The Royals are in Colorado on August 2, and the lineup sheet tells the story as much as the standings do. Kansas City is still grinding through a season that has left the roster thin enough that two players the club never seemed likely to hand monthly honors to suddenly became the obvious choices. Before the game, the Royals named their player and pitcher of the month, and the selections underlined just how battered this group has been.
No disrespect to either of these guys. They both played well in the month of July and more than earned the honors.
But I don’t think there was ever a point where it crossed my mind that either of them could ever win this award with KC until last night when the Royals’ broadcast pointed out that Tolbert was in line to do it. It absolutely drives home the point that the Royals’ roster has been just absolutely devastated by injuries that these two guys were in a position to succeed like this.
Kansas City also made a pair of roster moves before first pitch, adding another layer to the day’s already uneasy feel.
Say it with me, everyone: right forearm tightness is often a symptom of a UCL injury and the precursor to elbow surgery. Anyway, it’s fitting that a guy named Bummer will pitch for Kansas City as they barrel towards the final third of what seems to be not only a bad season, but one that likely tanks their chances to try to compete next year as they refuse to trade aging guys and see all of their younger pitchers suffering long-term injuries.
On the mound for the Royals is Seth Lugo, a familiar face and a veteran who keeps working with that kitchen-sink mix. He’s been better lately, too, with a 2.74 ERA over his past four starts.
But the deeper numbers are less reassuring: an 8.7% K-BB% and a 4.95 xERA. That’s the kind of profile that says the run of good results may not last forever.
Lugo is still a reminder of why Kansas City probably shouldn’t get too attached to keeping Wacha past tomorrow night’s deadline.
Colorado is sending Kyle Freeland to the hill, and even in a rough year, he remains one of the more accomplished pitchers in franchise history. This season has been a grind, though.
The left-hander carries a 7.34 ERA, has not given up fewer than four runs in any of his last four starts, five of his last six, or six of his last eight. He does own a better SIERA than Lugo, but the Rockies’ environment - and what looked like shaky outfield defense last night - has helped make the surface numbers ugly.
Freeland throws six pitches, and none of them have been especially effective.
The Royals’ lineup has a different look without Bobby Witt Jr. or Lane Thomas. Isbel may be back with the team, but he is not starting, so John Rave gets the nod in center field and hits sixth.
Tyler Tolbert, the Royals Player of the Month, bats right behind him. Nick Loftin is up second with Witt and Thomas out.
The one bit of encouraging news for Kansas City is that Witt is expected back in the lineup on Tuesday when the Royals return home.
There’s also a little lineup oddity worth noting: the Royals have all three catchers in the starting mix against a left-handed pitcher. And with the way this roster has already been stretched, it’s fair to wonder whether Starling Marte might have to exit midgame the way Lane Thomas did yesterday. The difference, of course, is that if Lane Thomas could only fetch what he did, Marte would be lucky to bring back a bag of balls.
In Other News...
Royals Bullpen Problems Just Forced A Move Fans Saw Coming
Kansas Citys bullpen had been shaky enough that a change felt inevitable, and the latest move reflected just how little margin the Royals have left in the late innings. Left-handed reliever Matt Strahm, in the middle of a rough second stint with the club, had been hit hard by home runs and struggled to hold up in high-leverage spots, which made his 7.32 ERA in 41 appearances hard to overlook for a team trying to stay afloat.
The roster shuffle opened the door for Jose Cuas, who was brought up from Triple-A Omaha as the Royals reworked the 40-man picture and bought themselves a short window to decide the next step. For Strahm, the coming week now becomes a waiting game, with Kansas City weighing whether another club sees enough to trade for him or whether he clears waivers and moves on from a frustrating stretch that never found much traction. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Left Fans With One Bigger Deadline Frustration
The Royals did make a handful of moves around the trade deadline, including the departures of Lane Thomas and Kris Bubic, and they added a cluster of arms to bolster pitching depth. Lucas Braun, Carter Holton, Nolan Hoffman, Carlos Duran and Nate Pearson all came in as part of that effort, giving Kansas City more inventory to work with as it tries to patch together a deeper staff for the stretch run.
Still, the bigger frustration for fans was what did not happen. John Schreiber and Starling Marte stayed put even though they were widely viewed as the kind of rental pieces contenders often move, leaving the Royals with fewer obvious deadline wins than expected. The result is a familiar one for a team still trying to climb back into serious contention: some useful additions, a few outgoing pieces, and the sense that the most meaningful roster work may have to wait for the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Just Made Their Deadline Priorities Impossible To Ignore
The Royals did not exactly disguise their thinking at the deadline. By holding onto Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo despite outside interest, Kansas City made it clear that controllable starting pitching still mattered more than a quick reset, especially with both arms under team control through 2027 and carrying team options for 2028. In a season where the rotation has been one of the clubs more stable pieces, that kind of long view says plenty about how the front office is trying to balance present needs with future value.
Even so, the move that really defined the deadline was aimed elsewhere, because the bullpen has been the more pressing problem. Kansas City has been dealing with injuries and a relief group that has simply not held up well enough, so the focus now shifts to whether the additions the club did make can help steady those late innings. The deadline left the Royals with a clearer sense of what they believe in, but also an even clearer reminder of what still has to be fixed. [Read more 🡒]