Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia is batting in the leadoff spot on Saturday afternoon when the Royals face the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 24-year-old underwent an offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. However, seeing Garcia already in spring training action suggests his recovery process was not serious, and he will not face any limitations. Last season, the infielder posted a career-low .231/.281/.332 line with seven home runs and 37 stolen bases. However, he did generate a strong .260 xBA, which suggests that he should see some positive regression in 2025. Garcia typically was placed in the leadoff spot last season, but with Jonathan India now on the roster, Garcia may have to earn this spot in spring training. If he does continue to bat in this spot, he could be a strong contributor for runs, batting in front of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez.

Kansas City Royals left-handed pitcher Evan Sisk (illness) was unable to throw on Friday due to an illness. Anne Rogers of MLB.com noted that this illness has been going around the team. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status but should expect him to return to the mound sometime next week. The 27-year-old was scheduled to pitch during their contest on Friday afternoon against the Texas Rangers. Sisk has yet to reach the major leagues. Last season, the southpaw logged 57 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. He posted an impressive 1.57 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He tallied 81 punchouts and only served up 26 free passes. He saw work as a high-leverage reliever as he tallied 15 saves. This was a strong improvement compared to the 6.34 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP he held at Triple-A during the 2023 campaign. Given his strong play at Triple-A last summer, Sisk could make his MLB debut in 2025.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Alec Marsh (shoulder) is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session of the spring on Friday after he experienced right-shoulder soreness in the early portion of his offseason throwing program. As a result, his throwing progression has been slowed early in camp. As long as the 26-year-old doesn't suffer any further setbacks with his shoulder, he'll have time to get himself ready for Opening Day at the end of March. Marsh can't afford any further hiccups, either, as he's in camp competing for a starting rotation spot. Marsh got off to a pretty solid start in 2024 before hitting a wall and being sent to the minors for a bit. He ended up with a 9-9 record, 4.53 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 123:39 K:BB in 129 innings over 26 outings (25 starts) for KC. Marsh showed better control but also saw his strikeout rate drop. As a fly-ball pitcher that gives up plenty of hard contact, Marsh is outside RotoBaller's top-100 starting pitchers.

MLB.com's Anne Rogers reports that Kansas City Royals right-hander Kyle Wright (hamstring) has a mild right-hamstring strain at spring training that he suffered while throwing the other day. Wright has been able to continue playing catch, but this is a setback in his progression in camp. The Royals will re-evaluate him next week. While it's a minor injury, it's not good news for the 29-year-old, who is coming off right-shoulder surgery and didn't pitch at all in 2024. Given Wright's long layoff from pitching, he was already more of a long shot to open the 2025 season in KC's starting rotation. The former first-rounder by the Atlanta Braves broke out with a league-best 21 wins in 2022, but it was his only effective season in Atlanta after debuting in 2018. The Royals are hoping he can recapture that magic from 2022, but he'll likely be on an innings limit in 2025 if he stays healthy throughout the year.

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier (thumb) was seen taking live batting practice off right-hander Mitch Keller on Wednesday. Frazier appears to be a full-go in spring training after signing a one-year, $1.525 million deal to return to the Pirates last month. The 33-year-old veteran was drafted by Pittsburgh in the sixth round back in 2013 out of Mississippi State University and spent the first five full seasons of his MLB career with the team before being traded to the San Diego Padres in 2021. He had a career-worst .576 OPS in 104 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2024 and added just four home runs, 22 RBI and three steals in 294 plate appearances. Now back in Pittsburgh, Frazier will operate in a utility role for the Bucs and should be avoided in all mixed fantasy leagues. In addition to a career-worst OPS last year, he also sported a career-worst strikeout rate.