Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City Royals right-handed pitcher Alec Marsh (shoulder) has faced a setback in his recovery. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Marsh has begun to feel soreness in his shoulder and will be shut down for the next seven to 10 days. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but this setback will likely push Marsh's timeline further back. Marsh has been on the 15-day injured list due to tightness in his shoulder. Last season, Marsh logged 129 innings for the Royals and held a 4.53 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP. He struck out 123 batters and held a strong 7.1 percent walk rate. He generated a modest 4.97 xERA with a .264 xBA, which were both well below the average marks. While Marsh remains out, fantasy managers should expect Michael Lorenzen to remain in the starting rotation.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo tossed six innings of two-run ball (one earned) with five hits en route to picking up his first victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He served up one walk and struck out two batters. Heston Kjerstad would bring in the first run of the evening in the second inning. Later in that frame, Kjerstad would cross home on a throwing error. This was a nice bounce-back outing for the 35-year-old as he allowed three runs, four hits, and three walks across five frames in his first start of the campaign. Last summer, Lugo enjoyed an impressive season as he logged 206 1/3 innings to the tune of a strong 3.00 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He tallied 181 punchouts and served up 48 free passes. Lugo will look to continue this momentum in his next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe is out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. MJ Melendez is starting in right field and batting eighth, while Cavan Biggio is serving as the designated hitter and is batting sixth versus Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer. Melendez and Biggio have a combined 10 career at-bats against Kremer without a single hit. The 33-year-old Renfroe could find himself on the bench more frequently in 2025 if his bat is cold, regardless of whether he still has some power in his lumber. He's off to a rough 2-for-18 start with a double, three RBI, three walks and six strikeouts in 21 plate appearances over five contests. Outside of some modest power at this stage of his career with infrequent playing time, Renfroe is really only valuable in AL-only formats.

Washington Nationals infielder Paul DeJong is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. With DeJong starting on the bench, Jose Tena is starting at third base and will hit eighth against D-backs right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. DeJong has gotten off to a slow start in 2025 in his first year in the nation's capital, as he's gone just 4-for-18 with two doubles, two walks and 11 strikeouts in 20 plate appearances over six games played. Tena will get a chance after going 1-for-2 with a strikeout in just two games played in the early going. He has never faced Pfaadt in his career and isn't a recommended lineup option for DFS gamers on Friday. The 31-year-old DeJong should see most of the playing time at the hot corner for the Nats early this season, and he still has some notable pop, but he won't contribute in the average department with a lot of strikeouts.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Drew Waters went 4-for-5 at the plate and hit for the cycle during their victory over Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday. Waters led the Omaha offense in this contest as he tallied five RBI, which was highlighted by a three-run inside-the-park home run. Waters was competing for a depth role in the Kansas outfield during spring training but was unable to win a spot on the roster. This was a nice breakout outing for the 26-year-old as he did not tally a hit in each of his first two contests of the Triple-A regular season. Last summer, Waters appeared in just seven games for the Royals and tallied just three hits. Through 334 career games at Triple-A, Water has posted a solid .269/.352/.447 slash line. He is worth monitoring in AL-only formats as he could eventually earn a spot in the Kansas City outfield later in the season.