Steve Drumwright

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

The Kansas City Royals placed right-handed starter Stephen Kolek on the family medical emergency leave list on Thursday and promoted infielder Josh Rojas from Triple-A Omaha. There were no details immediately available on Kolek's situation. Rojas was not on the 40-man roster, so the Royals created space by transferring Jonathan India, who is out for the season with an injured left shoulder, from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Kolek has been a reliable member of the starting rotation. In his six starts, he put up a 3.32 ERA with eight walks and 27 strikeouts in 38 innings. He threw a four-hit shutout May 23 vs. the Seattle Mariners. The 31-year-old Rojas, a seven-year MLB veteran, was slashing .247/.309/.437 at Triple-A with six homers and 26 RBIs. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals made a move to try and improve the bullpen, calling up right-hander Beck Way from Triple-A Omaha to make his MLB debut. Right-hander Eli Morgan was sent down to Omaha. Also, outfielder Matt Lugo was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels and optioned to Triple-A and left-hander Bailey Falter cleared waivers and was outrighted to Omaha. Way was a fourth-round draft choice in 2020 out of Northwest Florida State College, a junior college. At Triple-A this year, Way had a 4.50 ERA in 19 games covering 30 innings, walking 10 and striking out 42. Morgan has a 5,51 ERA in 13 games and 16⅓ innings with eight walks and 15 strikeouts. He also has given up four homers. He appeared in Monday's 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds, allowing a run on two hits with three strikeouts. Lugo made his MLB debut this season with the Angels and had a .232/.243/.464 slash line with four homers and nine RBIs. Seven of his 16 hits went for extra bases. He was designated for assignment by the Angels. View full rumor

The Kansas City Royals are getting a key arm back in their bullpen. Left-handed reliever Matt Strahm was activated off the 15-day injured list by the Royals, who optioned right-hander Eric Cerantola back to Triple-A Omaha. Strahm missed the minimum 15 days with left knee inflammation. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, Strahm has a 3.86 ERA in 17 games and 16⅓ innings, with seven walks and 17 strikeouts. Cerantola, in his second call-up this year, pitched in Friday's 9-1 loss to the Texas Rangers, allowing a solo homer and striking out two. View full rumor

If you felt Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Nick Mears was struggling for some reason, you might have your answer now. The Royals on Friday placed Mears on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement and called up right-handed reliever Eric Cerantola from Triple-A Omaha. A key offseason addition after being acquired along with outfielder Isaac Collins from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa, Mears has produced a 5.12 ERA over 19⅓ innings over 20 appearances, with 11 walks and 15 strikeouts. He last pitched Wednesday in a 7-0 loss to the New York Yankees, when he went two-thirds and allowed three runs on two hits and two walks and a strikeout. Cerantola was called up May 6 for his MLB debut and appeared in two games before returning to the minors, tossing three innings, giving up three runs on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts. At Triple-A this year, he has a 1.97 ERA over 18 appearances and 19⅔ innings, walking 10 and striking out 30. View full rumor

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