Kansas City Royals infielder Paul DeJong is out of the team's starting lineup on Wednesday for a contest against the New York Yankees in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium. With DeJong on the bench, Maikel Garcia will start at third base and bat eighth against Yankees right-hander Luis Gil. DeJong could find himself riding the pine more often moving forward due to a recent slump offensively. So far in six games in September, he has gone 3-for-19 (.158) with no homers, an RBI, no walks and six strikeouts. The 31-year-old veteran was acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline at the end of July and has been better with KC, though, batting .244 (22-for-90) with six home runs and 15 RBI. In deeper leagues, fantasy managers will want to keep DeJong on their benches until he pulls out of his slump with the Royals in a midst of a run for a wild-card spot in the American League.
MJ Melendez, Paul DeJong Both Not In Lineup Saturday
Kansas City Royals catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez and shortstop Paul DeJong are starting Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers on the bench. Both players have been swinging hot bats recently, with Melendez slashing .278/.316/.500 and DeJong slashing .375/.423/.750 in their last seven games. This speaks to the strength and depth of the Royals lineup, as Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez are starting in their places. Still, both or either player could find their way into the game as pinch hitters late.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Paul DeJong swatted his 21st homer in Monday's 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels, one of his two hits in four at-bats. DeJong's two-run homer off Angels pitcher Carson Fulmer came in the bottom of the fourth to give the Royals a 3-0 lead. He is hitting .316/.372/.605 with three homers, eight RBI, and seven runs scored in 13 games with the Royals after being traded from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline. DeJong is hitting a combined .237/.286/.448 with 21 homers, 49 RBI, and 46 runs scored with two steals in three attempts. He's found a groove in the bottom of the Royals order, and fantasy managers are grooving with him.
The Kansas City Royals are acquiring veteran shortstop Paul DeJong from the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, according to a source. It's unclear what the return will be heading back to the White Sox. The Royals already have one of the best shortstops in the game in Bobby Witt Jr., so DeJong will give the contending Royals more infield depth as they look to secure a wild-card spot in the American League down the stretch. The 30-year-old DeJong has hit only .228 (77-for-337) in Chicago in 2024, but it's come with 18 home runs, 41 RBI and 39 runs scored in 363 plate appearances and 102 games. His clearest path to playing time with his new squad will probably come at second base. As long as DeJong is playing regularly, this trade will be a nice boost to his fantasy value in deeper leagues for his right-handed power stroke. DeJong is riding a five-game hitting streak with a homer and two doubles.
Chicago White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong hit his team-leading 15th home run on Saturday in an 11-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies in Chicago. DeJong is hitting .241 with 15 home runs, 33 RBI and 32 runs scored in 2024. The White Sox have now won three consecutive games for the first time since April and go for the series sweep on Sunday. DeJong continues to build potential trade value as the season heads into July and could find himself moved to a contender in a depth role for an organization.
Chicago White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong slugged his third homer of the spring as part of a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs in Cactus League action on Friday. Signed to a one-year deal by the White Sox this offseason, DeJong is up to a .297 average with 13 RBI and a stolen base to go along with his three homers, producing a .928 OPS in the process. While the strong spring numbers are encouraging, DeJong has fallen off a cliff at the plate in recent seasons. Last season, he hit just .207 with 14 home runs and four stolen bases across 112 games between the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Giants a season ago. He should begin the season as the club's everyday shortstop but prospect Colson Montgomery should take over at some point this season.
Free-agent infielder Paul DeJong agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, pending a physical, according to a source. The rebuilding White Sox are taking a cheap flier on a former All-Star. The 30-year-old right-handed-hitting DeJong made the National League All-Star team in 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals, when he hit .233/.318/.444 with a career-high 30 home runs, 78 RBI and nine stolen bases in 159 games. He hasn't even reached the 20-homer mark since then. In 112 contests with the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants in 2023, he went 77-for-372 (.207) with 14 homers, 38 RBI, 13 doubles, four stolen bases and 41 runs scored in 400 plate appearances. DeJong can provide a bit of pop but will certainly be a batting-average drain as a middle infield platoon option in deep-mixed and AL-only fantasy leagues.
The San Francisco Giants placed shortstop Paul DeJong on unconditional release waivers on Thursday and recalled infielders Marco Luciano and Tyler Fitzgerald from Triple-A Sacramento in corresponding moves. Brandon Crawford (hamstring) also went on the 10-day injured list and won't return this year, so expect Luciano and Fitzgerald to split time at the 6 for the Gigantes the rest of the way. The 30-year-old DeJong spent time with the Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays in 2023, but he wasn't good in any of those stops, hitting a combined .226 (74-for-328) with 14 home runs, 37 RBI, four steals and 41 runs scored in 112 games. In just 18 games in San Francisco, he went 9-for-49 (.184) with a homer, five RBI and two runs scored.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Paul DeJong made his team debut versus the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. The Giants signed the 30-year-old after he was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays. DeJong has struggled throughout a majority of the season, but put on a show during Wednesday's game. The right-handed slugger blasted a 400-foot home run in the fourth inning. He would follow that up with a pair of singles throughout the rest of the game. DeJong would finish his day 3-for-5 with four RBI in the win over Philly. DeJong has bad numbers on the season, but possibly a move to San Francisco will help spark his bat.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Paul DeJong will make his team debut Wednesday out of the nine-hole versus Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Michael Lorenzen. The Giants signed the veteran to a major league deal on Tuesday after he was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays as the club needed help up the middle with shortstop Brandon Crawford hitting the injured list with a forearm injury. DeJong enjoyed a solid bounce-back season with the Cardinals in 2023, hitting 13 homers alongside a .710 OPS across 81 games but fell off a cliff after being acquired by the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, going just 3-for-44 with 18 strikeouts and zero walks across 13 contests.