The Royals entered the season with thoughts of a division run, but halfway through the year, the picture looks nothing like that. Kansas City is sitting in last place in the American League Central, 10.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox, and the offense and pitching have both struggled to find any rhythm.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone have been the main bright spots. Beyond them, there has been very little production to hang onto, which has made the Royals’ slide even harder to ignore.
Injuries have only made the mess worse. Cole Ragans is slated for elbow surgery, Kris Bubic is dealing with left elbow soreness, Carlos Estevez has a right rotator cuff strain, and Vinnie Pasquantino fractured his right hamate bone.
That combination has led Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly to hand the club an F in his midterm report. He wrote:
"In terms of pitching, Michael Wacha is their only starter with an ERA under 4.10. Reliever Matt Strahm has a 5.96 ERA after he was one of their big offseason pickups.
Injuries haven't helped the Royals, as Cole Ragans, Kris Bubix and Carlos Estevez are all currently unavailable. We'll see how president of baseball operations J.J.
Picollo operates around the trade deadline as his team is in the midst of their second straight disappointing season."
With the deadline looming, the Royals may have to think about moving pieces rather than chasing the standings. Michael Wacha or Seth Lugo could draw interest if Kansas City decides to sell high and try to build a little more hope for the future.
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 🡒]