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Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. was out of the lineup once again due to back tightness.
And on Tuesday, the Royals held the star shortstop out of the lineup because his back was “still pretty stiff,” manager Matt Quatraro said pregame.
“It’s going to be day to day,” Quatraro said. “We have to see — obviously, we need to get the spasm to relax first, and then figure out if it’s something that he can play through and how long that’ll be until he can.
“… We’ll see how it progresses between now and game time, but we’re definitely going to be cautious.”
Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone exited Tuesday’s game with some right shoulder soreness.
A diving catch attempt in right field seemed to shake Jac Caglianone up a bit in the fifth inning on Tuesday night, but even as he got up with a grimace, he waved off his teammates and the Royals’ staff to stay in the game.
An inning later, though, Caglianone was replaced in right field and out of the game. He seemed to be favoring his right shoulder as he got up from the ground, and the Royals later announced that Caglianone left the game with right shoulder soreness.
Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro had an update on injured starter Stephen Kolek.
The Royals evaluated Kolek on Monday. He received an MRI and met with team doctor Vincent Key about the injury. Now it seems Kolek will need a further evaluation. “He’s going to get a second opinion after meeting with Dr. Key yesterday,” Quatraro said. “So we don’t really have any further update right now.” The Royals haven’t scheduled the second opinion just yet. Quatraro said a specific date for that exam is still being worked out.
Is bunting back? Nick Loftin’s work in Monday’s win could say so.
Loftin had not started Monday’s game, instead replacing Bobby Witt Jr. (back tightness) at shortstop in the fifth inning. But he singled in the seventh inning and he’s been asked to bunt more frequently recently, getting more comfortable with it.
“That’s our identity,” Loftin said. “We’ve worked on bunting for — how long have I been a Royal? Since 2020? Ever since I stepped foot in this organization, we’ve been working on bunting.”
Loftin fouled off the first attempt, so the Giants brought Eldridge off the bag and in toward the plate. Loftin knew he needed to get on top of the fastball and still push it toward first to make Eldridge make a play.
The Athletic puts Kansas City dead last in their latest power rankings, with Maikel Garcia as the “player each team needs to be an All-Star in the second half of the season”.
A season ago, Garcia had a legitimate case for the AL’s Silver Slugger award at third base. A season later, no such case exists. The third baseman has seen his hard-hit rate go from 45.1 percent in 2025 to 41.3 percent in 2026. He’s still elite at not chasing or whiffing, and his squared-up percentage is among the best in the league. Yet, that hasn’t translated to results. His lack of production is part of the reason why the Royals have gone from potential wild-card contender to one of the league’s most disappointing clubs.
More details on the next step regarding the Royals moving downtown.
City officials are reviewing a proposed rezoning plan that lays out where there could be new construction, where existing buildings could be renovated, where the ballpark would go and where there could be new plaza areas. The rezoning would allow for a “sports and entertainment district” within Crown Center. Officials have previously announced plans to replace Hallmark’s headquarters building with a new Royals stadium while transforming the area into a ballpark district as part of a $3 billion plan. A public meeting about the rezoning proposal has been scheduled for 6 p.m. July 27 in Union Station’s Regnier Theatre, according to a notice uploaded with city documents.
Former Royals star Carlos Beltrán could get another shot to manage the New York Mets.
Carlos Beltrán’s playing career will be cast in bronze on Sunday in Cooperstown, N.Y., when he is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. But in a Zoom call with reporters on Monday, Beltrán said he’s hoping for a second act as manager — and the New York Mets, the team he will represent on his plaque, asked him about the job after firing Carlos Mendoza last month.
“Yes, I had conversations with a few people within the organization, and I don’t know, I just didn’t feel it was the right thing for me to do,” Beltrán said. “And I have to tell you that, having the opportunity to manage, I would say that that’s probably in my bucket list.”
Royals Opening Day starter Cole Ragans falls into an injury-laden tier in The Athletic’s Ace Project.
Heading into 2025, Ragans posted an 86 score, tied for seventh-best pitcher on our list. More than a quarter of our panelists viewed him as an ace. But a strained rotator cuff limited him to 13 outings last season, and his future is now in peril after undergoing surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament earlier this month. The surgery marked the third major procedure on his elbow. The Royals hope he can pitch again next summer.
KC Kingdom’s Parker Buchele pitches the Royals acquiring Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu at the trade deadline.
Sports Illustrated’s Brian Sparks highlights the three Royals prospects Baseball America listed in their latest hot sheet.
Former Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein pans the idea of leading another team in the immediate future.
The Athletic’s Tim Britton lays out the trade deadline archetypes for several contending roles.
Meet the unemployed man who calls himself “The Baseball Spy”.
The MLBPA’s latest proposal had several draft-centric notes in the latest bargaining session.
Athletics rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer undergoes emergency surgery to address a ruptured testicle from fouling a ball into his groin the night before.
Cincinnati Reds reliever Caleb Ferguson apologizes for his verbal outburst towards umpire Bill Miller.
A high ankle spain lands Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel on the injured list for a possible lengthy stay.
Detroit Tigers starter Jack Flaherty heads to the injured list with right flexor inflammation.
SEC’s new schedule pauses historic rivalries in college football’s biggest conference.
Volunteers come together to restore an international flag mural in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast.
Farmers are struggling around the country. How does it compare to a similar situation 40 years ago?
Anthropic to pay thousands of authors for pirated copies of books used to train Claude in $1.5 billion settlement.
Today’s song of the day is LIGHTS BACK ON by Adrien Nunez.
