RADIO
Salvador Perez Returns From Elbow Injury on Sunday
Kansas City Royals catcher/first baseman Salvador Perez (elbow) is serving as the team's designated hitter and is batting sixth versus the visiting Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Aaron Nola in the series finale at Kauffman Stadium, according to MLB.com. A sore elbow has kept Perez out for each of the last two games, but he'll return for the series finale in KC. The 36-year-old Venezuelan backstop is running out of steam offensively in his 15th year in the majors (all with the Royals), as he enters Sunday's contest with a .201/.241/.327 slash line with a career-worst .568 OPS, 10 home runs, 30 RBI, and 29 runs scored across his 81 games (340 plate appearances). Fantasy managers may want to keep Perez on the bench until he shows some signs of life at the plate. In eight career at-bats against Nola, Perez is hitting .250 with an .875 OPS, a home run, and three RBI. Perez has five hits in his last 35 plate appearances with two doubles, two RBI, a run scored, no walks, and 12 strikeouts across nine games played.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Bobby Witt Jr. Returns to the Lineup as DH on Friday
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (knee) is serving as the team's designated hitter and will bat second for the Royals in Friday's series opener on the road against the division-rival Chicago White Sox, per MLB.com. Josh Rojas will start at shortstop and bat seventh. While Witt isn't all the way back from a sprained MCL in his knee, he will make his first start since June 18. Even at less than 100%, Witt is better than most players in the league, and he'll return on Friday to a .294/.368/.465 slash line, .833 OPS, 10 home runs, 32 RBI, a league-leading 28 stolen bases, 40 runs scored, and a league-leading 4.3 WAR in 76 games across 337 plate appearances. Fantasy managers will be hoping that Witt's little injury layoff in the last week won't slow him down. In 17 games so far in June, he has gone 21-for-65 (.323) with a homer, four doubles, six RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 12 runs scored in 77 plate appearances. Even as the DH, Witt needs to be returned to all starting fantasy lineups on Friday in traditional formats. If he doesn't suffer a setback with his knee on Friday, expect him to return to the 6 on either Saturday or Sunday.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Salvador Perez Returns From Thumb Injury on Tuesday
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (thumb) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting fifth for the Royals on Tuesday against the visiting Texas Rangers and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi at Kauffman Stadium, per MLB.com. Perez will return to the starting nine after missing the last two games with a minor thumb injury. The 15-year Venezuelan veteran has been a stalwart for the Royals in his long tenure with the team, but the veteran catcher has shown clear signs of decline so far in 2026 with a weak .204/.254/.345 slash line, career-worst .599 OPS, nine home runs, 26 RBI, 22 runs scored, 12 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 256 plate appearances over his 61 games played. Additionally, he's hitting .190 with a .428 career OPS and just one RBI in 21 at-bats versus Eovaldi. Fantasy managers may want to keep Perez on their benches, even though he's back from injury. In 16 games since May 18, Perez has gone 12-for-59 (.203) with two homers, a double, six RBI, five runs, five walks, and eight K's.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Maikel Garcia Back From Hamstring Injury to Face the Twins
Kansas City Royals infielder Maikel Garcia (hamstring) is serving as the designated hitter and will bat cleanup for the Royals in Saturday's contest against the division-rival Minnesota Twins and right-hander Joe Ryan at Target Field, per MLB.com. Josh Rojas is starting at third base. Garcia is returning from a right-hamstring strain that kept him out of each of the team's last six games, although he did enter as a pinch-hitter in both of the last two games. Now that he's back in KC's starting nine, fantasy managers will want to get him back in there on Saturday against Ryan, whom he's hit .313 against in his career with an .833 OPS, a home run, and three RBI in 16 at-bats. The 26-year-old Venezuelan infielder will return to a .267/.327/.382 slash line, .709 OPS, three home runs, 22 RBI, 28 runs scored, and four stolen bases in his 225 at-bats in 2026. In 15 games since May 16, Garcia has gone 15-for-55 (.273) with three doubles, four RBI, and four runs scored.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
