Carter Jensen and Salvador Perez gave the Royals something to feel good about during a week that otherwise dragged Kansas City back toward the middle.
The Royals went 2-5 over the past seven days, splitting one game each against the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays as the club cooled off after its recent run. Even with the dip in team results, a few individual performances stood out - and a couple others fell flat.
Perez has been especially sharp to open September. Over the last week, the Royals captain hit .357/.400/.643 with a 1.043 OPS in 28 at-bats, adding two home runs and nine RBIs. The 36-year-old looks like he may be lining up one more late-season surge, which is exactly the kind of bat Kansas City wants to keep rolling as he closes out his 15th MLB season.
Jensen has been just as encouraging, and maybe even more eye-catching considering where he was in August. The rookie catcher hit only .165 last month, but he’s started September with real force.
In his last 23 at-bats, Jensen has posted a .391/.462/1.043 slash line with a 1.505 OPS. He’s done the damage with three home runs, four doubles and 24 total bases over the past seven days, and the slump is clearly behind him.
On the pitching side, Nate Pearson has settled in nicely since arriving in Kansas City. The right-hander has thrown 4 1/3 scoreless innings over his last three appearances, giving up just two hits while striking out five. Pearson came to the Royals after being designated for assignment by the Houston Astros and then traded for minor league pitcher Max Martin, and he has racked up 18 strikeouts in his first 19 innings with Kansas City.
Noah Cameron and Randy Dobnak also turned in solid work in their latest starts. Cameron went six innings, allowed three hits and no earned runs, and struck out seven. Dobnak matched the six-inning mark and gave up just one run on four hits.
Daniel Lynch IV, though, hasn’t made the same kind of smooth move after shifting from the bullpen to the rotation. Lynch was excellent in relief before injuries pushed him into the starting mix, but his most recent outing was a step backward: five innings, five earned runs, seven hits and no strikeouts. The bullpen appears to be the better fit for him.
Two hitters who had shown signs of life recently cooled off hard. Isaac Collins went 0-for-16 over the last week, though he did draw four walks and strike out four times. Kyle Isbel also struggled, slashing .095/.136/.095 in 21 at-bats while collecting just two total bases and striking out five times.
In Other News...
Royals Still Have One Unsettled Infield Spot After Latest Veteran Move
The Royals made another infield adjustment this week by releasing Brandon Drury, a veteran with a decade of big league experience and a Silver Slugger on his rsum. Drury had signed a minor league deal with Kansas City over the offseason, but his time in the organization never really gained traction after a rough offensive stretch in Triple-A.
Brandon Drurys departure also leaves the Royals still sorting out one of the remaining spots on the infield depth chart, which has become a quiet but important subplot around the club. Kansas City has already been looking for stability on the dirt, and moving on from a player with Drurys track record suggests the competition for that role is still very much open. [Read more 🡒]
Jac Caglianone Injury Renews A Royals Fear They Can't Ignore
Jac Caglianones latest scare came in a game on Sept. 5, when he suffered a Grade 1 left flexor strain in his elbow, an injury the Royals do not expect will force him onto the injured list. Manager Matt Quatraro said the issue is low grade, which gives Kansas City some room to take a more aggressive recovery approach and avoid losing the young slugger for an extended stretch.
Even with that encouraging diagnosis, the bigger concern around Caglianone is no longer just the immediate timetable. Each new injury flares up the same uneasy question for the Royals about how durable he can be over the long run, and how much uncertainty they can afford around a player they hope can become a central part of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Survived A Wild Road Finish Fans Will Be Talking About
Corbin Burnes is set to make his return to the majors tonight against the Royals, giving Kansas City a familiar kind of challenge in the middle of a season full of moving parts. It will be Burnes first appearance since June 2025, and for a Royals lineup that has had to work its way through plenty of pitching matchups already, the timing adds another layer to an already important stretch.
Around the rest of the league, the day brought a few notable returns and standout outings, including Aaron Judge being activated from the 60-day injured list and expected back for the Yankees against the Rockies after a rib injury. The Phillies also got a huge lift from Jesus Luzardo, who tossed a complete-game shutout with 12 strikeouts to help them split their series with the Braves, a reminder that the nightly rhythm of the race keeps shifting just as Kansas City prepares for Burnes. [Read more 🡒]