Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Kansas City Royals optioned outfielders Drew Waters and Joey Wiemer and infielder Nick Loftin to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, the team announced. The team also announced that infielders Harold Castro and Tyler Tolbert, right-hander Taylor Clarke and catcher Brian O'Keefe have been assigned to minor-league camp. With Waters and Wiemer going down, it means that Dairon Blanco and Mark Canha will be the team's backup outfielders to start the 2025 regular season. Waters really struggled this spring, going 6-for-32 (.188) with three doubles, two triples, four RBI, two steals and 18 strikeouts in 19 Cactus League games. Wiemer is being sent down despite a hot spring showing that saw him post an .838 OPS with two home runs, two doubles, nine RBI and three stolen bases in 21 contests.

The Chicago White Sox announced on Tuesday that they have released right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla. He will hit the open market despite pitching to a 2.79 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and four walks in 9 2/3 relief innings in the Cactus League this spring. The 32-year-old veteran will now look to latch on with another organization for the start of the 2025 season, most likely on a minor-league deal. Altavilla spent the 2024 campaign with the Kansas City Royals but only managed to make five major-league appearances (one start) while allowing six earned runs, walking three and striking out five in 3 2/3 frames. The former fifth-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2014 out of Mercyhurst University has a career 4.36 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 134:63 K:BB and one save in 119 2/3 innings over seven years with three different teams.

Kansas City Royals pitchers Alec Marsh (shoulder), Kyle Wright (shoulder/hamstring), and James McArthur (elbow) were all officially placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday. None of these come as a surprise, with all three of them battling injuries this spring. Marsh is dealing with the most minor injury of the three, with a delay in his build-up due to tightness in his shoulder. Wright has progressed to throwing bullpens but is recovering from both an offseason shoulder surgery and a hamstring strain. McArthur is likely to miss the most time, as he is still recovering from an offseason elbow surgery and hasn't begun throwing yet.

MLB.com's Anne Rogers reports that Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) has been diagnosed with a Grade 1-plus hamstring strain and is doing everything he can to be ready to go for Opening Day on Thursday against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians. Pasquantino won't play in either exhibition game against the Texas Rangers on Monday or Tuesday this week, but he plans on hitting in the cages on Monday and then on the field on Tuesday. The biggest box the 27-year-old needs to check is being pain-free when he swings. "I plan on playing Thursday. But that's just me speaking as a player," Pasquantino said. He's pushing to play on Thursday, but how the next couple of days go will determine whether he'll be in the starting lineup on Thursday. The good news is that if Pasquantino doesn't play on Thursday, he could make his 2025 debut as early as this weekend.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) is out of the starting lineup for Monday's Cactus League game against the Texas Rangers after straining his right hamstring on Saturday. Mark Canha is getting the start at first base and is hitting fifth against Texas. Pasquantino isn't very concerned about his injury, but if he's unable to play in the team's final exhibition game against the Rangers on Tuesday, there's a chance the Royals may not clear him to play on Opening Day on Thursday. It doesn't sound like the 27-year-old left-handed slugger will start the year on the injured list, but if he does, Canha and catcher Salvador Perez would likely share playing time at first base for KC. Italian Breakfast has struggled at the plate this spring, going 10-for-48 (.208) with two homers and nine RBI in 17 games. He played in only 131 games in 2024 due to a broken thumb but still managed 19 homers and 97 RBI.