Dairon Blanco

Fantasy News

• Rangers' Dairon Blanco: Headed to Triple-A

  Rotowire Mar 9, 2026

  The Rangers optioned Blanco to Triple-A Round Rock after claiming him off waivers from the Royals on Sunday. The right-handed-hitting Blanco looked like a potential candidate to fill out a short-side platoon role in the Texas outfield, but he won't end up reporting to big-league camp and will instead head to Triple-A to begin the upcoming season. Though Blanco has been a near-league-average hitter over his first four MLB seasons with a 99 wRC+, he fell out of favor with the Royals in 2025, logging just eight plate appearances in the majors while mustering a middling .253/.332/.405 slash line over 77 games at Triple-A Omaha. The Rangers may want to see Blanco show some improvement as a hitter at the Triple-A level before giving him another look in the big leagues.

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• Rangers' Dairon Blanco: Lands in Arlington

  Rotowire Mar 8, 2026

  The Rangers claimed Blanco off waivers from the Royals on Sunday. Kansas City cut him loose after signing free-agent outfielder Starling Marte, but Blanco could be in decent position to secure a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster. A right-handed hitter with exceptional speed, Blanco could profile as an ideal short-side platoon mate for Evan Carter, a career .083 hitter versus left-handed pitching.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Scrubbed from 40-man roster

  Rotowire Mar 2, 2026

  The Royals designated Blanco for assignment Monday. The Royals needed to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for Starling Marte, whose signing was officially announced Monday. Known for his blazing speed, Blanco has stolen 59 bases in the majors despite receiving only 285 plate appearances. The 32-year-old could draw interest on waivers from a team seeking outfield depth.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Starting Saturday

  Rotowire Feb 28, 2026

  Blanco (head) will start in left field and bat ninth in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rockies. Blanco made two plate appearances off the bench in Friday's contest -- his first spring action since he was hit in the head by a pitch in Sunday's game. The 32-year-old outfielder will now return to the starting nine and continue his pursuit of a spot on Kansas City's Opening Day bench.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Sent to Triple-A

  Rotowire Jun 2, 2025

  The Royals optioned Blanco to Triple-A Omaha on Monday. With top prospect Jac Caglianone receiving a call-up to the big leagues and likely to take on an everyday role in the corner outfield, Blanco became an expandable piece for the Royals. Since being activated May 16 following a stint on the injured list, Blanco appeared in just six of the Royals' ensuing 15 games and went 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI while going 1-for-3 in stolen-base attempts.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Activated from injured list

  Rotowire May 16, 2025

  The Royals activated Blanco (Achilles) from the 10-day injured list Friday. Blanco has been shelved for most of the season with right Achilles tendinopathy but is ready to return after playing 12 rehab games. The speedster will likely operate in a reserve role for now, but there's potential for him to move up the depth chart among a Royals outfield lacking talent.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Receives injection

  Rotowire Apr 4, 2025

  Blanco (Achilles) received a platelet-rich plasma injection Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. Blanco will be sidelined from all activity for the next 3-to-5 days, and he will then be re-evaluated by the Royals' medical staff. This virtually eliminates the possibility of a minimum-length IL stay for the 31-year-old outfielder. A return timetable may emerge once he's cleared to resume baseball activities.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Makes final roster

  Rotowire Mar 26, 2025

  Blanco has won a spot on the 26-man roster as a reserve outfielder, MLB.com reports. Blanco missed time early in spring training due to right Achilles tightness, but was healthy the past two weeks. He hit .333 (7-for-21) with three stolen bases this spring. He'll work as a reserve for all three out outfield positions and be used as a pinch runner. He could be a good source of stolen bases if he can get enough playing time.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Set to play in MiLB game

  Rotowire Mar 9, 2025

  Blanco (Achilles) is scheduled to play three innings in a minor-league game Sunday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. Blanco has been out of action since Feb. 24 due to right Achilles tendinitis, but he appears to be close to full health. Assuming he makes it through Sunday's contest without any setbacks, Blanco could make his return to the Cactus League lineup within the next few days. The 31-year-old is vying for a backup outfield spot on the Royals' Opening Day roster.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Reaches 30-steal mark

  Rotowire Sep 25, 2024

  Blanco went 0-for-1 and stole a base in Tuesday's 1-0 extra-inning win over the Nationals. Blanco entered the game as a pinch runner and picked up his fifth steal over eight contests this month. While his usage has been limited all season, the Royals' additions via waivers at the end of August to bolster their outfield cut off Blanco's remaining paths to playing time. Nonetheless, he's one of 23 players in the majors to reach 30 steals this year, doing so on 37 attempts despite seeing just 129 plate appearances across 85 contests.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Two thefts Tuesday

  Rotowire Sep 11, 2024

  Blanco recorded two stolen bases and a run scored as a pinch runner in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Yankees. Blanco filled his role to perfection Tuesday. He entered the game as a pinch runner for Hunter Renfroe in the eighth inning, stole second and third, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Maikel Garcia. Blanco hasn't logged an at-bat over four games in September, but he's picked up three steals and three runs scored off the bench. The speedy outfielder is up to 28 steals on 34 attempts to go with four home runs, 13 RBI, 35 runs scored and a .265/.315/.402 slash line over 128 plate appearances.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Nabs steal No. 25

  Rotowire Aug 31, 2024

  Blanco went 0-for-1 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Astros. The 31-year-old speedster got the start in left field and batted seventh, and he quickly took advantage of his only trip on the basepaths in the sixth inning. Blanco's career-high 25 steals have come in only 128 plate appearances, making him a true one-category fantasy asset as he has just four homers, 13 RBI and 32 runs on the year.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Notches steal in win

  Rotowire Aug 22, 2024

  Blanco logged a stolen base as a pinch runner in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Angels. Blanco took advantage of his playing time during a road series in Cincinnati last weekend, going 5-for-8 with three homers and eight RBI across three contests. While it was an impressive showing, he remains in a short-side platoon role, primarily sharing left field with MJ Melendez. Blanco is up to 23 steals on 28 attempts this season while adding four homers, 13 RBI, 31 runs scored and a .257/.293/.394 slash line through 117 plate appearances. While he has excellent speed, his lack of a path to at-bats versus right-handed pitching continues to limit his fantasy value.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Turns on power in huge performance

  Rotowire Aug 18, 2024

  Blanco went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and seven RBI in Saturday's 13-1 rout of the Reds. Blanco was probably the last KC starter anyone would have expected to notch a multi-homer game, as he entered Saturday with just one long ball over 105 plate appearances on the season. However, the 31-year-old hit two long balls in the span of two innings, smacking a two-run homer in the second frame and adding a grand slam in the third. For good measure, Blanco notched an RBI single in the fourth inning for his seventh RBI of the game -- two more than he had accumulated over those 105 plate appearances coming into the contest.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Picks up 18th steal

  Rotowire Jul 21, 2024

  Blanco went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 4-1 win over the White Sox. Blanco collected an RBI single as part of a three-run eighth inning and later stole a base. Blanco is a bit of a one-trick pony, but it's a trick he does very well, as his 18 stolen bases are now tied with Jose Ramirez and Julio Rodriguez for the seventh most in the American League this season. Blanco has just one home run and five RBI in 84 at-bats this season.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Swipes bag in win

  Rotowire Jul 1, 2024

  Blanco went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Guardians. Blanco started for the first time since June 23, playing in place of MJ Melendez in left field against lefty Logan Allen. While he's not getting many at-bats, Blanco's speed remains top notch -- he logged six steals while going 4-for-23 over 14 contests in June. The outfielder has a .237/.289/.316 slash line with 17 thefts, one home run, four RBI, 20 runs scored and three doubles across 84 plate appearances in a reserve role this year.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Adds steal Monday

  Rotowire Jun 11, 2024

  Blanco went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Yankees. Blanco got the start in left field but moved over to right when Hunter Renfroe left the game with a broken toe. With Renfroe likely for the injured list, Blanco could get first dibs on a starting role moving forward, though it's also possible the Royals call up Drew Waters from Triple-A Omaha since there is a chance for steady playing time. Blanco has done well in limited action this season with a .259/.323/.362 slash line and 14 steals over 66 plate appearances as a fourth outfielder. However, he's gone just 3-for-17 over his last 11 contests and would likely struggle to hit consistently in an everyday role.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Collects 13th steal

  Rotowire Jun 9, 2024

  Blanco stole a base and scored one run in Saturday's 8-4 win over the Mariners. Blanco got his first game action since June 2 and did what he does best: make an impact with speed. The steal was his second in his last three games, but he's not seeing much playing time even with the Royals getting anemic batting lines from their regular outfielders. For the season, Blanco has 13 thefts to go with one home run, four RBI, 17 runs scored and a .255/.323/.364 slash line over 63 plate appearances.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Picks up steal in loss

  Rotowire Jun 1, 2024

  Blanco went 0-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and one run scored in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Padres. Blanco briefly looked to be claiming a larger role in mid-May, but he's since returned to his usual status as a fourth outfielder. His steal Saturday was his first since May 13, giving him 12 thefts on the year. He's added a decent .255/.323/.364 slash line with one home run, four RBI, 15 runs scored and three doubles over 63 plate appearances. Blanco's last two starts have come against right-handed pitchers, but it's seemed like more of a way to give Kyle Isbel regular rest than a sign of Blanco earning a larger role.

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• Royals' Dairon Blanco: Swipes two bags in loss

  Rotowire May 5, 2024

  Blanco secured two stolen bases in Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Rangers. Blanco entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning as a pinch runner for Vinnie Pasquantino, stealing both second and third base. The outfielder is now up to eight stolen bases this season, and he's gotten three total swipes over the last three games. On the flip side, Blanco draws only an occasional spot in the starting lineup, limiting his upside as a stolen-base option for fantasy managers.

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