Kansas City Royals News

Seth Lugo - Falls to Tampa Bay Lugo (3-6) took the loss Wednesday against the Rays, allowing three runs on nine hits over six innings. He struck out seven.

Impact Lugo got off to a shaky start Wednesday, allowing a two-run homer to Junior Caminero in the first inning. He'd settle in and hold the Rays scoreless until Cedric Mullins launched a solo shot with two outs in the sixth, though the Royals failed to provide Lugo with any run support in an eventual 4-0 defeat. Despite the loss, it was an encouraging bounce-back effort from Lugo, who gave up seven runs in five innings in his last outing (also against Tampa Bay). The veteran right-hander now sports a 4.20 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP and 76:30 K:BB across 17 starts (96.1 innings). Lugo is currently lined up to face the Phillies at home his next time out.

1 HOUR AGO • ROTOWIRE

Junior Caminero homers in 6th straight game to lead Rays to 7th win in a row

Junior Caminero homered in his sixth straight game to match the Tampa Bay record, hitting a two-run shot in the first first inning to help the Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0...

2 HOURS AGO • Associated Press

Rays’ Junior Caminero Becomes Youngest Player Since 1900 To Homer In Six Straight Games

Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero has become the youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six straight games.

3 HOURS AGO • FOX SPORTS

Rays’ Junior Caminero Becomes Youngest Player Since 1900 To Homer In Six Straight Games

Stephen Kolek - Expected to start Thursday Kolek (personal) is expected to make his next scheduled start Thursday against Tampa Bay, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Impact Kolek moved from the paternity list to the family emergency list Tuesday so that he could spend more time away from the team, but it doesn't seem like he will miss any more starts. The 29-year-old righty will be looking to bounce back from a disastrous nine-run, 1.2-inning performance he endured during his last start, though he'll be facing a Rays offense that's posted an .881 OPS across its last 10 games.

6 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Royals plunge to the bottom tier with a dreadful midpoint evaluation | Sporting News Things have not gone right for the Royals at all.

6 HOURS AGO • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Connor Seabold - Placed on IL with strained lat The Royals placed Seabold on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right lat strain.

Impact Seabold had to be pulled from an appearance Tuesday against the Rays because of the injury. The severity of the strain is unclear, but even a mild one could result in longer than a minimum 15-day absence. Seabold has pitched for three different teams this season, collecting a 5.25 ERA and 20:11 K:BB across 24 frames.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Eric Cerantola - Sent back to minors The Royals optioned Cerantola to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Impact Cerantola had a disastrous outing Tuesday versus the Rays, walking six of the nine batters he faced while surrendering a pair of runs. He'll head back to Omaha as the Royals replace him with a fresh bullpen arm.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Randy Dobnak - Moves up to big leagues The Royals recalled Dobnak from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Impact Dobnak had previously seen big-league action with the Twins over parts of five seasons from 2019 through 2025, but he'll be making his Royals debut once he gets into a game. The 31-year-old righty opened the season in the rotation at Triple-A Tacoma in the Mariners organization before being traded June 17 to the Royals, who immediately added him to their 40-man roster. Over 80.2 innings at the Triple-A level this season, Dobnak has produced a 4.35 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 49:25 K:BB. The right-hander looks set to initially work out of the bullpen for Kansas City, though he could be a candidate to start Thursday versus the Rays if Stephen Kolek (personal) isn't activated from the bereavement list in advance of that game.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

José Cuas - Contract selected The Royals selected Cuas' contract from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Impact Cuas holds a 3.31 ERA and 33:19 K:BB over 32.2 innings this season at Omaha. The 32-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since 2024 and will be used in low-leverage situations in the Kansas City bullpen.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Isaac Collins - Left out of lineup Collins is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

Impact The Royals will go with Tyler Tolbert in left field while Collins retreats to the bench as the Rays send southpaw Shane McClanahan to the bump. A switch-hitter, Collins has been far more effective against righties (.339 wOBA, 116 wRC+) than lefties (.299 wOBA, 89 wRC+) over parts of three big-league seasons.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Kris Bubic - Shifts to 60-day IL The Royals transferred Bubic (elbow/shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

Impact Earlier Wednesday, Royals senior vice president Scott Sharp revealed that Bubic hit another snag in his recovery from left elbow soreness and left shoulder discomfort, though the team won't have more specifics available until the southpaw is re-evaluated in Kansas City. Since Bubic's initial placement on the IL was retroactive to May 15 and he wasn't on track to rejoin Kansas City rotation until after the All-Star break anyway, his move to the 60-day IL won't have any bearing on his timeline for a return. The transaction will temporarily bump Bubic from the 40-man roster in order to open up a spot for right-hander Jose Cuas, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Omaha.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Royals Monthly Check-in: Offense Showed Potential in June The Royals put together their best month of the season so far at 13-14 and saw plenty of solid performances to go with some bad performances...

9 HOURS AGO • SI.COM

Kyle Isbel - Targeting rehab stint before ASB Isbel (foot) will continue his rehab in Arizona to begin July with the hope of embarking on a rehab assignment before the All-Star break, MLB.com reports.

Impact Isbel was diagnosed with a Grade 3 tear of a portion of his left plantar fascia after being placed on the injured list June 10. The center fielder is now targeting a rehab assignment before the All-Star break after beginning to swing June 17, which would represent a relatively quick return to game action given the severity of his injury. Before being sidelined, Isbel slashed .244/.298/.354 with three homers, 11 RBI, 16 runs and five stolen bases across 56 appearances.

11 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Vinnie Pasquantino - Eyeing rehab assignment before ASB Pasquantino (hand) will continue his rehab in Arizona to begin July with the hope of embarking on a rehab assignment before the All-Star break, MLB.com reports.

Impact Pasquantino hit the injured list June 14 and underwent surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone in his right hand, with an initial recovery timeline of four to six weeks. Based on that timetable and recent indications, the first baseman isn't expected to rejoin the Royals before the All-Star break, though a minor-league rehab assignment before the break seems to be the tentative plan. This season, Pasquantino is hitting .224/.309/.350 with six homers, 32 RBI, 28 runs and three stolen bases across 68 appearances.

11 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Carter Jensen - Extends hitting streak to 20 games Jensen went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 10-4 loss to the Rays.

Impact Jensen jumped on the first pitch he saw from the leadoff spot, sending it over the right-field fence to give the Royals an early 1-0 lead. The homer extended the catcher's hitting streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the majors. During the streak, the 22-year-old is slashing .346/.382/.630 with five homers, eight doubles, 18 RBI and 16 runs scored. Overall, Jensen is hitting .251/.316/.446 with 12 homers, 17 doubles, 46 RBI and 40 runs scored across 79 contests this season.

12 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Kris Bubic - Scratched from rehab start Royals senior vice president Scott Sharp said Wednesday on Sports Radio 810 WHB that Bubic (elbow/shoulder) has been scratched from his next scheduled rehab start and will return t...

Impact Bubic initially went on the 15-day injured list in mid-May due to left elbow soreness and encountered a setback in mid-June when he experienced left shoulder discomfort. He had an MRI after that first setback which cleared him of structural damage in his elbow and shoulder. It's unclear at this point whether this setback is related to the southpaw's elbow or shoulder (or both), but more information on Bubic should be available later this week. The southpaw went two scoreless frames in his last rehab start this past weekend.

12 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Bobby Witt Jr. - Homers twice in loss Witt went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's 10-4 loss to the Rays.

Impact Witt did everything he could to keep Kansas City in the game, launching a two-run homer off Griffin Jax in the third inning before adding a solo shot in the eighth to trim Tampa Bay's sizable lead. Since returning to the lineup from an MCL sprain, the star shortstop is batting .286 (4-for-14) across four games.

20 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Rays aim to keep win streak alive against the Royals

The Tampa Bay Rays are looking to extend a six-game win streak with a victory against the Kansas City Royals

20 HOURS AGO • Associated Press

Royals vs. Rays: Injury Report, Updates & Probable Starters – July 1 At Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Rays (six consecutive wins) play the Kansas City Royals at 7:40 p.m. ET.Looking to see who's...

21 HOURS AGO • BLEACHERNATION.COM

Noah Cameron - Unraveled in third inning Cameron (4-6) took the loss Tuesday against the Rays, allowing six runs on nine hits and three walks over 3.2 innings.

Impact Cameron fell apart in the third inning, surrendering all six of his runs while allowing seven hits in the frame, including back-to-back home runs by Junior Caminero and Ryan Vilade. He returned for the fourth but was lifted after allowing two more singles. To make matters worse, Cameron failed to record a strikeout for the first time this season. The left-hander has now been hit hard in four straight starts, allowing at least seven hits in each outing while posting a 9.00 ERA. On the season, he owns a 4.95 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 75:25 K:BB across 83.2 innings. Cameron will seek to turn things around in his next start, scheduled against the Phillies at home.

21 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Royals eyeing present, future ahead of Deadline: 'We need to figure this thing out' KANSAS CITY -- A week ago, the Royals had just finished winning five of their previous six games, including the first two games against the...

23 HOURS AGO • MLB.COM

Junior Caminero homers for the 5th straight game as the Rays beat the Royals 10-4 in series opener

Junior Caminero homered for the fifth straight game, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 10-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals

1 DAY AGO • Associated Press

Connor Seabold - Exits with lat tightness Seabold was removed from Tuesday's game against the Rays with right lat tightness.

Impact Seabold injured himself after attempting to pick off a runner at first base in the fifth inning. It's unknown whether his injury will cause him to spend time on the injured list, but the Royals may refrain from using him out of the bullpen for at least a day or two while he recovers.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Rays' Caminero bringing sweet swing back to All-Star Home Run Derby after putting on show last year

Junior Caminero is bringing his sweet swing back to the All-Star Home Run Derby

1 DAY AGO • Associated Press

Nick Loftin - Checking back into lineup Loftin (groin) will start at third base and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Rays.

Impact After sustaining a groin bruise late in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the White Sox, Loftin ended up sitting out Sunday's series finale. The game off plus Monday's team off day appears to have provided sufficient recovery time for Loftin, who will step back in at third base, where he's been serving as the Royals' primary starter since Maikel Garcia (hand) landed on the injured list. After producing a 1.006 OPS through his first 17 games of June, Loftin went hitless in 14 at-bats over his last four starts before exiting the lineup Sunday.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

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Junior Caminero homers in 6th straight game to lead Rays to 7th win in a row

Rays’ Junior Caminero Becomes Youngest Player Since 1900 To Homer In Six Straight Games

Rays aim to keep win streak alive against the Royals

Junior Caminero homers for the 5th straight game as the Rays beat the Royals 10-4 in series opener

Rays' Caminero bringing sweet swing back to All-Star Home Run Derby after putting on show last year

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Junior Caminero homers in 6th straight game to lead Rays to 7th win in a row

Rays’ Junior Caminero Becomes Youngest Player Since 1900 To Homer In Six Straight Games

Rays aim to keep win streak alive against the Royals

Junior Caminero homers for the 5th straight game as the Rays beat the Royals 10-4 in series opener

Rays' Caminero bringing sweet swing back to All-Star Home Run Derby after putting on show last year