Fermin is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates.
Fermin will take a seat for the series opener versus Pittsburgh after he had started in each of the Royals' last five games, catching in four of them. Salvador Perez will get a turn behind the plate Monday while Mark Canha enters the lineup as Kansas City's designated hitter.
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Royals' Blake Mitchell: Returns from 7-day IL
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High-A Quad Cities reinstated Mitchell (wrist) from the 7-day injured list Monday.
Mitchell has been cleared to make his 2025 debut in the Midwest League after he broke his right wrist in late February and required surgery, which kept him on the shelf for the first three months of the season. The catching prospect received the green light to join Quad Cities after he slashed .286/.487/.464 with one home run and three stolen bases in 39 plate appearances during his rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
Royals' Cole Ragans: Should start throwing again Monday
Rotowire
Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that Ragans (shoulder) is likely to resume throwing Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
On the shelf since June 11 due to a left rotator cuff strain, Ragans has been barred from throwing for nearly a month while he's waited for the discomfort in his shoulder to subside. After a recent follow-up MRI on his shoulder revealed encouraging results, Ragans looks ready to begin the rehab process in earnest. Ragans still has several checkpoints to reach in his throwing program before he heads out on a rehab assignment, but if he can avoid any setbacks while ramping up, he could return from the 15-day injured list at some point in August.
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Royals' Salvador Perez: Clubs 10th homer
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Perez went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and a hit-by-pitch in Sunday's 4-0 win against the Diamondbacks.
The 35-year-old reached double-digit homers for the 13th consecutive season when he slugged a 415-foot solo shot off Arizona starter Anthony DeSclafani in the fourth. The long ball snapped an 11-game homerless draught over which Perez hit .227 (10-for-44) with eight RBI and no runs scored. Through 358 total plate appearances, the veteran is slashing .235/.277/.393 with 50 RBI and 20 runs scored in 86 games.
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Royals' Jac Caglianone: Tallies first steal
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Caglianone went 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, a steal and a run scored in Sunday's 4-0 victory at Arizona.
The Kansas City rookie notched his first career steal off Arizona starter Anthony DeSclafani in the fifth inning after reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Caglianone hadn't been much of a speed threat prior to joining the Royals, as he swiped only four bags across 79 minor-league games before his promotion. The 22-year-old has struggled mightily in his first taste of the big leagues with just two homers and a .148/.200/.241 slash line across 115 plate appearances.
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Royals' Michael Lorenzen: Impresses in fifth win
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Lorenzen (5-8) earned the win in Sunday's game at Arizona, allowing two hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
The Kansas City right-hander produced an astounding 17 whiffs in this 82-pitch outing to tally his first win since June 8. With this performance, Lorenzen notched his seventh quality start of the season and matched his season best with seven Ks, a mark he reached four times prior to Sunday. The 33-year-old lowered his season ERA from 4.95 to 4.61 across 99.2 frames to go with a 1.30 WHIP and 85:29 K:BB. Lorenzen currently lines up to make his next start against the Mets at home next weekend.
The Royals placed Lynch on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to left elbow nerve irritation.
The injury may have played a part in Lynch's recent struggles; the lefty reliever has allowed four earned runs on 10 hits and four walks in 7.2 innings over his last seven appearances. Kansas City recalled right-hander Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha to replace Lynch in the bullpen.
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Royals' Jonathan Bowlan: Summoned from Triple-A
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The Royals recalled Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha prior to Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
He'll join the bullpen as a replacement for southpaw Daniel Lynch (elbow), who was placed on the 15-day injured list. Over 12 appearances with the big club this season, Bowlan owns a 3.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 12:7 K:BB in 15 innings.
Fermin will start at catcher and bat fifth in Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Fermin's playing time is back on the rise again, as he'll be getting his fifth consecutive start Sunday. Four of those starts have come behind the dish, as the Royals have been using top backstop Salvador Perez at designated hitter and first base more frequently in an effort to keep him fresh. Fermin is batting .275 over 167 plate appearances on the season but doesn't bring much power (two home runs) or speed (zero steals) to the table.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Getting Sunday off
Rotowire
Garcia is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Garcia started the previous 30 games and will receive a day to reset while he's in the midst of a 4-for-24 slump. Nick Loftin will fill in at the hot corner and bat eighth versus Arizona righty Anthony DeSclafani.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Handed third straight loss
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Wacha (4-9) was charged with the loss Saturday in Arizona after allowing four runs on four hits and four walks across four innings. He struck out four.
The veteran right-hander had a 2.88 ERA at the end of May, but after Saturday's showing he now has a 1-5 record with a 5.85 ERA in six starts since the beginning of June. That poor run of form has inflated his season-long numbers to a 3.83 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 79:30 K:BB across 101 innings, with those ERA and WHIP figures being his worst since 2021. He lines up to make one more start before the All-Star break next weekend versus the Mets.
Witt went 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 9-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Witt is on an eight-game hitting streak, going 15-for-35 (.429) in that span. The shortstop continues to deliver consistency at the plate -- he's been held hitless in consecutive games on just four occasions all season. He's at a .293/.346/.490 slash line with 11 home runs, 47 RBI, 53 runs scored and 24 stolen bases through 89 contests.
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Royals' Mark Canha: Hits first homer of season
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Canha went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 9-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Canha was in the lineup for the first time in July and delivered a solo shot to pad the Royals' lead in the fifth inning. The 36-year-old hit just .125 (4-for-32) over 14 games in June and continues to see limited playing time. With Drew Waters' demotion to Triple-A Omaha on Friday, Canha will have a little more opportunity to get starts in left field, though he'll have to compete with fellow right-handed hitter Nick Loftin as well as fourth outfielder John Rave. Canha is slashing .220/.281/.275 with one homer, five RBI, nine runs scored and no stolen bases over 121 plate appearances, so he's unlikely to be a strong fantasy option, especially with limited playing time.
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Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino: Blasts two homers Friday
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Pasquantino went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI in Friday's 9-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Pasquantino set the tone with a three-run homer in the first inning, then added an RBI single in the second and a two-run blast in the fourth. He's been steady at the plate lately, going 16-for-57 (.281) with four homers, three doubles and 16 RBI over his last 15 games. The first baseman is up to 14 homers on the year, and he's added 55 RBI, 36 runs scored, one stolen base and a .271/.333/.431 slash line through 88 contests.
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Royals' Kris Bubic: Goes seven innings in win
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Bubic (7-6) allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six over seven innings to earn the win over the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Bubic allowed two runs in the first inning but never had to pitch from behind as the Royals broke out for nine runs of support. He also allowed a solo home run to Eugenio Suarez in the sixth. Bubic has had a bit of a rough patch since the start of June, allowing 18 runs (16 earned) over 34.2 innings across six starts. Still, this was his sixth start of seven innings this season, which is impressive considering he worked primarily as a reliever in 2024 after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Bubic is now at a 2.36 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 107:32 K:BB through 103 innings over 17 starts this season, which has been his best year in the majors so far. The southpaw is projected to make his next start at home versus the Pirates.
