Cory Moen

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The 2026 results were disappointing for the Royals, but some individual performances turned out pretty well. Beyond the obvious in Bobby Witt Jr., there are a few other infielders who had solid years in 2026 as well. Here is a look at the infielders and what grade they deserve for their performance during the 2026 season. Carter Jensen, C 149 games, .239/.323/.467, 120 OPS+, 27 HR, 81 RB, 2 SB (35 2B), 3.3 bWAR Jensen had a tough month of May, where he hit .198 with 1 home run and 10 RBIs over 25 games played. Luckily, this was not the case for the rest of the year, but his overall numbers did take a hit due to a slow start to the season. Jensen finished the year strong with a slash line of .338/.407/.788, which was good for a 1.195 OPS. Another value that Jensen brings is that he was able to serve as the designated hitter on days he wasn’t catching, which keeps his bat in the lineup. He played 106 games behind the plate, with another 42 as the DH. At 22 years old, Jensen has cemented himself as a player to build around in the Royals lineup and is someone that Royals fans should be extremely excited to have in the lineup going forward. Grade for 2026: B+ (due to a tough start, but he bounced back nicely) Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B 114 games, .249/.333/.428, 113 OPS+, 17 HR, 63 RBI, 5 SB (20 doubles), 2.5 bWAR Pasquantino, like many Royals hitters, had his ups and downs throughout the year. His 2026 season was marred by injury, with a fractured hamate bone that sidelined him for about one month, as well as dealing with wrist issues that sidelined him for another few weeks in early August. He finished the year strong, which was a nice thing to see and hopefully an ending he can build on to start 2027, a year the Royals are looking to return to contention. Grade for 2026: B Michael Massey, 2B 131 games, .272/.303/.428, 104 OPS+, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 3 SB (25 doubles), 2.0 bWAR Massey was solid for most of the year, with a 104 OPS+. He played the majority of his games at second base, with a few other games sprinkled in at third and in the outfield. He took hold of the second base job after Jonathan India struggled to start the year as the starting second baseman. Massey is under team control for another two years and will likely warrant a solid raise from his $1.5 million salary in 2026. If he continues to hit like he did in 2026, he will be worth that raise, no question. He outperformed his expectations, ever so slightly, which makes the grade solid, but not spectacular. Grade for 2026: B Bobby Witt Jr. SS 143 games, .281/.359/.441, 125 OPS+, 18 HR, 54 RBI, 45 SB (8 CS) (33 doubles), 6.7 bwAR Bobby Witt Jr. is a bona fide superstar, and anyone who says otherwise clearly has never watched him play. He plays a Gold Glove-caliber defense on top of being an above-average hitter at a position that is hard to find the kind of offense he provides. On top of being an above-average hitter, he also stole 45 bases, good for second in the American League. With Witt Jr. under contract for the long haul, the key will be surrounding him to help him see the postseason sooner rather than later. He’s in his prime, and the Royals front office will not want to waste that. Grade for 2026: A Maikel Garcia, 3B 82 games, .268/.334/.381, 102 OPS+, 3 HR, 38 RBI, 5 SB (9 attempts), 20 doubles, 2.2 bWAR Playing in just 82 games is a disappointment, especially coming off a career year in 2026, where he was worth 5.8 bWAR over 160 games played. The hope is that the injuries that kept him out of half of the Royals games will be a one-year blip and not a new normal for him going forward. His numbers, when healthy, were decent, but not to the level that he, or others, expected. At just 344 plate appearances, he didn’t get the counting stats that he would have if he were healthy. Because he was still solid when healthy, I won’t penalize him too much, but his staying healthy will be key in extending the Royals lineup going into 2027. Grade for 2026: C- Nick Loftin, 2B/3B 118 games, 240/.322/.388, 100 OPS+, 8 HR, 45 RBIs, 4 SB, 27 doubles, 1.5 bWAR Loftin filled in admirably during various injuries to Royals infielders. Playing in 118 games is more than most would have probably expected going into the year; he held his own and was a league-average hitter in terms of OPS+. Playing mostly at third base in the absence of Garcia, he also filled in at second base, in the corner outfield, as well as some appearances at shortstop and first base as well. He isn’t the most feared hitter in the Royals lineup, but he provided enough production that putting him down as a utility option is a great outcome for the Royals going forward. Grade for 2026: B Tyler Tolbert, INF 78 games, .285/.347/.392, 109 OPS+, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 0.9 bWAR Tolbert was a nice surprise for the Royals in 2026 after being called up. He was significantly better at the plate than projection systems had him, so if he can build off of that going into 2027, that provides more depth both in the infield and in the outfield corners as well. Tolbert also played a handful of games in center field, which adds even more value to a guy who will likely bounce around to different positions in 2027 and beyond. If he can hit like he did in 2026, a super utility role is the minimum of where Royals fans should expect to see him going forward. Grade for 2026: B+ Josh Rojas, 2B/3B 43 games, .226/.265/.321, 65 OPS+, 2 HR, 14 RBIs, 4 doubles, 0.6 bWAR Rojas spent most of his year with Triple-A Omaha, and when called upon to play in the big leagues, he didn’t hit particularly well. He did provide some value defensively, so not all is lost, but his 65 OPS+ is basically unplayable as an every day option, but as a defensive-first, depth option, he is an alright option. Rojas did play second, third, and shortstop defensively, so the versatility is a nice option. Due to the lack of production with the bat, the grade will be lower, but the expectations for Rojas were also not high, so I don’t want to penalize him too much. Grade for 2026: C- Jonathan India, 2B 17 games, .167/.310/.313, 77 OPS+, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 double, 0.2 bWAR India’s year, to put it simply, was not great. He struggled in limited action offensively and spent the majority of the year with a left shoulder injury, keeping him out for the rest of the season after going on the injured list in late April. He signed a 1-year, $8 million deal with the Royals for the 2026 season to avoid arbitration, and due to the injury, his value was extremely limited, and he didn’t even provide the value of that deal. India is a free agent, and due to the likes of Michael Massey, Tyler Tolbert, and other depth options, it would not be surprising to see the Royals move on from India. Because he was injured for the majority of the year, I don’t want to penalize him too much, but the 77 OPS+ when healthy was still not great. Grade for 2026: D Luke Maile, C 18 games, .159/.229/.273, 41 OPS+, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 doubles, -0.2 bWAR Maile came into the year as the third catcher behind Jensen and Salvador Perez and served in that role for the majority of the year. He played with Triple-A Omaha for the majority of the year, where he hit slightly better than he did in the majors (.627 OPS in Triple-A and .502 in the majors). He did not provide much value at all when with the big league club, actually being worth negative bWAR and 0 fWAR. For a third catcher, there are worse options, but because of his limited upside offensively, being a third option was the correct role for him with the Royals. Grade for 2026: C Elias Diaz, C 10 games, .227/.261/.591, 132 OPS+, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 doubles, 0.3 bwAR Diaz was signed to a minor league deal in the offseason but wasn’t in the organization long, as he elected free agency on June 3. He played in 10 games at Triple-A and then 10 additional games at the major league level. He hit well in that short stint, with two home runs, two doubles, and a slash line of .227/.261/.591 in that short stint. With it being a small sample size, it’s hard to grade him as if he would have continued to hit at the clip for the entirety of the year, but he did go on to provide a combined 1.2 bWAR between his time with the Royals and then signing with the Texas Rangers. In grading his time with the Royals, it was short but solid, so I will give him a decent grade, even though he played the majority of his time in another organization. Grade for 2026: B Andrew Velazquez, INF 6 games, .067/.067/.067, -62 OPS+, 0 HR, 0 RBIs, 0 doubles (1 hit), -0.2 bwAR Velazquez started the year in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, where he was released in mid-June. He signed a minor-league deal with the Royals a few days later, and spent the majority of the remainder of the season at Triple-A. With 18 games at Omaha, he hit okay, with a .643 OPS with zero home runs and three doubles. Once called up to the big league club, his value was extremely limited in his six games, getting one hit (a single), but he did put the ball in play, striking out just two times over 15 plate appearances. With it being a small sample size, I don’t want to be too rough on him, but he served as a call-up and got some time, but didn’t provide much at all when called upon. Grade for 2026: D View full article

The Royals have recalled RHP Lucas Erceg to the major leagues. The corresponding move to make room on the 26-man roster was to option RHP Easton McGee to Triple-A Omaha. Erceg pitched in 47 games in the majors prior to being optioned to Triple-A in mid-August. In those 47 games, he threw 43 1/3 innings while striking out 31 and had a 4-4 record with a 6.23 ERA. His peripheral numbers were slightly better, with a 5.60 FIP. McGee was recently called up on September 1 and has bounced back and forth between the major league squad and Triple-A. He was acquired by the Royals in mid-July after being designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers. In nine appearances (seven with the Royals), he has a 7.15 ERA with nine strikeouts over 11 1/3 innings pitched. Between Milwaukee's Triple-A team and the Royals Triple-A team, he has thrown 55 2/3 innings at Triple-A with 60 strikeouts and a 6.95 ERA, while walking 21. Erceg has looked much better with Triple-A Omaha, throwing 10 1/3 innings in nine appearances. In that time, he has 13 strikeouts with three walks. He has a 1.74 ERA in that time and a 1.258 WHIP, which shows there have been some improvements made. He will hope to continue that improvement out of the Royals bullpen for the remainder of the season. View full rumor

Image courtesy of Peter Aiken-Imagn Images August provided some hope and positivity for the Royals, and it ended up being the first winning month of the season. The Royals finished August 16-11, which included a 16-game stretch where they went 13-3, including a nine-game win streak. With a winning month, there were multiple hitters that deserve to be highlighted, so here is a look at four hitters who deserve to be recognized for their month, most notably Jac Caglianone, who tore the cover off the ball this past month. Hitter Of The Month: Jac Caglianone Caglianone was fantastic in August, playing in 24 games, hitting six home runs, and adding 24 RBIs as well. He also had eight doubles and stole three bases on top of that. His slash line of .411/.429/.684 was otherworldly and deserves to be mentioned first on this list. He has erased any doubts about his future in the Royals lineup and as someone the team can build around going into what the organization hopes will be a bounce-back year into being more consistently competitive. Caglianone will be a big part of any turnaround the organization looks to have. At one point in August, Jac Caglianone hit five home runs over a 12-game period, where he recorded at least one hit in each of those games. He also hit a home run off of one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball in their first start with his new team as well, which is a positive, especially as a left-handed hitter. The only thing one could nitpick is that Caglianone walked just two times in the month, but when you hit the way he did, taking a walk isn’t something you need to focus too much on. Michael Massey Unfortunately, Massey ended up on the 7-day IL to finish the month, but that doesn’t take away how great his month of August was. Massey played in 19 games, with a slash line of .338/.362/.554. He had three home runs and added three doubles as well. Bobby Witt Jr Witt Jr. continued his stellar year into August, where he hit three home runs over 98 plate appearances, hitting for an OPS of .857 while adding six stolen bases as well. Witt Jr is the player that other pitchers circle in their lineup as the guy to not let beat you, but he still is a pain for them to get out, especially when other Royals players are hitting like they did in August. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was pretty solid for the month, with 18 strikeouts to 14 walks. He also scored 26 runs, which was the most on the team over the month as well. Anytime one player is scoring 26 runs in 25 games played, they must have had a pretty solid month. Vinnie Pasquantino Pasquantino played in just 12 games this past month after being activated off the injured list on August 17. In those 12 games, he did his best Jac Caglianone impression, hitting for a 1.078 OPS with three home runs and four doubles. Pasquantino’s .341 average for the month was second on the team behind Caglianone for players who played in at least 12 games. He showed solid patience at the plate, walking seven times while striking out just twice. While Caglianone deserves the recognition for hitter of the month, the entire offense looked much better and provided hope going into the final month of the season and into the 2027 season. With the Royals on the outside looking in on the playoffs, this past month provided excitement to a fan base that has been mostly disappointed throughout this season. Royals fans can hope for another positive month in September, hoping to build off of that into the offseason and into next season. View full article

Infielder Michael Massey was reinstated from the 7-day concussion injured list. To make room on the active roster, outfielder Drew Waters was designated for assignment. Massey has played in 110 games this year with the Royals, with a .276/.310/.444 slash line, which is good for a .755 OPS (112 OPS+). He has made the vast majority of his appearances at second base, but has also played some in the corner outfield and at third base. Waters had his contract selected on September 1, but has not made an appearance with the Royals this season. He had appeared in major league contests every year from 2022-2025. With Triple-A Omaha, he has played in 98 games this season, with a .731 OPS, 12 home runs, and 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts. He has played all three outfield positions with some appearances as designated hitter as well. Massey will likely continue to get most of the starts at second base for the remainder of this season. View full rumor

The New York Yankees have claimed RHP John Schreiber off waivers. Schreiber was placed on waivers a few days ago. This year with the Royals, Schreiber has pitched to a 3.65 ERA with a less stellar-looking 4.87 FIP. Over three seasons in Kansas City, he has pitched to a 3.71 ERA and 4.02 FIP. The Yankees will take on the remaining salary of the $3.715 million deal Schreiber had with the Royals. In 49 1/3 innings pitched this year, he struck out 36 along with 22 walks. The 17.7% strikeout rate is a significant drop from the near-24 % rate he maintained earlier in his career. His walk rate has ticked up this year compared to his career average, now at 10.8% from 8.8%. Schreiber will get an opportunity in the Yankees bullpen, giving them another major league-caliber arm for a team looking to make a run in the playoffs. View full rumor

Image courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images No one would argue that the 2026 season did not go as planned for the Royals. It turned out to be disappointing for a variety of reasons, but there is still some optimism if you look at parts of the roster. A return to being more competitive, not only in the AL Central but in the American League as a whole, is still realistic, even if it might not feel that way when looking at the Royals sitting in last place this year. While parts of the roster need more addressing than others, there are plenty of reasons for optimism when looking ahead to 2027 and beyond. Some of those reasons include a group of young lineup pieces that the organization should be able to build around, some veterans in both the rotation and in the lineup, and a group of complementary pieces who could take a step forward next year. This is one of two articles. To read the opposing viewpoint, click here. Let’s take a look at those things more in depth. Young Royals Players to Build Around The list of young players to build around goes well beyond superstar Bobby Witt Jr. Anyone who knows anything about baseball can see that Witt Jr is a bona fide superstar and someone that the Royals were smart to lock up when they did. At 26 years old, he will be well worth his contract. He has three top-10 MVP finishes and is likely headed for a fourth to go with two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers as well. Witt’s contract has him signed through 2030 at a minimum with four years of player opt-outs, and then three years of club options beyond that. If Witt continues to perform to the standard he has set, it would be a foregone conclusion that he will opt out of his contract given the first opportunity after the 2030 season. This means he will stay with the Royals for at least the next four seasons. There are other young players to build around, giving the organization and fans alike hope for the future. Both OF/1B Jac Caglianone and C Carter Jensen have bounced back from tough starts to the year to look like locks in the lineup going into the future. Caglianone is under team control through 2031 via the arbitration process, and Jensen is as well. With those two under team control for a handful more years, the team will look to build around the core three and return to contention sooner rather than later. Complementary Roster Pieces Speaking of surrounding Witt Jr, Caglianone, and Jensen, the Royals have a few other pieces who could complement them and help them return to contention. These players include Vinnie Pasquantino, who is having a down year in 2026, and Maikel Garcia, whom the Royals signed to a long-term contract through 2030, including a club option for 2031. Both Pasquantino and Garcia have underperformed expectations, but it isn’t too crazy to think they could return to previous form and extend the Royals lineup. Both have upside as being above-average hitters, with Pasquantino having an above-average OPS+ each of the first four seasons prior to 2025 and Garcia having an above-average 2025, which earned him his long-term deal. However, he has regressed some and still been solid offensively in 2026. There is plenty of upside in other parts of the offense as well, including outfielders Kyle Isbel and Isaac Collins, and IF Michael Massey, so it is quite easy to see how the Royals could have an above-average offense as soon as the 2027 season. Veterans in the Rotation The Royals decided to keep both Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha at the trade deadline, even with trade rumors swirling around both right-handers. Both Lugo and Wacha provide stability in a rotation that includes some younger arms. Noah Cameron is having a coming-out party as of late, so he should easily slot into a rotation slot for next year as well. If healthy, Cole Ragans has tons of upside, as shown recently in 2024, when he threw 186 ⅓ innings, striking out 223 batters and pitching to a 3.14 ERA with an even better 2.99 FIP. With four of the spots already accounted for, finding a fifth starter shouldn’t prove too difficult, whether that be inserting Randy Dobnak into that spot until a younger pitcher with more upside is ready, or giving a longer look to Luinder Avila or Stephen Kolek as internal options. Another choice would be to sign a veteran fifth starter to provide more depth and stability to the end of the rotation, if they don’t want to rely on the trio of Dobnak, Avila and Kolek. Prospects Looking to Make an Impact The Royals will also have prospects that could be ready to make an impact as early as 2027. While many of the Royals' top prospects are in the lower minors, there are a few intriguing pieces that could carve out roles for themselves in the next year or so. There are a couple of position players, including OF Carson Roccaforte (#9 on Royals Keep), who has torn up Double-A this year, and C Blake Mitchell (#4), who has hit extremely well in High-A this year and could be on the fast track to the majors if he continues to hit for over a .900 OPS. On the pitching side, LHP Justin Lamkin (#12) and RHPs Lucas Braun, Ben Kudrna (#18), Drew Beam (#13) and L.P. Langevin could all be at Kauffman Stadium depending on how they perform in the near future. Braun was acquired in the Lane Thomas deal and is pitching at Triple-A Omaha. Kudrna is also at Triple-A, but has spent most of this year injured; otherwise, he may have made his debut already. Lamkin is in Double-A in his first professional season after being drafted in the second round in 2025, while Beam hasn’t pitched well at Double-A but could have a turnaround year and move up the organizational ladder, potentially as an option out of the bullpen. Langevin has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen with a 44.7% strikeout rate over 47 ⅔ innings this year. With those kinds of numbers, he could move up levels pretty quickly and be a force out of the Royals bullpen for quite some time. In looking at all of these things, it’s not hard to convince yourself that the Royals could return to contention, especially in the AL Central, and across the AL with how weak the American League has been this season. Let’s discuss in the comments what you expect from the Royals in 2027 and beyond! View full article

RHP Eli Morgan has elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha after being designated for Assignment on August 13. Morgan signed a minor league deal in the offseason with the Royals and has been up and down between the majors and Triple-A. In the majors, he has thrown 19 2/3 innings, with a 5.12 ERA and an even worse 6.49 FIP. He's given up 24 hits, nine walks, and recorded 16 strikeouts in that time. In 25 2/3 innings at Triple-A, he has a solid 1.40 ERA and struck out 35 batters in that time as well. With many teams looking for more bullpen depth, Morgan could latch on with another team rather quickly, even with disappointing numbers at the major league level. View full rumor

Image courtesy of Allan Henry-Imagn Images For many teams who are out of the playoff race after the trade deadline, the rest of the season provides an opportunity to assess which players will be part of the future. The Royals have plenty of players to build around, including Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone, and, of course, superstar Bobby Witt Jr. But who will play around them, or how will the Royals look to fill out the rest of the roster around those players and other veterans as well? Here are a few possible debuts that could take place the rest of the 2026 season, which could lead to expanded roles going into 2027, where the Royals will look to return to competitiveness and a potential playoff berth. RHP Lucas Braun (Triple-A) A former sixth-round pick by the Atlanta Braves, Braun was acquired in the trade that sent OF Lane Thomas and LHP Bailey Falter to Atlanta near the trade deadline this year. He started the year in Double-A, and after nine appearances, was promoted to Triple-A, where he has been since. Since being acquired by the Royals, he has made one appearance, throwing six innings and giving up two earned runs. Across the three teams, he has made 20 appearances with 18 starts, throwing 100 ⅓ innings, striking out 85 and walking 28. He has a 3.50 ERA along with a 1.246 WHIP. While the numbers aren’t super flashy, it could be worth a look to see how Braun does in his first taste of the major leagues in a lower-stakes environment with the Royals out of playoff contention this year. OF Gavin Cross (Triple-A) Cross was the ninth overall pick by the Royals in 2022 out of Virginia Tech, where he hit .340/.412/.609 with 28 home runs and 28 stolen bases in 124 games. Since being drafted, Cross has had some ups and downs, but has looked more comfortable at the plate over the past few years. This year with Triple-A Omaha, he has hit .249/.314/.420 with 12 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and a .734 OPS. Cross strikes out at a pretty high rate, with 113 strikeouts in 393 plate appearances (28.8% strikeout rate), so that would be something he and the Royals hope to cut down on. He has shown the ability to play all three outfield spots, but has played in the corner outfield exclusively when not the designated hitter this year. With the trade of Thomas, the Royals could look to give him a chance to see if the 25-year-old can become a more solid part of the organization's plans. LHP Hunter Patteson (Double-A) Patteson was first drafted by the Cubs in the 35th round back in 2019 but decided to attend the University of Central Florida, where he pitched for three years. He made 32 appearances in college, with 18 starts, throwing 100 innings, to go with 118 strikeouts and 48 walks. The Royals drafted him in the 5th round in 2022, and he has slowly climbed the organizational ladder, reaching Double-A in 2025 and pitching there again this season. In four seasons of playing in the Royals organization, he has made 77 appearances with 63 starts, throwing a total of 326 innings. In his first full year in Double-A this year, he has made 21 appearances, 20 of them starts. He has a 4.34 ERA over 95 ⅓ innings with 80 strikeouts and 46 walks. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but there is an outside chance the Royals would want to take a look at him at a higher level to see if he can be part of their long-term plans, whether that be in the rotation or out of the bullpen. He isn’t necessarily a highly rated prospect, but could prove to be a solid option from the left side. In July, he had a 2.70 ERA over 20 innings pitched. He’s made two appearances in August, throwing five and six innings in each, and giving up five earned runs in those 11 innings. Other MLB debuts that are possible include IF Jacob Berry, catchers Luca Tresh and Elih Marrero, and RHP Ben Sears. Which of these prospects are you most excited about, or are you hoping to see at Kauffman Stadium before the end of the 2026 season? View full article

The Royals activated Craig Kimbrel after officially signing him earlier in the day. In a stint with each of the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets, Kimbrel has appeared in 33 games, throwing 33 2/3 innings with 32 strikeouts and 16 walks. He has a .4.81 ERA with a 4.33 FIP. Kimbrel has recorded 440 saves throughout his 17-year major league career, with most of that time (six years) spent with the Atlanta Braves. To make room for Kimbrel on the active roster, the Royals optioned RHP Easton McGee to Triple-A Omaha. McGee has struggled in limited action in the major leagues this year, with an 8.59 ERA with a slightly better 6.36 FIP over 7 1/3 innings over six appearances, four being with the Royals and the previous two being with the Milwaukee Brewers. McGee will provide additional depth, and you could see him recalled and riding the shuttle back to Kansas City before the season is over. View full rumor

Image courtesy of IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect While the season overall may not have gone as planned for the Royals, there have been a few performances to get excited about, especially when you look at the team's future. There were a handful of pitchers who had solid months in July, but one stood out as the best over the entire month. The choice for pitcher of the month for July came down to three pitchers: two starters and one reliever. The starters are left-handed pitcher Noah Cameron and right-handed pitcher Randy Dobnak, and the reliever is the left-hander, Daniel Lynch IV. Noah Cameron had a solid, not spectacular month of July, throwing 32 innings over five appearances and four starts. In that time, he struck out 32 and walked 14, going 1-2 with a 3.66 ERA. The reason I did not choose Cameron for this accolade was that he had a couple of starts where he really struggled in the middle of the month, whereas others were more consistent throughout the month. Lynch was flawless out of the bullpen, throwing 11 innings in 10 appearances, striking out four and walking just one. It’s hard to convince myself the pitcher of the month was a reliever who threw just 11 innings, however. The pitcher that has been the biggest revelation is, no doubt, Dobnak. He made five appearances with three starts, throwing 26 innings and recording 14 strikeouts, with a 1.04 ERA. His best appearances came last week against his former team, the Minnesota Twins, where he threw a shutout through seven innings, striking out four and giving up just four hits in a Royals 4-0 win, outdueling Twins All-Star Joe Ryan at Target Field in Minneapolis. Dobnak was acquired on June 17 from the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations, and he has been a nice addition to the Royals' rotation since joining on July 2 after a stint with Triple-A Omaha. In his short time in Kansas City, he has provided innings for a rotation that needs it due to various injuries. With the trade of Kris Bubic to the Royals, expect Dobnak to get a longer look in the rotation, as he will likely try to convince the Royals that he can stay in the rotation past this season. Other honorable mentions of pitchers who had solid months of July include Seth Cruz (12 ⅔ IP, 2.13 ERA, 11 strikeouts) and Seth Lugo (6 starts, 33 ⅓ IP, 4.32 ERA, 27 strikeouts). Which pitcher are you most excited to watch in the final two months of the season? Let’s discuss in the comments! View full article

The Royals have claimed LHP Connor Thomas off waivers from the Athletics. Thomas was previously DFAed on Aug 1, shortly after the A's claimed him off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on July 31. Thomas has struggled in the majors in his brief appearances with the Brewers in 2025 and the Braves in 2026. He's thrown 11 2/3 innings over four appearances, giving up 27 earned runs. He has struck out nine hitters and walked eight in that time as well. In Triple-A with the Braves this year, he has had much better results, pitching to a 1.98 ERA over 12 appearances and 27 1/3 innings. In those innings, he has struck out 20 and walked eight. He will provide the Royals with relief pitching depth. No 40-man roster move was needed, as LHP Matt Strahm was designated for assignment earlier in the day. View full rumor

The Royals have acquired RHP Nolan Hoffman from the Phillies. The Royals sent RHP Manuel Colon to Philadelphia in return. Hoffman has thrown 4 2/3 innings for the Phillies this year, striking out two and walking three. At the Triple-A level, Hoffman has thrown 34 1/3 innings, stirking out 40 and walking 18 with a 5.24 ERA over 30 relief appearances. He was designated for assignment earlier today. Colon has thrown in the Arizona Complex League and at Single-A Columbia, throwing 29 1/3 innings combined (27 in the Complex League). He has a combined 5.83 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 12 walks in that time. View full rumor

Image courtesy of IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Royals have traded LHP Kris Bubic to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bubic has pitched in nine games, throwing 50 1/3 innings and recording a 4.11 ERA. Bubic is a free agent at the end of this season. The Dodgers are sending RHP Carlos Duran to the Royals. Duran made his major league debut with the Athletics last year, pitching in one game and recording one out. Bubic will fortify a rotation that is star-studded in Los Angeles and will give the Dodgers another weapon from the left side. Duran has pitched this year at Triple-A, throwing mostly out of the bullpen with 37 appearances and two starts. He has recorded 61 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings and has recorded two saves for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 25-year-old is on the 40-man roster and will give the Royals an option out of the bullpen going forward. View full article