MLB Player News

Pasquantino went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, double and an additional RBI in Tuesday's 9-6 win over Atlanta.

Pasquantino got the Royals on the board early with a solo shot in the first inning, before adding an RBI double in the sixth as part of his second three-hit effort in his last six games. With his recent power surge, the first baseman now has 18 homers on the season, and he's tacked on 65 RBI, 43 runs scored and a .268/.329/.446 slash line through 105 games.

Yarbrough (oblique) has been throwing bullpens, per MLB.com.

Yarbrough landed on the IL due to an oblique strain in late June and initially went through a no-throw period. The southpaw resumed playing catch July 9, and he's now progressed to mound work. Yarbrough could return to action in early August if he continues to progress without setbacks.

Estevez earned the save Tuesday against Atlanta, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth inning to secure a 9-6 win.

Estevez was called upon to protect a three-run lead and handled the task with ease, working around a two-out single by Ozzie Albies to record his 28th save of the season. The right-hander sits tied for second in MLB in saves alongside Josh Hader. Estevez now holds a 2.56 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 37:16 K:BB across 45.2 innings in 2025.

Duran went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, a double, a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's win against the Twins.

Duran stuffed the stat sheet Tuesday, starting with a double in the first inning. He then drilled a solo homer in the fifth before walking and swiping second in the seventh. Duran has recorded a stolen base in back-to-back games after stealing just one bag in his previous 29 contests. He's sporting a .261/.329/.450 slash line with 10 homers, 50 extra-base hits and 18 stolen bases through 481 plate appearances.

Zerpa will serve as the Royals' opening pitcher for Wednesday's game against Atlanta, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Zerpa owns a 3.77 ERA and 1.30 WHIP through 43 innings and has pitched primarily in middle relief this season, but the Royals will have him start his second game of the campaign after he previously served as an opener July 12 versus the Mets. The 25-year-old southpaw likely won't cover more than an inning or two before exiting the contest.

Alexander didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Nationals, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out six.

Alexander set a season high in punchouts, though he walked multiple batters in his fifth outing in a row. The 32-year-old right-hander was pulled after tossing 80 pitches, but he was at least able to limit the damage and eat some innings for Houston's injury-plagued rotation. Alexander's next turn tentatively projects for next week in Miami against the Marlins, though it's possible Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) will be ready to come off the injured list by then. Through 25.2 innings, Alexander has a 7.36 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and 20:14 K:BB.

Lugo (8-5) earned the win in Tuesday's 9-6 victory over Atlanta, allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out five over 5.2 innings.

Lugo cruised through the first five frames before running into trouble in the sixth, surrendering a solo homer to Austin Riley and a two-run shot to Marcell Ozuna that cut into Kansas City's lead. Despite the rough inning, Lugo was able to do enough to earn his eighth win of the season, and the fifth in his last eight starts. The 35-year-old now holds a 3.90 ERA with a 28:9 K:BB over 30 innings in the month of July and remains a steady presence in the Royals' rotation.

Story went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, three RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over Minnesota.

Story knocked a two-run homer in the third inning before tacking on an RBI double in the ninth. He snapped a 15-game homerless drought, during which he posted an unsightly .523 OPS. The veteran shortstop is up to 16 home runs this season, tying his best output since he joined the Red Sox prior to the 2022 campaign. Story is slashing .247/.287/.405 with 64 RBI and has hit .283 (53-for-187) since the start of June.

Walker went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Nationals.

That's now four consecutive outings with at least one hit for Walker, who continues to heat up in July following a miserable start to his Astros career. The veteran first baseman had a .635 OPS for the year through June 29, but Walker is hitting a hot .329 with three home runs, four doubles and 18 RBI through 85 at-bats this month.

Giolito (7-2) allowed a run on five hits and two walks over six innings Tuesday, striking out five and earning a win over the Twins.

Giolito rolled through four shutout frames before Minnesota scratched across a run in the fifth inning. He delivered a strong bounce-back outing after coughing up a combined nine runs over 9.1 innings in his previous two outings. He fired 61 of 101 pitches for strikes and forced 13 whiffs, including nine with his changeup. Giolito now owns a 3.80 ERA over 87.2 innings this season, but it's been a very up-and-down year; he's given up two earned runs or fewr in 10 of his 16 starts, but he's been tagged with five or more runs in four outings. Giolito is projected to face the Royals at home next week.