The Kansas City Royals are trying to make sense of a strange stretch that started with a series win and ended with a 19-2 Sunday disaster, all while the trade deadline keeps creeping closer.
That’s the backdrop for the latest Royals Rundown Podcast, where Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco dig into a week that offered both encouragement and chaos. The Royals took the series from the San Diego Padres, but the lopsided losses that have defined 2026 were impossible to ignore after Sunday’s blowout.
A few familiar names sit at the center of the discussion. Salvador Perez’s pursuit of the Royals’ all-time home run record remains part of the conversation, while Jac Caglianone’s slamming season continues to stand out. Noah Cameron’s rough Sunday outing also gets its share of attention.
Injuries are another major thread. Bobby Witt Jr.’s latest injury scare and Stephen Kolek’s arm concerns both raise questions the Royals would rather not be asking right now. With the lineup and pitching staff already under pressure, the margin for losing anyone important for long is thin.
The podcast also checks in on several prospects who have started strong after the All-Star break. Kendry Chourio, Josh Hammond, Angeibel Gomez, and Blake Mitchell all earn praise for their recent play. The 2026 draft class gets a look as well, with an update on which selections have signed and which ones still have not.
Then comes the deadline talk, and that’s where things get especially interesting. Jim Bowden floated a controversial idea involving Michael Wacha and prospects, and Jacob and Jeremy break down the proposal from both angles. They weigh what the Royals would get back, what they’d be giving up, and whether the suggested return actually fits Wacha’s market or just reads like the kind of speculation that usually falls apart once real front offices get involved.
In Other News...
Royals Finally Have A Few Surprise Answers Fans Did Not Expect
Even with the Royals drifting away from the postseason picture, the 2026 season has still produced a few useful surprises in the middle and back of the roster. Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez remain the headliners, but the more interesting development for Kansas City has been the way players like Michael Massey and Nick Loftin have helped steady the lineup and give the club something to evaluate beyond the stars.
Masseys rebound has been especially encouraging because it has come with a sharper all-around profile, while Loftin has turned himself into a more credible everyday option than he looked like a year ago. The Royals would obviously prefer the standings to be more meaningful in September, but the value of this stretch is in what it might tell them about the next wave of contributors, and both players have put themselves in position to matter when that conversation gets serious. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Fans Wont Love Where This Failed Bullpen Move Resurfaced
A familiar bullpen name has resurfaced in Kansas City, though this time the Royals are taking the low-risk route. The club signed left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer to a minor league contract, giving him a chance to work his way back after a rough stretch that included his release by the Braves and a brief stop with the Cubs minor league teams.
For the Royals, the appeal is simple: if Bummer earns a call-up, they would owe only the prorated league minimum, while Atlanta is still responsible for most of what remains on his salary. It is the kind of move teams make when they see a possible arm worth a look, even if the recent results and the radar gun have not exactly made the case easy to sell. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Fans Have Been Waiting For A Start Like This
Kendry Chourios first start after moving up to the Royals high Class A club gave the organization exactly the kind of jolt it has been waiting for. In an 11-0 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Chourio and Emmanuel Reyes teamed up on a no-hitter, with Chourio overpowering hitters over five innings and Reyes handling the rest in relief to close it out.
For a Royals system that has been looking for more loud pitching performances, the timing mattered as much as the result. Chourio has been piling up strong outings lately, and Reyes has been steady all season with 69 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings, but this was a different kind of statement - one that showed how quickly a game can turn when both arms are in sync and a young pitcher settles in at a new level. [Read more 🡒]