Perez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 8-3 win over the Tigers.
It was a close game until the sixth inning, when Perez ignited a six-run rally for the Royals with his solo shot. The catcher has hit safely in six straight games, going 10-for-21 (.476) in that span. the homer was his first since May 3. Perez remains one of the top hitters in baseball this season with a .341/.404/.565 slash line, nine long balls, 38 RBI, 19 runs scored and 11 doubles over 47 contests.
Massey went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and two runs scored in Monday's win over Detroit.
Massey set the tone for the 8-3 win with a solo shot in the second inning. He later doubled and scored in the sixth. Massey has gone 8-for-14 (.571) with four extra-base hits over his last four games. The recent hot streak has boosted his slash line to .284/.300/.505 with 11 extra-base hits and 19 RBI through 27 games.
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Royals' Chris Stratton: Earns third save
Rotowire
Stratton struck out one batter over 1.1 perfect innings and earned a save over the Tigers on Monday.
Stratton entered in the eighth inning with two outs and the bases jammed. He escaped the threat and retired the side in order to preserve the win. The dangerous circumstances allowed him to earn the save despite Kansas City winning 8-3, which would explain why James McArthur wasn't used. Stratton owns a 4.95 ERA with three saves and three holds through 19 appearances.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Fires seven innings
Rotowire
Wacha (4-4) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk over seven innings Monday, striking out three and earning a win over Detroit.
Wacha kept the Tigers off the board until Kerry Carpenter took him deep with a solo shot in the fourth inning. Colt Keith later added an RBI double in the seventh. Wacha has turned in three straight quality starts and has earned a win in each one. Before this hot streak, he went 0-4 with a 7.01 ERA over a five-start span. The veteran righty is sporting a 4.45 ERA with a 47:18 K:BB through 56.2 frames. Wacha's next start is expected to be in Tampa Bay this weekend.
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Royals' Jake Brentz: Activated and optioned
Rotowire
The Royals activated Brentz (hamstring) from the 15-day injured list Monday and optioned him to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
The hamstring injury that landed Brentz on the IL before the season is no longer an issue, but what is a problem is the 17 walks he issued over six rehab innings. Brentz will stay in the minors to work on ironing out his command problems.
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Royals' Nelson Velazquez: Taking seat Monday
Rotowire
Velazquez is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers.
Velazquez had started seven of the last eight contests but will begin this one on the bench. Salvador Perez will be the designated hitter, Hunter Renfroe will start in right field and Freddy Fermin will be at catcher.
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Royals' Sam Long: Contract selected
Rotowire
The Royals selected Long's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Monday.
Long earns a look with the big club after putting up a 1.31 ERA and 23:5 K:BB over 20.2 innings at Omaha. The left-hander holds a career 4.92 ERA over 80 appearances (12 starts) at the major-league level.
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Royals' Matt Sauer: Jettisoned from 40-man roster
Rotowire
Sauer was designated for assignment by the Royals on Monday.
Sauer made the Royals' roster as a Rule 5 pick but managed just a 7.71 ERA and 9:11 K:BB over 16.1 innings. The 25-year-old will go through the waiver process and, if he clears, must be offered back to the Yankees.
Garcia went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, two runs scored and a steal in Sunday's win over Oakland.
Garcia doubled and scored in the first inning and knocked an RBI double in the fifth. He's gone 12-for-40 (.300) with six extra-base hits and eight RBI over his last nine games. On the year, Garcia's slash line is up to .249/.294/.402 with 11 stolen bases, 18 extra-base hits and 30 RBI through 46 games.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Knocks two extra-base hits
Rotowire
Witt went 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's win over Oakland.
Witt drove in a run with a first-inning double before coming around to score. He later tripled before chipping in an RBI sacrifice fly. He entered Sunday in a 3-for-24 (.125) skid over his previous six games but snapped that with his 18th multi-hit performance of the year. Witt is now slashing .296/.356/.511 with 24 extra-base hits and 42 runs scored through 48 games.
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Royals' Brady Singer: Fans nine in win
Rotowire
Singer (4-2) allowed a run on six hits and a walk over six innings Sunday, striking out nine and earning a win over the Athletics.
Aside from an RBI double by Tyler Soderstrom in the fourth inning, Oakland had nothing going against Singer. Out of 10 starts this season, Singer has allowed two or fewer runs in eight of them. He posted a disappointing 5.52 ERA through 159.2 innings last season but has taken a massive step forward in 2024. Singer lowered his ERA to 2.70 with a 61:17 K:BB through 56.2 innings. His next start is lined up to be in Tampa Bay next weekend.
Isbel is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against Oakland.
With southpaw JP Sears taking the mound for the Athletics, the lefty-hitting Isbel will get a rest day. Garrett Hampson will take over center field duties and bat ninth while Dairon Blanco and Hunter Renfroe round out Kansas City's outfield.
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Royals' MJ Melendez: Resting Sunday against southpaw
Rotowire
Melendez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.
The lefty-hitting Melendez will get a break as Oakland puts JP Sears on the mound. Dairon Blanco will get the start in left field and bat seventh with Garrett Hampson in center field and Hunter Renfroe in right.
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Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino: Sitting against lefty
Rotowire
Pasquantino is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against Oakland.
The lefty-hitting first baseman will begin the game from the dugout as the Royals take on southpaw JP Sears. Salvador Perez will move to first base in place of Pasquantino while Freddy Fermin starts at catcher as Kansas City looks get the sweep against the Athletics.
Isbel went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Athletics.
The homer was Isbel's first since April 29. The outfielder has seen a dip in playing time in May, in part because he's hitting .222 (8-for-36) over 11 contests this month. Overall, he has a .218/.262/.361 slash line with four homers, three stolen bases, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored, three doubles and a triple over 127 plate appearances. Isbel will likely continue to be out of the lineup versus most southpaws, with Garrett Hampson or Dairon Blanco options to pick up the short-side at-bats in center field.
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Royals' Angel Zerpa: Gaining traction in leverage spots
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Zerpa extended his scoreless streak to 7.2 innings with a perfect inning in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Athletics.
Zerpa's scoreless streak spans nine appearances, and he's earned five holds while adding an 8:0 K:BB in that span. The southpaw came up through the minors as a starter, but he's found some success in the Royals' bullpen this year. He's up to seven holds through 20 appearances while pitching to a 1.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 20:3 K:BB over 18.1 innings this season. Zerpa has yet to get a look for saves, but he's been one of the Royals' most effective relievers over the first quarter-plus of the campaign.
