Steve Drumwright

July is starting with a handful of moves involving the pitching staff. Right-handed reliever Connor Seabold was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained right lat and right-handed reliever Eric Cerantola was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. Coming up from Omaha to replace them are right-handers Jose Cuas and Randy Dobnak. Cuas had to be added to the 40-man roster, so left-handed starter Kris Bubic was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL. Seabold pitched just two-thirds of an inning in Tuesday's 10-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Seabold, with his third MLB team this season, has appeared in five games for the Royals, giving up six runs (five earned) over seven innings with four walks and five strikeouts. Cerantola followed Seabold in Tuesday's game by going 1⅓ innings and walking six. He has allowed six runs in 5⅓ innings for a 10.13 ERA. The 32-year-old Cuas, who made his MLB debut in 2022 with the Royals, is back in the majors for the first time since 2024, when he appeared in 13 games for the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays. He has a 3.31 ERA in 29 games over 32⅔ innings with 19 walks and 33 strikeouts. Dobnak started the season at Triple-A with the Seattle Mariners, then exercised a June 15 upward mobility clause that landed him with the Royals in a cash trade. He was added to the 40-man roster upon being acquired and made two starts at Omaha, allowing six runs in 10⅔ innings with one walk and 10 strikeouts for a 5.06 ERA. Dobnak appeared in one MLB game with the Minnesota Twins in 2025. View full rumor

Kansas City Royals right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who was already on the paternity list as he was expecting the birth of his first child, was moved to the family medical emergency leave list Tuesday. No further details on Kolek's personal situation were made available. He was also placed on the family medical emergency leave list June 4 and returned June 9. Kolek went on the paternity list Friday, which allows three days of leave from the team. View full rumor

It might have been in the Kansas City Royals' plan anyway, but a disastrous outing Friday earned Mitch Spence a trip back to the minors. The Royals on Saturday optioned Spence back to Triple-A Omaha and called up right-hander Eric Cerantola from Triple-A. Spence had been called up Friday to take the spot of right-handed starter Stephen Kolek, who went on paternity leave. With the Royals filling Kolek's scheduled start with a bullpen game, Spence came on in the second inning and got the final two outs of that inning, then proceeded to allow 10 runs in the third in what would become a 22-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Spence finished by allowing eight hits and three walks, giving up a pair of homers in 1⅓. Cerantola is with the Royals for a third time this season. In his previous two, he pitched a total of four innings over three games, allowing four runs on three hits and four walks with seven strikeouts. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals will be without right-handed starter Stephen Kolek this weekend, but it is for a good reason. Kolek was placed on the paternity list Friday, with right-hander Mitch Spence called up from Triple-A Omaha. The paternity list allows a player to be away from the team for up to three days. Kolek, whose last start was Sunday, would have been due to start Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. He still could return this weekend, but otherwise will be back when the Royals return home to start a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Spence is up for the third time this season. He made one start and one relief appearance in his previous call-ups, allowing 12 runs in eight innings on 11 hits and six walks. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals are suddenly down both starters on the left side of the infield. With shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. having missed the last three games with a sprained right knee, the Royals on Tuesday placed third baseman Maikel Garcia on the 10-day injured list with a strained muscle in his left hand. Infielder Josh Rojas was called up from Triple-A Omaha. Garcia has been dealing with the hand injury for more than a month after having a minor hamstring injury this month. Garcia's numbers have been down this season, with a .261/.320/.373 slash line with three homers and 30 RBIs in 69 games. Rojas is up for the second time this season. He was on the roster for five days at the start of the month, appearing in two games and going 1-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. View full rumor

What could have been a lengthier stay on the concussion list turned out to be a minimal one. The Kansas City Royals on Friday activated right-handed starter Seth Lugo from the seven-day concussion list and optioned right-handed reliever Mason Black to Triple-A Omaha. Lugo will be on the mound to start Friday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Lugo was injured Thursday of last week when he was drilled in the forehead by a line drive off the bat of the Texas Rangers' Brandon Nimmo, leaving a massive welt. He was able to walk off the mound and was even joking before entering the clubhouse. Concussions are a tricky injury and it can take time for symptoms to appear and longer to dissipate. At this stage, Lugo came out on the better side of that situation. For Black, his second call-up to the Royals included eight appearances. Overall, Black has pitched in 12 games with a 5.81 FIP (3.57 ERA), walking 13.4% of hitters and striking out 18.3%. View full rumor

Following Seth Lugo's concussion, right-hander Mitch Spence had a chance to prove he belonged in the majors with the Kansas City Royals. But it didn't go how he would have liked. So Tuesday, Spence was optioned back to Triple-A Omaha as right-handed reliever Connor Seabold, acquired in a trade Monday, was activated to the 26-man roster. Spence was activated Monday to start against the Washington Nationals, but he allowed six runs over four innings, with two relievers needing to chew up two innings apiece. There will need to be an addition to the starting rotation to fill Lugo's spot. The Royals will benefit from having a rare Saturday off due to a World Cup match happening in Kansas City as the Royals host the St. Louis Cardinals. View full rumor

In an attempt to fortify the bullpen, the Kansas City Royals have found a possibility on the MLB merry-go-round. The Royals on Monday traded for right-handed reliever Connor Seabold, who had been designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Royals sent minor-league right-handed starter Denis Samudio and cash to the Jays. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. A spot on the 26-man roster for Seabold will need to be made once he reports, which will likely be Tuesday. The Royals also promoted right-hander Mitch Spence from Triple-A Omaha and optioned right-handed reliever Eli Morgan to Triple-A. Morgan was sent down Sunday. Seabold is on his third MLB team this season. After being released by the Jays in spring training, Seabold made the Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster, but was designated for assignment May 24 after a 4.13 FIP (3.45 ERA) in 11 appearances and 15⅔ innings. He was dealt to the Jays, where he pitched in five games to a 4.31 FIP (8.10 ERA) in 3⅓ innings. The 21-year-old Samudio has pitched in two games in the Arizona Complex League, giving up five runs (two earned) in 5⅔ innings. View full rumor

Another round of hamate injuries have snared a few MLB stars. One of them plays for the Kansas City Royals. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday by the Royals with a fractured right hamate bone. Outfielder John Rave was called up from Triple-A Omaha. Following surgery, hamate injuries typically take between one and two months to recover from. Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez also sustained a hamate fracture Saturday. Pasquantino was injured Saturday on a swing in the fifth inning in which he popped up to the third baseman. He immediately grimaced and held his arm in a way that signified the injury. Pasquantino was removed from the game, replaced by left fielder Isaac Collins in the lineup with Jac Caglianone moving from the outfield to first base. Pasquantino is part of the heart of the Royals' offense, but his .224/.309/.350 slash line with six homers and 32 RBIs is one reason why the team is struggling. Rave made his MLB debut last season, slashing .196/.283/.307 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 72 games. At Triple-A this year, he has a slash line of .278/.395/.475 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs. View full rumor

Following a scary incident the night before, Seth Lugo will be out for the next week. The Kansas City Royals on Friday placed the right-handed starter on the seven-day concussion list and promoted right-handed reliever Eli Morgan from Triple-A Omaha. Lugo took a 106.6 line drive off his forehead Thursday off the bat of good friend Brandon Nimmo of the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning of a 4-2 loss. Lugo was able to walk off the field under his own power and even joked with Nimmo about hitting the ball somewhere else next time. Lugo was left with a pretty good welt on his forehead with an indent from the seams of the baseball visible. He said he felt fine after the game, but concussions don't always present immediately. Lugo has a 3.57 FIP (3.86 ERA) in 14 starts, with a 7.5% walk rate and 19.8% strikeout rate. This is the fourth time Morgan has been recalled from Omaha. In his 13 games this season with the Royals, Morgan has a 6.29 FIP (5.51 ERA) in 16⅓ innings, posting a 9.9% walk rate and 18.5% strikeout rate. At Triple-A, he has a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings over 11 appearances, walking six and striking out 21. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals will be without their starting center fielder for a bit. Kyle Isbel was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday by the Royals due to a left plantar fasciitis. Outfielder Kameron Misner was called up from Triple-A Omaha to take his place. Lane Thomas was in the starting lineup as the center fielder for Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers. Isbel was hurt after singling in the seventh inning of Tuesday's game and making a turn as if he was going to go for a double, but changed his mind and dove back into first base. He was removed from the game, with Tyler Tolbert pinch-running. Isbel has a slash line of .244/.298/.354 with three homers, 11 RBIs and five stolen bases in 56 games. Misner was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays after being designated for assignment in November for a player to be named, which wound up being minor-league right-handed reliever Matthew Hoskins. This will be his Royals debut after appearing in 79 games with the Rays over the last two seasons with a .203/.260/.325 slash line with five homers and 22 RBIs. At Triple-A this year, Misner was slashing .276/.373/.547 with 13 homers, 51 RBIs and 11 steals in 59 games. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals have gotten back a member of their starting rotation. Right-hander Stephen Kolek was activated from the family medical emergency leave list and will start Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers. Infielder Josh Rojas was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. Details behind Kolek's placement on the list, which happened Thursday, have not been disclosed. That could be cleared up following the game when the media has a chance to interview Kolek. In six starts covering 38 innings this year, Kolek has a 4.11 FIP (3.32 ERA) to go along with an excellent 5.4% walk rate and subpar 18.1% strikeout rate. He has had an issue giving up homers, with five so far this season. He does have a shutout, blanking the Seattle Mariners 3-0 on May 23. Rojas came up to replace Kolek on Thursday and appeared in two games, going 1-for-5 with two RBIs. View full rumor