Kansas City Royals infielder Maikel Garcia is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry as this appears to be a routine rest day for Garcia. In his absence, Nick Loftin will cover third base and bat seventh versus right-hander Kyle Hendricks on Friday. This is a favorable matchup for Loftin but he doesn't offer great upside with the bat. Fantasy managers should be able to find better production elsewhere.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will retreat to the bench on Sunday for the series finale at Fenway Park against the hosting Boston Red Sox. With Garcia sitting the final game before the All-Star break, veteran Adam Frazier will start at the hot corner and will bat leadoff for the Royals against Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. While Frazier will still be a pretty deep DFS sleeper, he gains some steam out of the leadoff spot and has recorded hits in both of his career at-bats against Bello while adding two RBI. Garcia, 24, is hitting only .231 (87-for-377) on the year, but he's been relevant in all fantasy leagues because of his 21 stolen bases, 43 RBI and 54 runs scored for an improved Royals club in 2024. He's also added six home runs in 94 games. Garcia needs three more steals to set a new career-high in that category.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia busted out of a big-time slump on Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in a 10-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. Garcia also walked, scored a run, and drove in three to round out a very nice day at the dish. Unfortunately, those have been few and far between lately for the 24-year-old, who has seen his OPS plummet from .739 on May 25 to .614 before today's game. He has also been dropped all the way to eighth in the Royals lineup, limiting his fantasy value. He still provides a lot of speed and some counting stats, but he is not a must-roster player anymore.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia went 2-for-5 with two runs scored on Wednesday as the red-hot Royals won their sixth straight game at home to finish their sweep of the Tigers 8-3. After a monster game Tuesday night (4-for-5, three Runs), Garcia kept the good times rolling during the finale, extending his hitting streak to 10 games and chipping in a stolen base for good measure. Hitting over .300 for May, Garcia, a late-round sleeper in most drafts before the season, is making anyone who took a flier on him look pretty smart right about now. The young speedster is pacing towards a 15 HR/40 SB campaign, but with Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez batting behind him, don't be shocked if he finishes the year in the triple digits in runs scored.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners. This will be only Garcia's second game of the season starting on the bench. In his absence, veteran Adam Frazier will start at third base and hit out of the leadoff spot for KC against Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo. Garcia has been productive for the upstart Royals in 2024, hitting .239/.288/.369 with four home runs, 25 RBI, 10 stolen bases and 20 runs scored in 192 plate appearances. He's riding a modest four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 4-for-17 (.235) with an RBI and two steals. Frazier will have more DFS upside as a sleeper on Wednesday out of the leadoff spot, but he's never faced Woo in his career and has gone just 15-for-84 (.179) on the year with a homer and eight RBI.
Maikel Garcia Tallies Three Hits In Thursday’s Victory
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia went 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and two runs in Thursday's victory. Garcia tallied his first hit of the night with a single in the third and then laced a double in the fifth. Later in the sixth, he knocked his second double of the game, which scored two. This excellent performance brings Garcia to a .247/.302/.396 slash line with four long balls and eight swiped bags. His underlying metrics suggest he could be in for a big summer, as he holds a strong 91.7 mph average exit velocity and 47.6% hard-hit rate, which are both well above-average among qualified hitters. Garcia should be rostered in all leagues with his potent combination of power and speed.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia hit two singles, drew a walk, drove in two runs and scored a run in the Royals' 8-0 win on Friday. Garcia now has multiple hits in four of his last seven games, a good sign after going through a bit of a slump over the past couple weeks. The 24-year-old is now hitting for a .651 OPS and has 18 RBI on the season. If Garcia is able to avoid another major slump, then he may be someone fantasy managers want to keep on their radar as an option to stash on their bench. Garcia will get matchups against Casey Mize on Saturday and Tigers ace Tarik Skubal on Sunday.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia is slotted in the lead-off spot as he faces the Minnesota Twins and Pablo Lopez on Opening Day. This is a promising sign for the young 24-year-old as he will have plenty of opportunities to score as Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez are batting behind him. Garcia is also a threat on the base paths, as he stole 23 bases last season. The right-handed bat is a contrarian option in DFS option today, as he should see a decent number of at-bats and might not be a popular play due to his pitching matchup.
Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that, while the team values the multi-position skill of several of their players, third baseman/shortstop Maikel Garcia will start the season at third base. This is not that surprising, as the 23-year-old spent the majority of his rookie season at the hot corner. Garcia slashed .272/.323/.358 in his first season with four home runs, 59 runs scored, 50 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 515 plate appearances. Garcia offers little power in a position that usually can offer it pretty late, but he does offer a good batting average and plenty of speed. His ability to play different positions may help ensure consistent playing time, which could end up making him a worthwhile late-round pick in rotisserie leagues.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (ribs) is back in the lineup and hitting leadoff for his team's series opener against the Oakland A's on Monday. Garcia left Friday's game early with rib inflammation and did not start in either of the Royals' weekend games, although he did make an appearance as a pinch-hitter on Sunday. The 24-year-old is hitting .286 with four homers, 43 runs, 41 RBI, and 18 steals in 2023.
