Blanco stole a base and scored a run as a pinch runner in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Nationals.
Blanco's contributions continue to be limited to off-the-bench work. He's logged just one at-bat in September, but he's stolen six bases on seven attempts over 10 games this month. The speedster is up to 31 thefts this season. With four other outfielders capable of hitting right-handed (three righties and a switch hitter), Blanco is unlikely to see even short-side platoon work for the rest of the regular season or the postseason.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Reaches 30-steal mark
Rotowire
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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: Records 11th steal
Rotowire
Blanco went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Mariners.
Blanco was 1-for-2 on stolen base attempts in the game. The outfielder began the year in a bench role, but he's hit his way into starting four of the last five games with time at all three outfield positions. He's gone 7-for-17 (.412) since May 6. Blanco doesn't have much of a track record in a starting role, but he's slashed .293/.356/.439 with a home run, two RBI, 14 runs scored and 11 steals through 45 plate appearances this season as a speed-and-defense option. Blanco's increased playing time has primarily come at the expense of MJ Melendez and Kyle Isbel.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Swipes two bags in loss
Rotowire
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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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Notches fifth steal
Rotowire
Blanco stole a base as a pinch runner in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Astros.
Blanco is tied for third in the American League with five steals despite logging just three plate appearances over eight games. He's also scored four runs. The 30-year-old is on the Royals' roster for speed and defense as a late-game replacement, but it's fair to assume he's not first in line to take a starting role if one of the team's other outfielders gets injured.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Makes roster as extra outfielder
Rotowire
Manager Matt Quatraro informed Blanco that he'll be on the Royals' Opening Day roster, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports Saturday.
Blanco is likely to fill a bench role as a speed-and-defense option off the bench. The Royals are expected to begin the year with MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel and Hunter Renfroe as the starting outfield from left to right. Blanco stole 24 bases in 2023 despite logging just 138 plate appearances, so he could have some appeal in AL-only fantasy formats.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Back in action
Rotowire
Blanco (calf) is starting in center field in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Giants.
Blanco returned to Cactus League play Sunday after suffering a mild calf strain last week, and he'll look to keep his hot streak alive against San Francisco. Blanco has registered six hits in 16 at-bats this spring while driving in one run and scoring three times, and the 30-year-old remains in the race for a bench spot on Kansas City's Opening Day roster.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Has edge for fourth outfield spot
Rotowire
Blanco is viewed as the favorite to be the Royals' fourth outfielder, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
The 30-year-old Blanco offers reliable defense and speed off the bench, making him better suited to be an extra outfielder. With a utility man (Garrett Hampson) and designated hitter (Nelson Velazquez) with outfield experience, the Royals may opt to have Drew Waters develop more at Triple-A Omaha, while Blanco can be a late-game replacement. Blanco hit .258 with a .776 OPS and 24 stolen bases in just 138 plate appearances last season in a similar role.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Socks home run, steals two in win
Rotowire
Blanco went 3-for-3 with a home run, one RBI, two runs scored and two steals in Sunday's 5-2 victory over the Yankees.
Blanco contributed across the board in his return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the two games prior. Sunday's game marked his sixth multi-steal effort of the campaign and he concluded the season with 24 stolen bases in 68 games. In that span, the rookie outfielder slashed .258/.324/.452 with three home runs, 19 runs and 18 RBI in a part-time role.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Runs wild Friday
Rotowire
Blanco went 1-for-3 with three RBI and three stolen bases in Friday's 7-5 win over the Phillies.
Blanco lined a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning and plated another run in the eighth. He's up to 12 steals this season, four of which have come over his last four games. The outfielder is slashing .246/.297/.420 with 11 RBI, 10 runs scored, six doubles and three triples through 75 plate appearances. Drew Waters (undisclosed) was scratched from Friday's game, and Blanco would seem most likely to benefit if his fellow outfielder misses more time.
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Royals' Dairon Blanco: Adds another steal
Rotowire
Blanco went 0-for-2 with a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Mets.
Blanco is just 2-for-11 over his last seven games, but he's picked up two steals in that span and now has nine thefts this year. The outfielder still doesn't have an everyday path to playing time, as the Royals' outfield went mainly untouched during their sell-off at the trade deadline. Blanco has a .231/.286/.415 slash line with seven RBI, eight runs scored, six doubles and three triples through 70 plate appearances over 30 games.
