Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City Royals right-hander Alec Marsh (elbow, forearm) left his start on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays after being hit on the right elbow/forearm area on a comebacker up the middle. It did not look good, and Marsh appeared to be in a significant amount of pain. Before leaving the game, Marsh threw 4 1/3 shutout innings with two hits allowed, two walks and only one strikeout in what would be a no-decision in the 3-2 loss. It's being called a right-forearm contusion for Marsh for now, but he's surely to undergo X-rays and is in danger of missing his next start or landing on the injured list. The 25-year-old's ERA is down to 2.70 on the season after shutting Toronto out for 4 1/3 innings on Wednesday. Check back for an update on his condition later on Wednesday or on Thursday morning.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher James McArthur picked up his fifth save of the season in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. McArthur came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning up by one. He got the first out on a groundout, allowed a walk, and induced a double play to end the inning. He started the ninth inning with a groundout, allowed a single, and got consecutive ground-ball outs to end the game. The 27-year-old has emerged as a useful fantasy option on a surprisingly competitive team and has now converted all but one save opportunity with a 3.09 ERA, a 9.26 K/9 rate, and a 1.54 BB/9 rate.

The Kansas City Royals placed right-hander Jordan Lyles (personal) on the inactive list on Saturday, and the team is not disclosing the reason for his absence other than describing it as a "personal matter." There's no timeline for his return, but because of the type of inactive list Lyles was placed on, it opened a 40-man roster spot for the Royals to call up veteran right-handed reliever Tyler Duffey. Lyles has thrown five scoreless innings with three strikeouts in five appearances out of KC's bullpen during the 2024 regular season, but he hasn't pitched since April 12. With no defined role and most of his work coming in mop-up duty this year, however, the 33-year-old journeyman belongs on fantasy waiver wires while he's unavailable. There's no clear-cut fantasy beneficiary of his absence, either.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the New York Mets and right-hander Jose Butto. It's a predictable absence as the Dodgers and Mets played a night game on Friday but will get together for an afternoon clash on Saturday. Smith went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a run scored on Friday but the Dodgers took a 9-4 loss despite his efforts. The 29-year-old has come out of the gate hot this season, hitting .356 with a homer, five doubles, and an .861 OPS across 81 plate appearances, good for fourth-most among big-league backstops. The Dodgers have surprisingly dropped four of their last five entering Saturday's contest.

The Kansas City Royals reinstated infielder Michael Massey (back) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder Nick Loftin to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Massey is immediately back in the Royals' starting lineup on Friday, starting at second base and batting seventh against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer. Massey is back in Kansas City after a back strain caused him to miss the start of the 2024 regular season. The 26-year-old looked good on his minor-league rehab assignment and figures to split playing time at the keystone with veteran left-handed hitter Adam Frazier. In 129 games with the Royals in 2023, Massey slashed an underwhelming .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI and six stolen bases in 461 plate appearances. He's worth a pickup in AL-only leagues, at least, for middle infield depth.