Cory Moen

The Royals placed RHP Luinder Avila on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tightness. He was taken out after 2 2/3 innings in Saturday's 12-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Avila has struggled at points this year. In 21 appearances (12 starts), he has a 5.53 ERA with a better 4.54 FIP. He's recorded 60 strikeouts and 42 walks in 70 innings pitched at the major league level this year. To replace Avila on the active roster, the Royals selected the contract of LHP Aaron Bummer from Triple-A. Bummer made 4 appearances, throwing 4 1/3 innings and recording seven strikeouts in that brief stint with the Storm Chasers. Earlier this year, Bummer pitched in 19 games for the Atlanta Braves before being designated for assignment, struggling to a 7.63 ERA over 15 1/3 innings. He also pitched with the Cubs Triple-A team prior to signing a minor league contract with the Royals on July 20. View full rumor

Outfielder Lane Thomas and left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter are headed to the Atlanta Braves in a trade. Thomas was a popular name in trade rumors over the past few weeks, and it is not surprising to see him moved ahead of Monday's trade deadline. Falter has spent the year between the majors and Triple-A, with 5 appearances, two starts, and 9 ⅔ innings pitched. His results in the majors have not been great, but the Braves will be betting on his upside, as he is under team control for two more years after this season through the arbitration process. Falter was designated for assignment in late May and has spent part of this season on the injured list with elbow inflammation. Thomas is a rental bat who has been the source of many trade rumors over the past few weeks. He does most of his damage against left-handed pitching, with an .800 OPS against left-handed pitching, as opposed to a .719 OPS versus right-handers. He will provide additional depth in the outfield for the Braves and specifically lengthen their lineup versus southpaws. As a team, Atlanta has a .705 OPS against left-handed pitching, so he will provide an upgrade, especially in that area. In return, the Braves are sending LHP Carter Holton and RHP Lucas Braun to Kansas City. Holton was the Braves' second-round pick in 2024 and has pitched this year between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A. He has appeared in 10 games, with eight starts, throwing 41 ⅔ innings and recording 41 strikeouts with 16 walks, posting a 4.32 ERA. Lucas Braun was a sixth round pick by the Braves in 2023 and has pitched this year between Double-A and Triple-A. He has thrown 94 ⅓ innings, with a 3.53 ERA with 82 strikeouts over 19 appearances and 17 starts. Braun was ranked 8th in the Braves system on MLB.com. Image courtesy of IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect View full article

The Royals have placed RHP Beck Way on the injured list and recalled RHP Easton McGee. Way, a rookie, has pitched in 19 games with the Royals this year with a 3.86 ERA and 4.95 FIP. He has 21 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings pitched in those 19 games. McGee will make his Royals debut, previously having pitched in the majors for the Rays, Mariners, and Brewers. Over 13 career games at the major league level, he has thrown 26 1/3 innings and has recorded 17 strikeouts with a 3.08 ERA and 3.61 FIP. McGee was acquired two weeks ago from the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations. Since being acquired, he has thrown six innings over three appearances at Triple-A Omaha with seven strikeouts and six runs given up, good for a 9.00 ERA. View full rumor

The Royals have traded OF Kameron Misner to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations. Misner was acquired in November in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 18 games at the major league level this year, Misner hit for a slash line of .220/.266/.244 and struck out 17 times in 41 at-bats. He added three stolen bases in four attempts in that time frame as well. He was much better at the Triple-A level, hitting for a .941 OPS with 14 home runs, 16 doubles, and adding 14 stolen bases in 63 games played. Misner is able to play all three outfield positions and will give the Phillies more outfield depth. View full rumor

The Royals have activated Nate Pearson to the major league roster. He was acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros on July 22. The Royals sent RHP Max Martin to Houston to acquire Pearson. Pearson has been decent for Houston, throwing 20 innings with a 3.60 ERA and 4.10 FIP. To make room for Pearson on the major league roster, the Royals have optioned RHP Eli Morgan to Triple-A Omaha. Morgan has bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the Royals roster this year. He's appeared in 16 games and thrown 19 1/3 innings, recording 16 strikeouts with nine walks. In that time, he has a 5.12 ERA and 6.52 FIP. View full rumor

The Royals have acquired RHP Nate Pearson from the Houston Astros. Pearson was designated for assignment on July 19. In return, the Royals have sent prospect RHP Max Martin to Houston. Pearson had had decent results in the majors for the Astros, with a 3.60 ERA and 4.10 FIP over 20 innings pitched. He's appeared in 16 games, with 16 strikeouts and 12 walks in that time. Pearson, a former first-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays (28th overall in 2017), is a six-year vet who is under team control through arbitration through the 2027 season. He's currently making $1.35 million this year, so he is still very affordable for a team looking to add to its bullpen depth. Martin has pitched between Single-A and High-A this year, pitching in 26 games, throwing 40 1/3 innings, recording 36 strikeouts with 13 walks. Martin was a 10th round pick in the 2025 draft. View full rumor

Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list with low back tightness, which has kept him out of a few games recently. This move is retroactive to July 21, so the first day he will be eligible to come off the injured list is July 31. In a corresponding move, the Royals have selected the contract of shortstop Andrew Velazquez. Velazquez last appeared in a major league contest in 2023 with the Angels. He has major league experience every year from 2018-2023 and has played at Triple-A the past few years with the Braves, Yankees, and the Diamondbacks and Royals this year. Across 58 Triple-A games this year, he has hit for a slash line of .270/.333/.370. He's played shortstop, second base, and all three outfield positions this year, so expect to see him at multiple positions when he is on the field. To make room for Velazquez on the 40-man roster, RHP Stephen Kolek was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list. View full rumor

The Royals have signed LHP Aaron Bummer to a minor league deal. Bummer opted out of his minor league deal with the Cubs on July 17. Bummer pitched in the major leagues with the Braves earlier this year without much success. He pitched 15 1/3 innings, giving up 13 earned runs and striking out 13 with 10 walks. Bummer was released by the Braves and signed with the Cubs in late May. He made six appearances in the minor leagues for the Cubs, pitching six innings, during which he gave up four runs on eight hits. Bummer's best season was in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox, where he was worth 2.7 bWAR over 67 2/3 innings pitched. He pitched with the White Sox through 2023 before being traded to Atlanta, where he was until he was released earlier this year. Over his 10-year career, Bummer has a 3.94 ERA and 3.44 FIP over 406 appearances and 397 innings. Bummer has reported to Triple-A Omaha. View full rumor

Agreed. When I saw the DeVaughan pick, I thought it was a long shot to sign him, but I guess you never know. It would make a ton of sense for him to go to college and (potentially) be a higher round pick in the future.

The Royals have traded OF Rudy Martin Jr to the Orioles in return for cash considerations. Martin Jr is a 30-year-old outfield prospect who was a former 25th-round pick by the Royals back in 2014. He climbed up the minor league ranks in his first stint with the Royals and got up to Triple-A Omaha back in 2019. He returned to Triple-A Omaha in 2021 and was granted free agency after the 2021 season. He played the 2022 season in the Washington Nationals organization and then played in Independent Ball in 2023 and 2024. He played in the Mexican Winter League in 2024-2025 prior to re-signing with the Royals for the 2025 season. He's played the majority of the 2026 season in Double-A but earned a call-up to Triple-A. Between the two levels, he slashed for a .284/.414/.441 across 255 plate appearances. He's walked at a 16.1% rate and struck out at a 23.5% rate as well. He also has eight home runs and 33 stolen bases on the year. He had an upward mobility clause in his contract that he triggered, and the Orioles chose to add him to their 40-man roster, which was the first time in his career that he earned a 40-man roster spot. It will be interesting to see if the long-time minor leaguer can earn his first major league call-up with Baltimore. View full rumor

Yeah, it looks like they did save quite a bit, so there is definitely space to give him enough to sign. It just depends on if he decides to do that. I'm also intrigued by Griffith as an option either out of the rotation or in the bullpen and Wickersham as a dark horse type guy who could develop into a contributor.

Kendry ChourioDavid ShieldsBlake MitchellJosh HammondZion RoseSean GambleRamon RamirezDrew BeamCarson RoccaforteAsbel GonzalezMichael LombardiTyler RabeYandel RicardoJack SlightomJustin LamkinBen KudrnaFelix ArrondeBlake WoltersSteven ZobacFrank Mozzicato

Here is a look at all of the Royals' draft picks from rounds 11-20 in the 2026 MLB draft. While these prospects may not require top dollar like some of the day one picks might, there is still plenty of potential, and it will be interesting to see if these players can be contributors at the major league level one day. Round 11 (329th overall): Tanner Griffith, OF, Saint Mary’s Griffith, a left-handed hitting outfielder, played three years at Saint Mary’s, where he hit .300/.450/.437. This past year, he hit at an even better rate, with a 1.022 OPS, and he hit five home runs. He hit three in his first two years of college. He’s also shown the ability to steal some bases as well, stealing 43 bases over his three years at Saint Mary’s. He announced that he transferred to TCU, but the Royals will look to get him to start his professional career and forgo his final year of eligibility. Griffith will add to the outfield depth, as he played all three outfield positions while in college. Saint Mary's Baseball (@smcbaseball) • Instagram photos and videos WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 561 likes, 6 comments - smcbaseball on March 21, 2026: "Griffith to the moon ??➡️ #GaelsRise". Round 12 (359th overall): Lance Hartley, RHP, College of Central Florida Hartley pitched at the College of Central Florida, where he pitched in five games, giving up six earned runs over 16 innings pitched while recording 22 strikeouts. He previously committed to play next year at the University of South Carolina, which was one of two division one offers he had after this past year. He pitched in the 2024 MLB Draft League. He throws a mid-90s fastball and a low-80s slider. He also throws a changeup and a curveball. Unfortunately, he is currently rehabbing for Tommy John and has reopened his recruitment, so the Royals will look to have him pitch starting in 2026 at the professional level instead. Round 13 (389th overall): Dalton Hill, RHP, Nicholls St Hill pitched out of the bullpen at Nicholls St this past season, appearing in 17 games, throwing 20 innings, recording 19 strikeouts, and giving up only three runs. In 2025, he had less success in the rotation, pitching in 15 games with 10 starts. Hill previously pitched at Northeast Texas Community College prior to the last two years at Nicholls State. Hill has a lot of emotion on the mound as well, which makes for a fun player to watch. Round 14 (419th overall): Banks Wickhersham, C, Fort Dorchester HS (South Carolina) Listed as a catcher, Wickersham has played all over the diamond, including some time on the mound. He has thrown in the mid-90s on the mound. He also played quarterback for his high school football team. He is committed to playing collegiately at the College of Charleston. Here is a look at how he approaches his work as a player: Round 15 (449th overall): Madden Clement, LHP, Virginia Tech Clement, son of former MLB pitcher Matt Clement, played for the Hokies for three years, where he pitched both in the rotation and as a reliever. In 2026, he pitched in eight games, five starts, and threw 13 ⅔ innings while striking out 13, walking nine, and giving up six earned runs. He missed most of the season with an arm injury, which is never a great sign for a pitcher. He pitched this summer in the Cape Cod League, where he pitched 12 ⅓ innings over four appearances. While the 6.57 ERA might not look great, he struck out 18 batters in that time, so he showed the ability to strike hitters out on the Cape. Round 16 (479th overall): Dylan Alonso, RHP, Troy University Alonso pitched this past year with Troy, mostly out of the bullpen. He threw 49 ⅓ innings and struck out 60 hitters over that time. He also had a high walk rate, walking 32 in that time period as well. He pitched at Middle Tennessee State University his freshman year before pitching at Columbia State Community College in 2025. He has a mid-90s fastball that has touched 96 mph and an above-average curveball that sits 83-84. He was part of a pitching staff that helped Troy make a College World Series appearance at the Division I level for the first time in program history. Round 17 (509th overall): Richie Roman, RHP, Houston Roman has pitched the past three years at Houston, where he has improved year over year. In 2026, he pitched in 13 games, starting four, where he threw 30 ⅓ innings, recording 31 strikeouts with a 3.86 ERA. His control was suspect this past year, walking 13 and hitting eight batters in those 13 appearances. He just turned 21 last week, so he will be pitching his age-22 season in the first full season of his professional career in 2027. His fastball has reached as high as 97 mph with a splitter/sinker that sits 88-92. He also throws a curveball and a changeup. Round 18 (539th overall): Cooper Corkrean, LHP, University of New Mexico Corkrean was thrown out of the Lobos bullpen this past year, recording four saves across 21 appearances. In those appearances, he had two starts, throwing 59 innings with 59 strikeouts. He was second-team All Mountain West in his one year with the Lobos. Prior to pitching at New Mexico, he pitched for Galveston College for two years. His fastball tops out in the low-90s. He entered the transfer portal after the 2026 season, originally committing to Houston but then flipping his commitment to Kentucky. Round 19 (569th overall): Hudson DeVaughan, P, Mooresville HS (Indiana) The University of Alabama commit has a deep repertoire, including a four-seam fastball, a two-seamer, a cutter, and two breaking balls. His fastball has reached 98 mph. He was part of a state championship team his sophomore season in high school. He was limited on the showcase circuit last summer, but he bounced back as one of the best pitching prospects in the Midwest. It will likely take more than the $150,000 to convince DeVaughan to forgo his college commitment. His parents were both athletes at the University of Florida, and his dad, Derek, was drafted in the 23rd round of the 1997 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 138th-best prospect in the 2026 draft. He projects to have more velocity to come, so that is an intriguing thing to keep an eye on going forward as well. If he doesn’t sign, he will be draft eligible again in 2028 as a sophomore. Round 20 (599th overall): Riley McDonald, RHP, State College of Florida McDonald, a JUCO product, pitched mostly out of the bullpen, with 21 appearances and five starts. He threw 63 ⅔ innings, where he recorded 58 strikeouts. He entered the transfer portal at the end of the season and committed to Liberty University. Which of these picks are you most excited about? Image courtesy of © Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images View full article