-head categories leagues this month. The 26-year-old played in just 10 games this year before he was activated from the injured list on September 1. His strong finish will likely help make him one of the most divisive players in fantasy drafts come next spring.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi helped lead the team to a 7-2 victory in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. He went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in the game. The 27-year-old has been on a roll in September. Over 20 games this month, he's slashing .377/.412/.623 with four home runs and 23 RBI. He has 16 home runs and a .276/.320/.441 slash line over the season. He's having his best year since 2018, when he slashed .290/.366/.465 while tallying 16 home runs, 21 stolen bases and 103 runs. His power has been inconsistent this year and he's just 8-for-16 in stolen bases, but he's been a steady source of batting average help throughout the season and that should continue through the final weeks.