The Royals got a fast start, got a couple of loud swings, and still ended up buried by the time the night was over.
Kansas City fell 10-4 to the Tampa Bay Rays in its return to Kauffman Stadium, and the early jolt from Carter Jensen didn’t change where this one was headed. Jensen opened the bottom of the first inning with a first-pitch home run to right field, a blast that also extended his hitting streak.
Bobby Witt Jr. added his own power later, launching a hanging sweeper into left field for one of his three hits and the first of his two homers on the night. But by then, the Rays had already taken control in a game that had gotten sideways quickly.
Tampa Bay was already up 6-3 by the third inning, and Noah Cameron was chased early, not making it through the fourth. That kind of outing usually puts a bullpen in a rough spot, and this one never recovered.
Connor Seabold was next in line and allowed a pair of runs while letting three baserunners reach in two thirds of an inning before leaving with “right lat tightness.” Eric Cerantola followed and issued six walks while giving up another two runs. Add that to the six charged to Cameron, and the margin was too big to close.
The loss dropped the Royals to 35-51, making them the worst team in the American League and the second-worst team in Major League Baseball.
In Other News...
Royals Just Got The Cole Ragans News They Feared Most
The Royals had already spent months trying to map a path back for Cole Ragans, moving him through rehab work and then sending him to Triple-A Omaha on assignment before the left-hander hit another setback. Even before the latest turn, Kansas City had been forced to manage a battered rotation, with Kris Bubic, Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna all already out, leaving the club leaning hard on whatever depth it could find while hoping Ragans could still be part of the picture again.
Instead, the injury drifted from caution to crisis after Ragans did not respond well to bullpen work and was sent for additional medical evaluations. The Royals now have their answer on the next phase of his recovery, and while J.J. Picollo had floated the possibility of a return sometime in the middle part of the year, the clubs focus has shifted to just how much uncertainty one more major elbow procedure adds to both Ragans future and the organizations short-term pitching plans. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Pitching Shuffle Raises New Questions About Two Familiar Arms
The Royals kept their pitching churn going before the Rays game, activating right-handers Jose Cuas and Randy Dobnak while sending Eric Cerantola to Triple-A Omaha. Cuas is back on the major league roster after a minor league deal and a strong run in Omaha, and Dobnak is in line to make his 2026 debut if he gets into a game. To open those spots, Kansas City also moved Kris Bubic to the 60-day injured list and cleared room on the 40-man roster.
For a staff that has already had to adjust on the fly, the shuffle adds another layer of uncertainty around two familiar arms at a time when the Royals can use any stability they can get. Bubics return from a rehab track remains unsettled after he was scratched from a start, and the organization is also sorting out what comes next with the fresh additions of Cuas and Dobnak as the season keeps pressing forward. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Reach A Brutal Midseason Reality Fans Feared
The Royals have spent much of the season living down to the fears that hovered over them in the spring, and the standings now reflect it. They are last in the AL Central, with the offense and pitching both failing to hold up their end, and the result is a midseason picture that looks far more fragile than anyone around the club expected.
Injuries have only made the climb steeper, with several key pieces already sidelined and the roster thin in spots that matter most. That is why the next stretch feels so important for J.J. Picollo, who may have to decide whether to chase help at the deadline or use the situation to reshape the roster in a different direction, with a few familiar names likely to draw attention if Kansas City chooses to listen. [Read more 🡒]