The Royals shuffled their roster ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Rays, bringing in right-handers Jose Cuas and Randy Dobnak while making room with a pair of corresponding moves.
Kansas City sent Eric Cerantola to Triple-A Omaha and placed Connor Seabold on the 15-day injured list. To clear a spot for Cuas, who was not already on the 40-man roster, the club transferred left-hander Kris Bubic to the 60-day IL. Dobnak was already on the 40-man.
Cuas is the more notable addition, if only because his path back to Kansas City has been so unusual. The 32-year-old was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2012, but instead of signing, he went to college.
Three years later, the Brewers took him as a position player, and he spent 2015-17 in Milwaukee’s system working all four infield spots without making much noise at the plate. He tried pitching in 2018, but that didn’t stick either, and the Brewers let him go during the season.
From there, Cuas bounced around the independent Atlantic League and the Diamondbacks’ minor league system. In 2020, when the minor league season was canceled, he also delivered packages for FedEx.
He finally reached the majors in 2022 with the Royals, who had purchased his contract from the Long Island Ducks the year before. Since then, he has logged 132 big league appearances for the Royals, Cubs, and Blue Jays, posting a 4.37 ERA and 4.43 SIERA from 2022-24.
After stints in the Phillies and Braves systems, he returned to Kansas City on a minor league deal this past winter. Now the Royals are giving him another crack nearly two years after his last MLB pitch.
At Triple-A Omaha this season, Cuas has put together a 3.31 ERA over 29 games. He’s limited hard contact, with a 29.2% hard-hit rate, but the strike zone has been a problem thanks to a 13.2% walk rate. Since he’s optionable, he could wind up shuttling between Omaha and Kansas City more than once now that he’s back on the 40-man.
Dobnak is in position to make his 2026 debut as well if he gets into a game. The Royals acquired him from the Mariners in June after he triggered an upward mobility clause in his contract. In 80 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season, the 31-year-old has a 4.35 ERA and a 4.85 FIP.
Seabold’s move comes after he had to leave yesterday’s game in the middle of a plate appearance. The injury appeared to happen after an errant pickoff throw to first base.
Kansas City first called it right lat tightness, per Jaylon T. Thompson of the Kansas City Star, and it has now been diagnosed as a lat strain.
The severity is still unknown.
Bubic’s transfer to the 60-day IL does not necessarily mean the situation has worsened. He could still be back with the Royals as soon as July 15. Even so, he was scratched from his scheduled rehab start with the Storm Chasers today, and senior vice president Scott Sharp told Sports Radio 810 WHB that the left-hander is heading from Omaha back to Kansas City for further evaluation.
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