Steve Drumwright

It is another chance for Tyler Tolbert. The Kansas City Royals called up Tolbert, a second baseman, from Triple-A Omaha on Friday. Catcher Elias Diaz was designated for assignment. This is the speedy Tolbert's second appearance on the Royals' roster this year after making the team out of spring training. But Tolbert appeared in just eight games and went 1-for-5 at the plate in the three weeks he was on the roster. After being optioned to Omaha on April 19, Tolbert put up a .260/.365/.288 slash line with no homers, five RBIs and eight stolen bases in 20 games. He made his MLB debut a year ago, playing in 64 games with a slash line of .280/.321/.380 with one homer, six RBIs and 21 steals. Diaz's DFA puts the Royals back at the traditional two catchers. The 2023 All-Star Game MVP with the Colorado Rockies slashed .227/.261/.591 with two homers and five RBIs while appearing in 10 games. It also opens up a spot on the 40-man roster. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals have lost another valuable member of their starting rotation. Left-handed starter Kris Bubic was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday by the Royals with a soreness in his left elbow. Right-handed reliever Eli Morgan was called up from Triple-A Omaha. Bubic joins ace left-hander Cole Ragans on the injured list. Ragans went on the 15-day IL May 8 with an impingement in his left elbow. Ragans did throw a 30-pitch bullpen session Sunday, but still needs to go through steps before returning to the rotation. Bubic started Thursday and gave up five runs in just four innings on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in a 6-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. For the season, Bubic has a 4.11 ERA over nine starts, with four homers allowed in 50⅓ innings, a 12.6% walk rate and a 24.6% strikeout rate. Morgan is making his third trip up from the minors this year. He has appeared in seven games with a 2.61 ERA in 10⅓ innings, allowing eight hits and six walks with nine strikeouts. The Royals will still have to find a starter to fill Bubic's spot in the rotation. View full rumor

One left-handed reliever is back, while another will be out for a bit. Matt Strahm was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday by the Kansas City Royals with inflammation in his right knee. Bailey Falter, who had been on a rehab assignment, was activated from the 15-day IL. Falter had inflammation in his left elbow and his rehab assignment, which started April 15, had expired. Strahm has been a big part of the Royals' bullpen thus far. Acquired in the offseason from the Philadelphia Phillies, Strahm has a 3.86 ERA in 17 appearances covering 16⅓ innings. Falter had made two appearances with the Royals before going on the IL April 3. He allowed five runs in 3⅓ innings, giving up eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts. View full rumor

The expected became official in regards to Cole Ragans. The Kansas City Royals placed their ace left-hander on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow impingement. Right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who made his season debut Tuesday before being sent to Triple-A, was recalled from Omaha. Also, left-hander Eric Cerantola, who made his MLB debut this week, was optioned to Triple-A and right-handed reliever Steven Cruz was called up. Additionally, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was officially pulled from his rehab assignment after experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder following his first rehab appearance Wednesday. Ragans was pulled from Wednesday's start vs. the Cleveland Guardians after just three innings. On Thursday, it was revealed that Ragans was dealing with pitcher's elbow, with the more technical term of valgus extension overload. The loss of Ragans is a significant blow to the Royals, who are still trying to string some wins together. Kolek came off the 15-day IL and went six innings in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Guardians. He allowed all three runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Cruz, in his second stint with the Royals, made five appearances after an April 1 call-up. In five innings, he allowed eight runs on seven hits, including four homers, with four walks and seven strikeouts for a 14.40 ERA. At Omaha, he had a 6.43 ERA in eight appearances, giving up eight runs on 10 hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts. Cerantola made two relief appearances, pitching Wednesday and Thursday. He went a combined three innings, allowing three runs, including a homer, in two innings in his second appearance. He walked four and struck out five. View full rumor

The bullpen shuffle continues for the Kansas City Royals. Right-hander Eric Cerantola was called up from Triple-A Omaha to make his MLB debut and right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who started Tuesday, was sent back to the Storm Chasers. Also, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was sent to Omaha to begin a rehab assignment. He has been out since April with a left foot contusion. Kolek was called up to make a spot start in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians. He went six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Cerantola was a fifth-round draft choice in 2021 out of Mississippi State and has posted a 3.59 ERA in 133 games, including 24 starts. This season at Omaha, Cerantola appeared in 12 games and had a 1.42 ERA with six walks and 18 strikeouts in 12⅔ innings. View full rumor

It is Stephen Kolek's turn to see what he can do in the Kansas City Royals' rotation. The right-handed starter was activated from the 15-day injured list following an oblique injury and will start Tuesday's home game against the Cleveland Guardians. Right-handed reliever Mason Black was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. The Royals' rotation has had trouble with consistency this season, just one of the reasons the team sits at 16-19. Kolek, acquired from the San Diego Padres at last year's trade deadline in the Freddy Fermin deal, was impressive in five starts for the Royals in 2025. In 33 innings, he had a 4% walk and 16.8% strikeout rate with a .168 opponent batting average. Kolek had a 2.76 ERA in four rehab appearances with Omaha. Black didn't allow a run in his four relief appearances, walking two and striking out five in 4⅔ innings. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals made a minor move in the bullpen Tuesday, bringing back right-hander Luinder Avila and optioned right-hander Eli Morgan to Triple-A Omaha. Avila made two appearances, including his first MLB start, in his first stint with the Royals this season. There is not currently a rotation opening, so a bullpen slot is his likely role entering a three-game series on the road vs. the Athletics that begins Tuesday. Avila, who made 13 relief appearances for the Royals as a rookie last year, made four starts at Omaha, but went just 10⅔ innings. He allowed five runs on 11 hits and seven walks with nine strikeouts. Morgan was called up April 9 and appeared in seven games with a 2.61 ERA, walking six and striking out nine, allowing eight hits in 10⅓ innings. View full rumor