ImpactWaters has struggled to a .203/.306/.297 slash line over his last 25 games, though he does at least have six steals over that stretch. Dairon Blanco will get the start in right field Saturday.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023•ROTOWIRE
Drew Waters - Not in starting lineupWaters will be on the bench Saturday against Houston.
Edward Olivares - Heads to benchOlivares will sit Saturday against the Astros.
ImpactOlivares hits the bench after a run of six straight starts, a stretch in which he posted a .920 OPS. Nelson Velazquez will take over as the designated hitter Saturday.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023•ROTOWIRE
Nelson Velázquez - Smacks homer in winVelazquez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 4-2 win over the Astros.
ImpactHe's not seeing a full-time role in September, but Velazquez has made the most of his playing time with five homers over his last 11 games. He's hitting .289 this month, which has gotten him up to a .246/.305/.619 slash line with 13 homers, 24 RBI, 25 runs scored and five doubles over 41 games between the Royals and Cubs. Velazquez should continue to see a bit more than a typical platoon role while filling in at designated hitter and the corner outfield spots.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023•ROTOWIRE
Michael Massey - Hits homer in third straight gameMassey went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-2 win over the Astros.
ImpactMassey has gone 4-for-13 with three homers and six RBI over his last three games. His blast Friday provided an insurance run in the eighth inning. The late power surge has him up to 14 long balls on the year to go with a .224/.270/.380 slash line, 52 RBI, 39 runs scored and six stolen bases through 117 contests. While he had started to lose time to Nick Loftin, Massey's improved hitting has helped him stay in the lineup more regularly.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023•ROTOWIRE
Angel Zerpa - Secures win FridayZerpa (2-3) allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out five over four innings to earn the win Friday over the Astros.
ImpactZerpa has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen, and his appearance Friday was as a long reliever behind Zack Greinke, who went just two innings. Zerpa threw 70 pitches (43 strikes) in an effective appearance. He's allowed just two runs over his last nine innings, an improvement on his 5.63 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 25:7 K:BB through 32 innings overall. Zerpa could continue to serve as a piggyback option for Greinke or Alec Marsh over the last two weeks of the season.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023•ROTOWIRE
Bobby Witt Jr. - Flashes skills in Friday's winWitt went 2-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and two stolen bases in Friday's 4-2 win over the Astros.
ImpactHis fifth-inning homer off Cristian Javier proved to be the winning run, while Witt stole two bags for the second straight game and the third time in the last five contests. The 23-year-old is having a big finish to his second MLB campaign, slashing .306/.357/.490 through 12 September games, and he's set new career highs across the board with 29 homers, 46 steals, 84 runs and 89 RBI this season.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023•ROTOWIRE
Taylor Clarke - Notches first saveClarke gave up a solo home run and struck out three in the ninth inning Friday to record his first save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Astros.
ImpactCarlos Hernandez worked the eighth inning for the Royals, so Clarke got the call to finish things up and was dominant aside from a one-out blast by Jose Abreu. Clarke has been tagged for a run in four straight appearances but has also struck out at least one batter in nine straight since being activated from the IL in mid-August, posting a 4.15 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB through 8.2 innings over that stretch. Hernandez had the last three saves for Kansas City prior to Friday, but Clarke's high strikeout rate should keep him in the high-leverage mix as the team evaluates bullpen options for 2024.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023•ROTOWIRE
