Dairon Blanco DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) was placed on the 10-day injured list due to right Achilles tendinopathy on Monday. The 31-year-old did not receive a start during their opening series against the Cleveland Guardians. Last season, Blanco appeared in just 88 contests but did provide value in category formats. During this stretch, the 31-year-old swiped an impressive 31 bags, which was the eighth-most in the AL. In the batter's box, he posted a .258/.308/.392 slash line with just four doubles and four long balls. Through the first three games of the 2025 season, Blanco already swiped two bags. In a corresponding move, the Royals promoted Tyler Tolbert from Triple-A Omaha. He is worth monitoring in deeper category formats given his elite speed upside.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) will be back in action on Sunday. The speedy outfielder has been sidelined lately due to Achilles tightness. The team will ease him back into action by letting him play three innings. The expectation is that Blanco will slowly progress into playing full games again and should be fine in time for Opening Day. Blanco slashed .258/.308/.392 with four home runs and 13 RBI across 88 games with the Royals last season. His best asset is his speed considering Blanco has stolen 55 bases over the last two seasons with KC.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) has resumed on-field baseball activities and should be able to get back into a spring game soon, although it will likely be a minor-league game first. Blanco was scratched from a Cactus League game at the end of February with an Achilles injury, but X-rays came back negative and he's nearing a return to game action at spring training. The 31-year-old veteran should have the time he needs to get ready for Opening Day in late March. Blanco is merely competing for a roster spot as a reserve outfielder in camp after slashing .258/.308/.392 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 31 stolen bases and 37 runs scored in 88 games in 2024. He has swiped 55 bases the last two years, giving him some appeal in AL-only and deep-mixed leagues, but Blanco has primarily served as a late-game defensive replacement and pinch-runner.