<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-vinnie-pasquantino-confronts-shohei-ohtani-world-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vinnie Pasquantino hilariously confronts Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani before World Series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Dodgers-news-Vinnie-Pasquantino-hilariously-confronts-Shohei-Ohtani-before-World-Series.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Vinnie Pasquantino hilariously confronts Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani before World Series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T19:46:31-07:00">October 23rd, 7:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T19:46:31-07:00">October 23rd, 7:46pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the 2025 World Series with unmatched star power — and with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-shohei-ohtani-lineup-presence">Shohei Ohtani generating buzz as usual</a>, even Media Day became must-see content. A lighthearted exchange between Ohtani and Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino stole headlines, showcasing the human side of baseball’s brightest stage.</p><p>MLB’s official X (formerly known as Twitter) account shared the clip of the Royals slugger <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1981502301165801728">playfully confronting</a> the Dodgers superstar about facing his two fastest pitches ever. The exchange quickly went viral, leaving both players — and fans — laughing.</p><p>“The two fastest pitches Shohei Ohtani has ever thrown were both to Vinnie Pasquantino … two years apart. Naturally, Vinnie had to find out why.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The two fastest pitches Shohei Ohtani has ever thrown were both to Vinnie Pasquantino … two years apart.</p><p>Naturally, Vinnie had to find out why. <a href="https://t.co/EUyTvtw8OW">pic.twitter.com/EUyTvtw8OW</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1981502301165801728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Why do you throw so hard to me? Why? Why do you hate me?”</p><p>After a burst of laughter, Ohtani responded through interpreter Will Ireton.</p><p>“You’re just a really good hitter. I have to.”</p><p>Pasquantino grinned and replied, “That’s not good enough. You throw too hard, Shohei.”</p><p>The playful exchange captured genuine mutual respect and reminded fans how Ohtani’s charisma complements his competitive fire. As the Dodgers’ superstar, his humor and humility continue to resonate far beyond L.A.</p><p>It also served as a refreshing reminder of how baseball can blend competition and connection. Taking place the night before Game 1 of the World Series, moments like this show why fans gravitate toward authenticity — seeing elite players laugh together bridges the gap between greatness and relatability.</p><p>Their friendly “rivalry” dates back to Ohtani’s 102 mph heater in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and another 101.7 mph fastball during a 2025 interleague matchup. Both remain the two fastest pitches of his career, directed at the same batter — Pasquantino. That shared history made the viral moment even funnier for fans watching worldwide.</p><p>For Ohtani, the moment showed confidence without ego. For Pasquantino, it showcased personality within competition. As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-max-muncy-makes-strong-dynasty-claim-before-world-series">Dodgers prepare for Game 1</a> vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, the brief interaction reminded everyone that even on baseball’s biggest stage, humor and respect still connect superstars and rivals alike.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vinnie Pasquantino hilariously confronts Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani before World Series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-biggest-disappointment-after-missing-mlb-playoffs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals’ biggest disappointment after missing MLB playoffs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kansas-City-Royals-starting-pitcher-Cole-Ragans-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals’ biggest disappointment after missing MLB playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-27T14:23:38-07:00">September 27th, 2:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-27T14:23:38-07:00">September 27th, 2:23pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals will finish as one of the first three teams outside the American League playoffs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-manager-salvador-perez-plan-postseason-push">Royals manager Matt Quatraro used different strategies to try and spark a run</a>, but he ultimately came up short. On the bright side, both Seth Lugo and Carlos Estevez had excellent seasons. The story of the season centers around Cole Ragans and the rest of the pitching staff.</p><p>Last season, the Royals were a more offensively focused team. B<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-accomplishes-impressive-feat-with-stolen-base-vs-rangers">obby Witt Jr. put together another elite year in Kansas City</a> in 2025, spearheading the offense alongside Vinnie Pasquantino. However, is was not enough to propel the team into the playoff field again. The chief reason was that Quatraro rarely had any arms he could consistently rely on down the stretch of the year.</p><p>Missing the playoffs is a tough pill to swallow for an ascending team. However, it is not due to a lack of effort. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-mike-yastrzemski-trade-giants">The Royals acquired some pieces at the trade deadline</a> to improve the roster in July. For the most part, all of their new additions produced and gave Kansas City a boost at the plate. Unfortunately, the talent on the mound did not keep up, dragging the team down as a result.</p><p>At this point in the team’s development, the Royals cannot afford to waste years missing the playoffs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-makes-history-449-foot-home-run-vs-rangers">Quatraro has one of the best players in Major League Baseball at shortstop in Witt Jr..</a> There is no telling how many more top-tier season the young star will put together, making each one precious. 2025 is a missed opportunity, something that will haunt the team moving forward.</p><p>While there are a lot of players to point the blame at, the Royals’ season was decided on the pitchers’ mound. Triumphs and disappointments defined the season in Kansas City.</p><h2>Injuries robbed the Royals pitching staff of any rhythm</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kansas-City-Royals-starting-pitcher-Cole-Ragans.jpg"><figcaption>David Dermer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/red-sox-news-cole-ragans-11-strikeout-performance-draws-high-praise-from-alex-cora">Ragans emerged as one of the AL’s best starters</a> in 2023. He made it to the All-Star Game in 2024 and helped Kansas City put up a fight against the Baltimore Orioles in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he could not roll that success into 2025. He is still worthy of all the praise he has received over the years. However, his health has become a serious question mark at this point in his career.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-cole-ragans-could-return-from-injury-soon">Ragans missed starts throughout the season with injuries</a>. While that is not directly his fault, the impact it had on the team as a whole cannot be ignored. Without him in the mix, Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Michael Lorenzen had to step into larger roles. While Lugo handled the increased responsibility well, the pitchers behind him failed to fill Ragan’s shoes while he was out.</p><p>The Royals are committed to the duo of Ragans and Lugo in the long-term. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-seth-lugo-multi-year-contract-extension">Kansas City gave the latter a lucrative deal before the trade deadline</a>, cementing him as the No. 2 starter when everyone is healthy. While he has been effective, even Lugo has missed time this season. Having a revolving door in the starting rotation is all it took for the Royals to underperform in 2025.</p><h2>The Royals could not get offense outside of their Big Three</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BWJ.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><p>Witt Jr., Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez gave Quatraro everything he could have asked for on offense. However, three players is not enough for a team to have an offense worthy of the postseason. There were plenty of nights where all of the Royals runs came from three players. The production from everyone else was so minimal that they might as well have not even been there.</p><p>While the offense in Kansas City struggled, the team made moves to give it some energy. For a while, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-watch-jac-caglianone-1st-career-home-run">Jac Caglianone gave the Royals the jolt they needed</a> to go on a run in the heart of the regular season. The rookie suffered an injury that ended his season, but the future is bright for him in Kansas City. Quatraro desperately needs him to help prevent 2025 from repeating itself.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-player-must-step-up-al-wild-card-race-mariners">The Royals’ offense was bad this season</a>. However, there are not a lot of avenues the team can go down to make it any better. Perez is on the brink of a cliff when it comes to his production. Kansas City has some money to spend in free agency, but other contenders can easily outbid them. Regardless of what happens, the Royals’ bats are not good enough to sneak into the playoffs.</p><h2>Kansas City wasted a career year from Estevez</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Estevez.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-agree-terms-closer-carlos-estevez">Estevez was a massive addition for the Royals this offseason</a>. Quatraro and the front office had a big problem to address, and the solution they chose worked perfectly. At the end of the year, Kansas City’s closer is a candidate to win awards for his efforts in a relief role. If not for him, the Royals may not have won nearly as many games as they did this season.</p><p>When the season wraps up, Estevez’s numbers will rank near the league’s best. His <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/34861/carlos-estevez" rel="noopener">41 saves and 65 innings pitched</a> are both career-highs. While there is no telling how much longer the 32-year-old will be at an All-Star level, Royals fans got to watch him put together a dominant campaign. Unfortunately, his success makes the fact that his team missed the postseason much worse.</p><p>The Royals have plenty of problems to resolve this offseason. A lot of Kansas City’s future success hinges on the health of both Ragans and Caglianone. All it takes it one healthy season for the Royals to jump right back into the mix in the AL. Until then, Kansas City has to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate its long-term plans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals’ biggest disappointment after missing MLB playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-shea-langeliers-walks-off-royals-huge-double');   ga('set', 'title', 'Shea Langeliers walks off Royals with huge double');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Shea-Langeliers-3.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Shea Langeliers walks off Royals with huge double</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-27T00:50:36-07:00">September 27th, 12:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-27T01:16:09-07:00">September 27th, 1:16am</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Both the Athletics and the Kansas City Royals have been eliminated from playoff contention. But the A’s are finishing the season strong, winning 10 of their last 14 games. On Thursday, AL <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-nick-kurtz-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">Rookie of the Year frontrunner Nick Kurtz</a> mashed two more home runs, bringing his season total to 35. But in the series opener against the Royals, Shea Langeliers stole the spotlight.</p><p>The fourth-year catcher delivered a clutch walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning. The game-winning hit capped an <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1971797305050407130" rel="noopener">exciting comeback</a> as the Athletics got the 4-3 victory over Kansas City.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">SHEA LANGELIERS WALKOFF DOUBLE FOR THE A'S 🙌<a href="https://t.co/dr4oRD0CNB">pic.twitter.com/dr4oRD0CNB</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1971797744663822574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>With one out in the ninth, Royals manager Matt Quatraro brought in Luinder Avila, who immediately surrendered a single to Darell Hernaiz. After Brett Harris grounded into a fielder’s choice, Max Schuemann replaced him as a pinch-runner.</p><p>Avila started Langeliers off with a 96 mph sinker but missed low and away. The rookie reliever went right back to the pitch but caught too much of the plate and Langeliers smoked the 1-0 offering deep to left center. The ball carried over left fielder Adam Frazier’s outstretched glove.</p><p>By the time the relay came to Bobby Witt Jr., Schuemann was already rounding third. An errant throw didn’t really affect the outcome. Schuemann slid home with the winning run and A’s players mobbed Langeliers at second base.</p><h2><b>Shea Langeliers delivers in A’s walk-off win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Shea-Langeliers-2.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Athletics’ backstop has flashed multiple times this season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-shea-langeliers-on-list-monster-game">Langeliers had a three-homer game</a> in early August. And he hit a dramatic seventh-inning <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/detroit-tigers/tigers-news-tarik-skubal-trolls-athletics-stadium-blunder">revenge grand slam off Tarik Skubal</a> last month.</p><p>On Friday, the A’s were in a position to walk off the Royals in the ninth because of the team’s other <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-jacob-wilson-will-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">Rookie of the Year candidate Jacob Wilson</a>. After falling behind 3-0 on Jonathan India’s three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning, the Athletics got right back in the game in the fifth.</p><p>Langeliers started the rally with a one-out single. Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom then followed with back-to-back two-out walks. With the bases loaded, Quatraro pulled starter Noah Cameron, calling on Taylor Clarke to face Wilson. And the rookie shortstop smashed a three-run double to left, tying the game 3-3.</p><p>With the win the Athletics improved to 76-84 on the season. But the team is a fun watch with a bright future. Wilson is hitting .313, second in the majors to Aaron Judge. And the A’s have three players – Kurtz (35), Langeliers (31) and Rooker (30) – with 30 home runs. It’s the first time since 2019 that the team has three players with at least 30 dongs in a season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Shea Langeliers walks off Royals with huge double

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-eliminated-playoffs-angels');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals eliminated from playoffs before Angels showdown');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BWJ.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals eliminated from playoffs before Angels showdown</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-23T20:06:44-07:00">September 23rd, 8:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-23T20:06:44-07:00">September 23rd, 8:06pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals saw their 2025 playoff hopes officially dashed before even taking the field against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night. A 5-2 victory by the Cleveland Guardians over the Detroit Tigers mathematically eliminated <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-sets-insane-mlb-record-blue-jays">Kansas City</a> from MLB playoff contention, despite entering the day with a .500 record.</p><p>The Talkin’ Baseball podcast took to X (formerly known as Twitter), posting that the Royals <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1970657158824890527" rel="noopener">would not be playing</a> October baseball this season. The news was amplified by a dramatic image of a distressed Bobby Witt Jr.</p><p>“The Kansas City Royals will not be going back to the postseason.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Kansas City Royals will not be going back to the postseason <a href="https://t.co/mHhPYXlnVr">pic.twitter.com/mHhPYXlnVr</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1970657158824890527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The stark announcement hit social platforms just as the Royals began their evening matchup and now lead the Halos 3-0 as of this writing at Angel Stadium.</p><p> </p><p>At 78-78, the club sits third in the AL Central. With six games remaining, they’re out of reach for both the division title and AL Wild Card spots. It’s a sharp contrast from their exciting 2024 run, where they secured a Wild Card and upset the Baltimore Orioles before falling to the New York Yankees in the ALDS.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-makes-history-449-foot-home-run-vs-rangers">Witt continues to be the face of the franchise</a>, entering the final week of the season batting .293 with 23 home runs, 82 RBI, and 37 stolen bases. Still only 25-years-old, he remains a cornerstone amid another playoff miss—fueling debates among fans about whether the postseason elimination reflects a failure to build around his talent.</p><p>Fan reactions ranged from disappointment to humor, with some calling for a deeper rebuild or suggesting Witt could suffer the same fate as other small-market stars stuck in limbo. Others expressed cautious optimism about 2026.</p><p>Now the focus shifts to the offseason. They’ll likely evaluate pitching depth, explore free agency, and look to extend young talent like Vinnie Pasquantino. The goal is simple — don’t waste the prime of Witt Jr.</p><p>The Royals were eliminated before first pitch, but the impact could linger—especially if 2026 doesn’t bring postseason redemption.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals eliminated from playoffs before Angels showdown

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-sets-insane-mlb-record-blue-jays');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals sets insane MLB record vs. Blue Jays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Royals-right-fielder-Jac-Caglianone-vs-Blue-Jays.jpg"><figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals sets insane MLB record vs. Blue Jays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-20T08:39:12-07:00">September 20th, 8:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-20T09:07:35-07:00">September 20th, 9:07am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals etched their name into MLB history with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-history-19-run-loss-royals">a performance that will not soon be forgotten</a>. In their latest matchup, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-max-scherzer-reaction-nightmare-start-royals">Royals-Blue Jays showdown turned into a showcase of offensive firepower</a>, <a href="https://x.com/KSeaboldt/status/1969249501253718039" rel="noopener">breaking a record</a> that had belonged to the White Sox for nearly 70 years. Kansas City became the first team in modern history to out-hit an opponent by 24. For the Royals, the timing of this explosion matters as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-player-must-step-up-al-wild-card-race-mariners">the AL Wild Card picture is still within reach</a>.</p><p>According to Sports Radio 810 WHB’s Kurtis Seaboldt, the Royals’ 27 hits against just three for the Blue Jays broke the previous record held by the White Sox. That mark came when the White Sox out-hit the Kansas City A’s by 23 on April 23, 1955.</p><p>The numbers underline the significance of the feat. Kansas City piled up hits from top to bottom and overwhelmed the Blue Jays. However, it should be noted that 13 of the hits came against catcher Taylor Heineman, who took the mound in the seventh inning with the game out of reach to save the Blue Jays relievers from pitching the last couple innings.</p><p>The Royals left little chance for a response. That White Sox mark had stood for nearly 70 years, serving as a reminder of how rare this kind of dominance is. Now, the Royals own the distinction themselves. They have rewritten history in a season where they continue to fight against long odds.</p><p>The Royals’ power display did not come from one bat alone. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-salvador-perez-max-scherzer-home-run">Salvador Perez added a key home run</a> that energized his teammates and the crowd, while Jac Caglianone and Michael Massey also went deep to keep the momentum rolling. For a club that has battled inconsistency, the surge of offense provides both stability and a sense of urgency as they try to balance a historic moment with the reality of a postseason race.</p><p>The achievement stands out as a rare highlight in a challenging campaign. The Royals out-hit the Blue Jays by such a staggering margin that it underscored Kansas City’s depth and determination. Their playoff hopes may be fading, but they remain alive. The Royals are seven games back with only eight to play. Their record-setting performance proves the potential has been there all season.</p><p>For the Blue Jays, the timing could not have been worse. They continue to fight to maintain their postseason spot, but they landed on the wrong side of history. The result exposes questions about pitching and consistency. The Royals may not reach the AL Wild Card, but they proved they can still shape the race in dramatic fashion.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals sets insane MLB record vs. Blue Jays

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-history-19-run-loss-royals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays make unwanted history in 19-run loss to Royals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/John-Schneider-gives-cryptic-take-on-leadoff-spot-as-George-Springer-declines.jpg"></figure><h1>Blue Jays make unwanted history in 19-run loss to Royals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-19T22:05:42-07:00">September 19th, 10:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-19T22:05:42-07:00">September 19th, 10:05pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-clinch-playoff-spot-friday-night">Toronto Blue Jays were overwhelmed 20-1 by the Kansas City Royals</a> on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium, leaving a record-setting scar in franchise history. The 19-run margin <a href="https://www.espn.in/mlb/story/_/id/46318365/royals-rock-max-scherzer-7-1st-inning-runs-rout-blue-jays-20-1" rel="noopener">ties the largest loss ever</a> by a division leader in a September or later regular-season game, joining the 2005 Padres’ 20-1 loss to the Rockies, according to ESPN Research.</p><p>The game unraveled immediately for the Jays. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-george-springer-celebrates-birthday-home-run-bash">George Springer opened the scoring with his 63rd career leadoff home run</a>, giving Toronto a 1-0 lead. That advantage vanished in the bottom of the first inning as Royals leadoff hitter Carter Jensen doubled, scored on Bobby Witt Jr.’s single, and came around again on Vinnie Pasquantino’s double, giving Kansas City a 2-1 lead.</p><p>The Royals sent 10 batters to the plate against Max Scherzer (5-4), who managed just two outs while surrendering seven hits, including a three-run homer by Salvador Perez, his 30th of the season, and a two-run blast by Michael Massey. Scherzer threw only 45 pitches in the shortest non-injury start of his 18-year career and was removed after the first inning.</p><p>Carter Jensen became the first Royals player with multiple doubles in the same inning, hitting three total, including two against Scherzer in the first and a two-run double in the third. Vinnie Pasquantino finished with four hits, while the Royals tallied eight extra-base hits in the first three innings alone.</p><p>Kansas City finished the game with a franchise-record 27 hits, surpassing the 26-hit performance against the Detroit Tigers in 2004. Ten Royals hitters had at least two hits, seven scored at least twice, and six recorded multiple RBIs. The team went 13-of-25 with runners in scoring position, combining seven doubles and three home runs.</p><p>Toronto’s bullpen was stretched thin, with Braydon Fisher, Tommy Nance, Yariel Rodriguez, and Brendon Little covering 5.1 innings. Catcher Tyler Heineman pitched in the seventh and allowed 10 runs and 13 hits over 1 1/3 innings, surrendering a three-run homer to Jac Caglianone, before Isiah Kiner-Falefa retired the final two batters. Royals starter Michael Lorenzen (6-11) recorded his first win since July 6, pitching 7 2/3 innings while allowing only one earned run on three hits, walking three, and striking out four.</p><p>Amidst the carnage of the rout, the Blue Jays still retain a 3.0-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East with eight games remaining. Their magic number for clinching a playoff berth is five. Toronto’s offense remains inconsistent, with only 10 runs across the past five games, while injuries have limited contributions from Bo Bichette, who resumed hitting after a left knee PCL sprain, and Anthony Santander, who continues his rehab in Triple-A Buffalo.</p><p>Friday’s defeat leaves Toronto hoping Scherzer can rebound in his final regular-season start to secure a spot in the postseason rotation alongside Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-nightmare-scenario-for-2025-mlb-playoffs">Teetering on the brink of the AL East title</a>, the Blue Jays must rein in their wild pitching and faltering bats to avoid further historic embarrassments.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays make unwanted history in 19-run loss to Royals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-salvador-perez-max-scherzer-home-run');   ga('set', 'title', 'Salvador Perez comes full circle with special Max Scherzer home run');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kansas-City-Royals-catcher-Salvador-Perez-13-runs-the-bases-after-hits-a-home-run-off-Detroit-Tigers-starting-pitcher-Max-Scherzer-37-during-the-third-inning-at-Comerica-Park.-Mandatory.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Salvador Perez comes full circle with special Max Scherzer home run</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-19T18:02:42-07:00">September 19th, 6:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-19T18:02:42-07:00">September 19th, 6:02pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been quite the week for Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez. Last Saturday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-salvador-perez-hits-two-milestones-one-swing-phillies" rel="noopener">Perez achieved two significant milestones</a> in one homer against the Philadelphia Phillies. It was his 300th career home run and 1,000th career RBI. </p><p>On Friday, Perez <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1969193123839353315" rel="noopener">achieved quite a feat</a> of a different sort. Against the Toronto Blue Jays, Perez not only hit his 303rd career home run, but he hit it off the very same pitcher he had hit his first homer off. That pitcher was the Blue Jays ‘ right-hander, Max Scherzer. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Salvador Perez LAUNCHES this ball far for the HR 🚀</p><p>That homer marked the 303rd of his career, incredibly against the very same pitcher, Max Scherzer, who served up his first!</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/HFb3fgpe2u">pic.twitter.com/HFb3fgpe2u</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1969193123839353315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It was a three-run shot to right-center field to give the Royals a 5-1 lead over the Blue Jays. In 2012, Perez hit his first career home run over Scherzer when Scherzer was pitching for the Detroit Tigers. </p><p>Meanwhile, Perez is batting .238 with 29 home runs and 92 RBIs. At times during this season, Perez has risen to the occasion. In July, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-salvador-perez-walks-off-braves-extra-innings-rbi" rel="noopener">hit a walk-off RBI single in extra innings</a> against the Atlanta Braves. </p><p>Additionally, the Royals are currently 76-77 and are in third place in the American League Central Division. Already, Kansas City is eliminated from the playoffs. Furthermore,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-manager-salvador-perez-plan-postseason-push" rel="noopener"> Perez remains the Royals catcher</a> despite Carter Jensen joining the roster earlier this month. </p><h2><b>Salvador Perez has the makings of being a Hall of Famer</b>.</h2><p>Since 2011, Perez has been with the Royals. Along the way, he has accumulated some notable stats that have him heading down the path to Cooperstown. In addition to over 300 home runs, Perez has over 1,000 RBIs to his name. </p><p>Plus, he has a World Series title and MVP in 2015, five Gold Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards, and nine All-Star appearances. Overall, Perez has not only remained with the same team but also has been a consistent presence. Additionally, Perez has remained a fan favorite known for his positive and charismatic outlook. </p><p>If that isn’t worthy of a possible plaque, what is?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Salvador Perez comes full circle with special Max Scherzer home run

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-seattle-al-west-tie-royals-shutout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mariners move into AL West tie after Royals shutout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Seattle-Mariners.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mariners move into AL West tie after Royals shutout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-18T19:56:43-07:00">September 18th, 7:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-18T19:56:43-07:00">September 18th, 7:56pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/al-playoff-picture-will-anybody-slow-mariners-down">Seattle Mariners continued their September surge</a> with a 2-0 road victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-win-series-against-royals-share-al-west-lead#:~:text=Seattle%20(84%2D69)%20is,haven't%20won%20since%20their" rel="noopener">moving into a tie</a> with the Houston Astros atop the American League West. Their next three-game series against Houston, beginning Friday night at T-Mobile Park, will be crucial. Seattle has gone 20-3 over their last 23 home games at the ballpark, the best 23-game home stretch in franchise history.</p><p>Seattle starter Luis Castillo conjured a masterful performance, pitching six innings of three-hit, scoreless ball without issuing a walk. Castillo, now 10-8 on the season, struck out three while keeping hitters off balance with a combination of four-seamers, sinkers, sliders, and changeups.</p><p>His fastball, noted for being in the 83rd percentile for Fastball Run Value according to Baseball Savant, helped him get ahead of batters. At the same time, his breaking pitches served as effective put-away offerings. Castillo’s effort earned him his third consecutive quality start, lowering his ERA over four September starts to 2.86.</p><p>The Mariners’ offense struck early in the second inning. Josh Naylor singled up the middle off Royals starter Stephen Kolek, followed by Jorge Polanco’s RBI double that scored Naylor and put Seattle ahead 1-0. Kolek, who pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run, was eventually pulled after an important eighth-inning sequence.</p><p>Dominic Canzone hit a 109 mph grounder to Royals second baseman Michael Massey, who appeared to be positioned on the grass, a violation of MLB’s defensive shift rules. Mariners manager Dan Wilson successfully challenged the play, which awarded Canzone first base, the first time the team had used the rule in a replay challenge. Two batters later, J.P. Crawford drove in the insurance run with a double down the right-field line, giving Seattle a 2-0 lead.</p><p>The Mariners’ bullpen held firm to close out the shutout. Eduard Bazardo and Gabe Speier combined for two scoreless innings, and Andres Munoz struck out the side in the ninth for his 36th save of the season, including a three-pitch strikeout of Adam Frazier to secure the win.</p><p>Seattle improved to 84-69 with the win, matching Houston’s record as they head into a decisive series in Houston next that could determine both the division champion and postseason seeding. The Mariners hold a 2.5-game lead in the wildcard race and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-nightmare-scenario-for-2025-mlb-playoffs">are positioned to claim the second seed</a> with a first-round bye if they can maintain their momentum.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mariners move into AL West tie after Royals shutout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-reinstate-michael-wacha-ahead-of-mariners-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals reinstate Michael Wacha ahead of Mariners clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kansas-City-Royals-starting-pitcher-Michael-Wacha.jpg"><figcaption>Peter Aiken-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals reinstate Michael Wacha ahead of Mariners clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-16T12:33:08-07:00">September 16th, 12:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-16T12:33:08-07:00">September 16th, 12:33pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals are one of many teams fighting for a spot in the American League playoffs. They kick off a crucial series against the Seattle Mariners, another postseason contender, on Tuesday night. After rumors flew that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-cole-ragans-gets-fantastic-injury-update-before-sunday-bullpen">Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha could return this week</a>, fans are hopeful. They will get their first look at Wacha in the opener against Seattle.</p><p>Wacha went on the concussion list last week after a scary play against the Minnesota Twins. Kansas City’s starting rotation has been through a lot this season, resulting in the veteran leading his team in innings pitched. Missing him for a stretch has led the team to go 4-6 over its last ten games. Now, Royals manager Matt Quatraro has to lean on Wacha to get the team back on track.</p><p>The 34-year-old has been the steadiest arm in Kansas City this season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-seth-lugo-multi-year-contract-extension">Lugo earned the contract extension the Royals gave him</a>, but his injuries have had him in and out of the lineup. Ragans has suffered a similar ailment, failing to stay available for any significant portion of the regular season. Despite that, Kansas City is at .500 and is still very much in the playoff race.</p><p>Wacha returns against the Mariners in a game where he will match up with Logan Gilbert. The Royals announced on their social media page that <a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1968030822788894816" rel="noopener">the starter’s return is official</a>, optioning utility man Nick Loftin to the minor leagues to make space on the roster. Kansas City is happy to have Wacha back, but his work is cut out for him as he faces the Seattle offense.</p><p>Cal Raleigh is having an MVP-caliber season with the Mariners. Despite his dominance, the Royals need Wacha to put his best foot forward in his return. If he can, Kansas City’s playoff hopes are very much alive as the regular season winds down.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals reinstate Michael Wacha ahead of Mariners clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-salvador-perez-hits-two-milestones-one-swing-phillies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals’ Salvador Perez hits two huge milestones with one swing vs. Phillies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kansas-City-Royals-catcher-Salvador-Perez.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals’ Salvador Perez hits two huge milestones with one swing vs. Phillies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-13T19:14:45-07:00">September 13th, 7:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-13T19:14:45-07:00">September 13th, 7:14pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals’ 8-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park had one bright spot <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-royals-catcher-salvador-perez-makes-franchise-history-with-82-million-contract">as slugger Salvador Perez made history</a> with a single swing.</p><p>The veteran catcher crushed a splitter from Phillies starter Taijuan Walker in the third inning, sending the ball into the left-center seats <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1967000746232345054" rel="noopener">for his 300th career home run and 1,000th career RBI</a>. The blast came just two innings after Perez had already taken Walker deep for a two-run shot, his 299th homer that pushed his career RBI total to 999.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Salvador Perez LAUNCHES this one for his 300th career HR 🔥</p><p>This hit also marked his 1,000th career RBI!  <br> <a href="https://t.co/7AOb25w88H">pic.twitter.com/7AOb25w88H</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1967000746232345054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Perez also became only the eighth primary catcher in Major League Baseball history (minimum 75% of games caught) to reach 300 home runs. The World Series MVP joined a list of legends that includes Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Iván Rodríguez, and Lance Parrish. Of those, only Parrish is not enshrined in Cooperstown.</p><p>Not only that, Perez also became the 13th active player with 300 home runs and the 10th active player with 1,000 RBIs. He is the third player this season to reach the RBI milestone, following Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. Within Royals history, the seven-time All-Star now stands in elite company as well. He is only the second Kansas City player to reach 300 homers, alongside franchise icon George Brett, whose club record of 317 home runs now sits just 17 ahead of Perez. On the RBI front, Perez became the third Royal to surpass 1,000, trailing only Hal McRae (1,012) and Brett (1,596).</p><p>The milestones added to what has already been a productive season for the 34-year-old catcher. His two home runs on Saturday gave him 27 for the year, keeping him within range of a second career 30-homer campaign. He also has an outside chance at reaching 100 RBIs on the season, sitting 16 shy with 14 games remaining.</p><p>Kansas City briefly appeared on track to spoil Philadelphia’s playoff push when Perez’s first-inning homer gave them a 3-0 lead. Vinnie Pasquantino doubled, Maikel Garcia singled him home, and Perez followed with the two-run blast. But Philadelphia quickly answered back. Brandon Marsh tied the game with a two-run double in the first, and Kyle Schwarber’s 51st homer in the fifth inning pulled the Phillies ahead for good.</p><p>The loss knocked the Royals below .500 again and hurt their fading postseason hopes, while the Phillies carried their winning streak to six games and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-world-series-mission">reduced their magic number to clinch the NL East to one</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals’ Salvador Perez hits two huge milestones with one swing vs. Phillies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-cole-ragans-gets-fantastic-injury-update-before-sunday-bullpen');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals’ Cole Ragans gets ‘fantastic’ injury update before Sunday bullpen');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kansas-City-Royals-starting-pitcher-Cole-Ragans-1.jpg"><figcaption>William Purnell-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals’ Cole Ragans gets ‘fantastic’ injury update before Sunday bullpen</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-13T13:23:39-07:00">September 13th, 1:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-13T13:23:39-07:00">September 13th, 1:23pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals are one of many teams chasing the final American League Wild Card spot. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-cole-ragans-could-return-from-injury-soon">Royals manager Matt Quatraro could get a big boost to his pitching staff</a> soon. Cole Ragans has been in and out of the lineup all season long, but his return is on the horizon. Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are also close to coming back, which could turn the tide for the team.</p><p>Ragans has missed starts and been inconsistent throughout 2025 thanks to injuries. Things got so bad that he and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-trade-proposal-lands-seth-lugo-from-royals">Lugo became sneaky trade candidates at the deadline</a> earlier this summer. Quatraro and the front office decided to leave things alone and bet that the team could tread water until their pitching staff regained health. After a couple of months, that bet could pay off.</p><p>Kansas City needs a strong finish to make it into the AL playoff picture. However, the Royals have more than enough time to go on a run and track down the Houston Astros for the final Wild Card spot. Despite the team’s recent struggles, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-manager-salvador-perez-plan-postseason-push">Quatraro and his coaching staff are still trying new things</a>. According to MLB.com’s Anne Rodgers, he could <a href="https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1966956992510988602" rel="noopener">get some major help soon</a>.</p><p>“Cole Ragans ‘feels fantastic’ today, manager Matt Quatraro said. Ragans is scheduled for a bullpen Sunday,” Rodgers said. “If all goes well, Royals anticipate his next start being in big leagues. Potential to see Ragans, Seth Lugo &amp; Michael Wacha back in KC rotation on the homestand next week.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-seth-lugo-multi-year-contract-extension">Kansas City rewarded Lugo with an extension</a> after he stepped up in Ragans’ absence this season. However, having both of them and Wacha back into the mix makes the Royals dangerous down the stretch of the regular season. If Quatraro’s team finds a way into the postseason, it will likely be because of some dominant pitching in the final games of the year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals’ Cole Ragans gets ‘fantastic’ injury update before Sunday bullpen

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-did-walker-buehler-have-strong-debut-royals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Did Phillies’ Walker Buehler have a strong debut vs. Royals?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Philadelphia-Phillies-pitcher-Walker-Buehler.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Did Phillies’ Walker Buehler have a strong debut vs. Royals?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T21:11:22-07:00">September 12th, 9:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T21:16:31-07:00">September 12th, 9:16pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-walker-buehler-joining-active-roster-as-jose-alvarado-lands-on-il">Philadelphia Phillies welcomed Walker Buehler for his debut</a> on Friday night, and he helped the team secure an 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park.</p><p>The 31-year-old right-hander, whom <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-boston-releases-walker-buehler-bullpen-move">the Boston Red Sox released</a> on August 29, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-signing-walker-buehler-postseason-push">signed with the Phillies</a> two days later, pitched five innings of one-run baseball, giving up five hits, walking one, hitting a batter, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/walker-buehlers-phillies-debut-leads-rout-royals--flm-2025-09-13/" rel="noopener">striking out three</a>.</p><p>Buehler’s first inning saw a brief scare when Bobby Witt Jr. singled, stole second, and scored on a Maikel Garcia single, giving the Royals an early 1-0 lead. After that, Buehler settled in, inducing 11 swings and misses, tied for his second-highest total in any outing this season and his highest since June 17.</p><p>He threw 90 pitches, 63.3% of which were hard pitches, including a 93.8 mph four-seam fastball, while going to a 0-2 count four times and generating weak contact in his final frame. This was only the fifth time Buehler finished at least five innings while allowing one run or less this season.</p><p>The Phillies’ offense supported their newcomer emphatically. Bryce Harper hit an opposite-field two-run homer in the third inning, his 26th of the season, giving Philadelphia a lead they would not relinquish. Brandon Marsh followed with a triple and scored on an Otto Kemp single, while Rafael Marchan, Harrison Bader, and Kyle Schwarber hit consecutive doubles in the fourth to extend the lead to 6-1. Bryson Stott added a two-run homer in the seventh.</p><p>The team recorded 14 hits, their fourth straight game with double-digit hits, and had contributions from six multihit players, including Bader, who notched his fifth consecutive multihit game, a new career high.</p><p>The bullpen, featuring Tanner Banks, Tim Mayza, Orion Kerkering, and Max Lazar, efficiently closed out the final four innings, allowing only one additional run. While Edmundo Sosa experienced a minor setback by exiting in the seventh due to groin tightness, manager Rob Thomson praised Buehler’s debut as a valuable addition, noting it provides extra rest for the Phillies’ rotation and another potential option for the postseason.</p><p>The Phillies improved to 88-60, increasing their lead in the NL East to 12 games and lowering their magic number to clinch the division to three.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Did Phillies’ Walker Buehler have a strong debut vs. Royals?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-cole-ragans-could-return-from-injury-soon');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals’ Cole Ragans could return from injury soon');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Royals-lefty-Cole-Ragans-pitches-vs.-Guardians.jpg"><figcaption>David Dermer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals’ Cole Ragans could return from injury soon</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T17:33:53-07:00">September 12th, 5:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T17:34:09-07:00">September 12th, 5:34pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals (74-73) need to erase a five-game deficit and leap over three teams with just 15 games remaining in the regular season, otherwise they will be spending the playoffs at home. This team made headway in the American League Wild Card standings, but a 4-6 start to September has seen it lose ground once again. The odds of KC quickly turning it on versus the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes">hard to fathom</a>, hence it may be risky to rush back Cole Ragans.</p><p>The left-handed starting pitcher has missed the last three-plus months with a rotator cuff strain, but he is apparently nearing a return to the MLB roster. Ragans is <a href="https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1966627915312865456" rel="noopener">making his second rehab start</a> with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday night and is scheduled to throw roughly 60 pitches, per MLB.com’s Anne Rogers.</p><p>Assuming the 2024 All-Star makes it through the outing incident-free, which is obviously no guarantee given the amount of misfortune he has endured in 2025, then he could be back in a Royals uniform imminently.</p><p>“If everything goes well, we hope that this is the last one,” manager Matt Quatraro said, per Rogers. Fans have been anxiously waiting for Ragans to rejoin the ballclub, but considering Kansas City’s current circumstances, there are plenty who will argue that it is more prudent to just start fresh next year. Based on how the skipper is talking, however, it sounds like the 27-year-old intends to pitch in a big-league game before season’s end.</p><h2><b>What should the Royals do?</b></h2><p>Cole Ragans has spent most of the campaign on the shelf and has struggled when healthy, so obviously he would like to go into 2026 on a positive note. But the Royals have much to mull over. If they do not think a playoff berth is a realistic goal at this point of the season, they may deem it in their best interest to shut down the southpaw for the remainder of the year. Therefore, these next several days are crucial.</p><p>KC must hold its own on the road versus the Phillies, an arduous feat that has swallowed many teams in 2025, and then it has to overpower the Mariners in Kauffman Stadium. If <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-accomplishes-impressive-feat-with-stolen-base-vs-rangers">star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.</a> and company are within three games of the final Wild Card slot, then management may want to roll the dice and send Ragans to the mound. That is the ideal scenario.</p><p>This is not an ideal world, however. The Royals trail Philly 6-1 in the sixth inning at time of print. The next three teams currently ahead of them in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-player-must-step-up-al-wild-card-race-mariners">the Wild Card race</a> all have leads in their respective games at time of print.</p><p>If Ragans does get cleared for an MLB return, he will have an opportunity to improve upon the 5.18 ERA he posted through 48 2/3 innings of work.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals’ Cole Ragans could return from injury soon

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-player-must-step-up-al-wild-card-race-mariners');   ga('set', 'title', '1 Royals player who must step up in AL Wild Card race with Mariners');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jac-Caglianone.jpg"><figcaption>Denny Medley-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>1 Royals player who must step up in AL Wild Card race with Mariners</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T14:07:58-07:00">September 11th, 2:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T14:07:58-07:00">September 11th, 2:07pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With their 74-72 record, the Kansas City Royals sit three games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third American League Wild Card spot. Seeing as two teams are ahead of Kansas City in the race, it’ll be an even more <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes">difficult mountain to climb for the Royals to make the postseason</a>.</p><p>The franchise isn’t going to go down without a fight. However, they can’t afford to lose series against teams like the Cleveland Guardians, who sit higher in the Wild Card race. It’d be a tall task to simply ask the Royals to win out. But it’s going to take quite the effort and some luck for Kansas City to actually breach the playoffs.</p><p>If their lineup is able to find a spark, the franchise would have a much greater chance of seeing their playoff hopes come to fruition. The Royals rank 28th in MLB with 557 runs scored. As they look for more offensive support, Kansas City <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-what-jac-caglianone-said-hitting-first-career-home-run">must see Jac Caglianone find his stride</a> to be at full power.</p><h2><b>Jac Caglianone struggles in Royals debut </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Royals-Caglianone.jpg"><figcaption>Denny Medley-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Royals selected Caglianone with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. It wasn’t long before he was considered one of the best prospects in baseball. And after just 95 games at the minor league level, Kansas City decided Caglianone was ready for the show.</p><p>However, the first baseman/right fielder has scuffled in the major league debut. Through his first 48 games, Caglianone is hitting .150 with five home runs and 12 RBIs. He did suffer a hamstring injury, that forced him on the shelf. But now back healthy, Kansas City is hoping for an offensive resurgence.</p><p>They have every reason to believe in one based on Caglianone’s minor league numbers. Over those 95 games, he hit .308 with 22 home runs and 86 RBIs.</p><p>Still only 22-years-old, Caglianone will have plenty of time to make a difference in the Royals organization. But if he wants to prove Kansas City’s gamble on an early call up correct, now is the time. If he can start mashing baseball, helping propel the Royals into the postseason. then Caglianone will have secured his spot in the lineup for the foreseeable future. Plus, he’d get to taste MLB playoff action for the first time.</p><h2><b>Other sources of power </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Carter-Jensen.jpg"><figcaption>Denny Medley-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A Caglianone turnaround could all just be a pipe dream though. After all, he has struggled mightily throughout his rookie campaign. If the rookie isn’t up to par, Kansas City must turn to their other sources of power for a needed spark.</p><p>The Royals recently called up catcher Carter Jensen, who <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/royals/" rel="noopener">ranks as the second-best prospect</a> in their organization, via MLB Pipeline. Through his first five major league games, he is hitting .125 with two RBIs. But over 111 games at the minor league level in 2025, Jensen hit .290 with 20 home runs, 76 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. That kind of spark is exactly what Kansas City is looking for.</p><p>They could also turn to veteran Randal Grichuk. He has three long balls over his first 30 games in Kansas City. He hit another 22 during 70 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2025. With 211 homers for his career, Grichuk knows how to go yard.</p><p>Kansas City did also see Jonathan India recently make his return from the injured list. His debut with the Royals hasn’t been too explosive, as he is hitting .235 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs. However, India has double digit home runs and at least 50 RBIs in every season he has appeared in 110+ games. He won’t be counted on for the long ball, but he could play a crucial role in the lineup down the stretch.</p><p>Whether it’s Caglianone or whoever is up to bat for the Royals, they must realize the postseason their franchise is in. Their playoff hopes are alive, but it’ll take a herculean effort. If Kansas City starts driving more runs across the plate, perhaps those postseason dreams come true.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 Royals player who must step up in AL Wild Card race with Mariners

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-jonathan-india-returns-il-wild-card-push');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jonathan India returns from IL as Royals make Wild Card push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/India-Royals.jpg"><figcaption> Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jonathan India returns from IL as Royals make Wild Card push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T16:08:53-07:00">September 9th, 4:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T16:08:53-07:00">September 9th, 4:08pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With their 73-71 record, the Kansas City <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">Royals are only three game out of the final American League Wild Card spot</a>. And now, a crucial member of the lineup is set to make his return to the diamond.</p><p>The Royals <a href="https://x.com/Royals/status/1965520179326226441" rel="noopener">have activated</a> Jonathan India from the injured list, the team announced. In turn, Michael Wacha has been placed on the seven-day IL with a concussion.</p><p>India was originally placed on the IL with a wrist sprain in early September. It didn’t take long for him to get over his ailment. When the Royals take on the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, India will be at designated hitter, batting seventh.</p><p>Kansas City will certainly welcome the return as they look for a bit of a jolt in their offense. However, India will need to show a bit of improvement now that he is past his injury.</p><h2><b>Jonathan India’s debut with Royals </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jonathan-India.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/mlb-news-reds-royals-swing-brady-singer-jonathan-india-trade">Royals acquired India in a trade</a> from the Cincinnati Reds prior to the season. They were willing to spend from their pitching depth in an effort to acquire a potent bat. So far, India hasn’t fully lived up to those expectations.</p><p>Through his first 124 games with the team, the utility man is hitting .232 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs. After racking up back-to-back seasons of double digit stolen bases, India has yet to swipe a bag in 2025.</p><p>That’ll certainly play a role in how Kansas City decides to approach his future. But India will still have a major role heading into the stretch run. In 2025 alone, he has played both second and third base alongside left field. Being able to move him around defensively opens up how the Royals configure their lineup.</p><p>It’s going to take quite the effort for Kansas City to strongarm their way into the playoffs. India won’t do it alone. But if nothing else, he gives the Royals another intriguing option in their lineup as they finish out their regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jonathan India returns from IL as Royals make Wild Card push

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-back-injury-update-twins-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bobby Witt Jr.’s back injury receives update before Twins clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bobby-Witt-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bobby Witt Jr.’s back injury receives update before Twins clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T16:35:40-07:00">September 6th, 4:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T16:53:21-07:00">September 6th, 4:53pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals hung on for a 2-1 win in their series opener against the Minnesota Twins on Friday. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">Royals are eying a playoff berth</a> as the team is now just one game back in the AL Wild Card standings. But Kansas City’s postseason hopes hinge on the health of Bobby Witt Jr.</p><p>Witt was forced to exit the Twins game after six innings due to back spasms. On Saturday, Matt Quatraro provided an update <a href="https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1964436958320414743" rel="noopener">on the All-Star shortstop</a>. The Royals manager said Witt’s back is “still spasming” and he’ll have an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, per MLB.com’s Anne Rogers.</p><p>Quatraro <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46170719/royals-bobby-witt-jr-leaves-7th-vs-twins-low-back-spasms" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> that Witt’s back issue started after he made two defensive plays in the top of the sixth. “[It happened] sometime in that inning before we took him out… He talked to [Royals head athletic trainer Kyle Turner]. As he sat there, it got worse,” Quatraro said, via ESPN. “It locked up pretty good on him.”</p><h2><b>Royals’ playoff hopes hang on Bobby Witt Jr.’s back</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bobby-Witt-Jr-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Witt has followed up his sensational 2024 season with another strong campaign. Last year he won the batting title and finished second in AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge.</p><p>In 2025, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-unprecedented-feat-vs-guardians">Witt made MLB history</a> as the first player ever to begin his career with 20 home runs and 25 stolen bases in each of his first four seasons. The two-time All-Star is up to 21 homers and 34 steals in 139 games. He also has 77 RBI, 90 runs scored and 6.0 bWAR so far this year.</p><p>A trip to the IL could potentially be devastating to the Royals’ playoff hopes. The team is gearing up for a postseason push, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-calls-up-no-2-prospect-wild-card-push">calling up No. 2 prospect</a> Carter Jensen at the end of August. Jensen’s elevation prior to September 1 qualifies him for the Royals’ playoff roster, should the team secure a Wild Card berth.</p><p>Witt’s back ailment comes as Kansas City deals with multiple injuries during their September push. Fellow middle infielder Jonathan India is currently on the IL and the Royals just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-seth-lugo-il-kansas-city-postseason-push">lost Seth Lugo to back tightness</a>. The veteran starter landed on the 15-day IL earlier this week.</p><p>Kansas City did receive some positive news as All-Star lefty <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-all-star-close-to-beginning-rehab-assignment">Cole Ragans began a rehab assignment</a>. The fourth-year starter has been sidelined since early June with a rotator cuff strain. His addition to the rotation could help the Royals down the stretch. But it won’t really matter if Witt is unable to play.</p><p>With Witt out of the lineup Saturday, third baseman Maikel Garcia shifted to shortstop and Nick Loftin filled in at third.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bobby Witt Jr.’s back injury receives update before Twins clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-all-star-close-to-beginning-rehab-assignment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals All-Star close to beginning rehab assignment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Royals-SP-Cole-Ragans.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals All-Star close to beginning rehab assignment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-05T16:53:39-07:00">September 5th, 4:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-05T16:53:39-07:00">September 5th, 4:53pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nine and a half games out of first place in the AL Central, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes">Kansas City Royals’ best shot</a> at a playoff spot lies through the Wild Card. The Royals are set to begin a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at home. This weekend provides the perfect platform for Kansas City to vault themselves into one of those Wild Card positions. Before the series opener, team reporter Anne Rogers reported via X (formerly Twitter) that starting pitcher Cole Ragans will <a href="https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1964071049164689768" rel="noopener">begin a rehab assignment</a> on Sunday.</p><p>“Cole Ragans is expected to begin a rehab assignment Sunday,” posted Rogers. “He’s scheduled for two innings in Triple-A, manager Matt Quatraro said.”</p><p>The two-inning assignment in Triple-A is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-cole-ragans-takes-step-injury-rehab">the next step for Ragans.</a> If he pitches well, he’ll be one step closer to Kansas City. In their bid to hunt down a playoff spot, having the former All-Star back in their starting rotation will only help. Furthermore, if the Royals do get back to the annual tournament, Ragans’ experience in last year’s postseason should bolster the rotation. Can Quatraro and his team return to October and make an even deeper run this time around?</p><h2><b>Can Royals climb back into Wild Card hunt?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Royals-manager-Matt-Quatraro.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Currently two games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final Wild Card spot, the AL playoff field is a deep one. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-calls-up-no-2-prospect-wild-card-push">Royals are in a group</a> of four games within the Mariners. The Texas Rangers are in front of Kansas City, while the Tampa Bay Rays are also two games back. At three and a half back lie a division rival of the Royals in the Cleveland Guardians.</p><p>At the moment, Quatraro’s starting staff <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-cole-ragans-positive-mri-results">is not only down Ragans,</a> but also four others: staff ace Seth Lugo, veterans Bailey Falter and Alec Marsh, as well as the emerging Kris Bubic. Getting even just a couple of those arms back for a playoff run would be a great boost for Kansas City. Veteran Michael Wacha is holding down the fort, while rookies Noah Cameron and Ryan Bergert have impressed in their debut seasons. Can the Royals ride their pitching depth to a playoff bid and more? If so, then a return to the World Series could follow in the ensuing weeks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals All-Star close to beginning rehab assignment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals’ fatal flaw that will doom 2025 postseason hopes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kansas-City-Royals-shortstop-Bobby-Witt-Jr.-1.jpg"><figcaption>William Purnell-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals’ fatal flaw that will doom 2025 postseason hopes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T18:42:34-07:00">September 4th, 6:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T18:42:34-07:00">September 4th, 6:42pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals entered Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels at 70-69. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-manager-salvador-perez-plan-postseason-push">Matt Quatraro has come up with new plans for Salvador Perez</a> and Co. as the team makes a playoff push. However, the Royals’ road to the playoffs is tough. Despite the optimism around the squad recently, Vinnie Pasquantino and the offense face a big problem heading into the final stretch.</p><p>As a team, the Royals’ offense sits near the middle of the pack. Despite their middling numbers, Witt Jr., Pasquantino, and Perez make up one of Major League Baseball’s best trios at the plate. Quatraro has not had to worry about their production for the majority of the season. His issue has been getting reliable offense from the other six players in his order each night.</p><p>If the Royals are going to make a deeper playoff run than they did last season, they need balance. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-accomplishes-impressive-feat-with-stolen-base-vs-rangers">Witt Jr. has put together another impressive season</a>, but he can only do so much as one player. The best teams in the league this season have depth across the diamond. The ones that don’t have elite players they can rely on at the plate or on the pitcher’s mound.</p><p>Kansas City is unique in the sense that it does not have a plethora of role players despite being a small market team. Witt Jr. is one of the brightest stars in the league right now. Perez and Pasquantino are less than household names, but each consistently put together All-Star caliber seasons as offensive engines. However, that is not good enough to make it into the AL playoffs.</p><p>A lack of contributors to a team’s offense is often a death sentence. In order to the Royals’ chances at the playoffs to improve, Quatraro needs to make some big changes.</p><h2>How could a lack of balance hold the Royals back?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Vinnie-Pasquantino.jpg"><figcaption>William Purnell-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/mlb-rumors-royals-seth-lugo-trade-strategy-could-lead-to-red-soxs-jarren-duran">Royals were hunting for an outfielder at the trade deadline</a>. Ideally, Kansas City wanted a player under contract for multiple seasons that could become a piece of a rapidly improving young roster. While the team did not secure its top target, it emerged with a few intriguing pieces. However, the majority of the offensive production has come from the same three players all season.</p><p>Looking at the team’s numbers, its issues are evident. The trio of stars are the only ones with <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/stats/_/name/kc/table/batting/sort/homeRuns/dir/desc" rel="noopener">more than 20 home runs</a> on the season. Maikel Garcia is fourth with just 15 and is the only other Royals player with more than 10. That lack of production outside of the heart of Quatraro prevents Kansas City from staying attached in games where the opposing offense is hot.</p><p>If the Royals want to make the playoffs, it is on their offense to make it happen. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-seth-lugo-il-kansas-city-postseason-push">Seth Lugo is the latest addition to Kansas City’s injured list</a>. Without his ace pitcher, Quatraro needs his offense to come through in order to have any kind of chance this season. Luckily for him, there are specific adjustments that might just kickstart his offense as it tries to make it to the postseason.</p><h2>How can Quatraro fix his team’s issues?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kansas-City-Royals-first-baseman-Salvador-Perez.jpg"><figcaption>Peter Aiken-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Teams like the Milwaukee Brewers need to consider condensing their star power at the top of their lineups. However, some squads have gone the other way, spreading out sluggers throughout the lineup. The Royals need to consider doing the same with their lineup. The easiest way to do so is to shift Perez and Garcia down in the order to give the offense its best chance to produce.</p><p>Perez is in the later stages of his career, but the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-salvador-perez-walks-off-braves-extra-innings-rbi">veteran continues to come up clutch for the Royals</a>. However, he might be better served batting closer to sixth or seventh in the order. Putting contact hitters ahead of him gives the second half of Kansas City’s order a chance to pull its weight compared to its counterpart. Another move that might help? Leaning on Jac Caglianone.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-watch-jac-caglianone-1st-career-home-run">former top prospect has produced when Quatraro called on him</a> earlier this season. Caglianone is another power hitter that can be another threat in the back of the Royals’ order. Kansas City does not need him to do everything, just bring some balance to its offense. At the end of the day, Caglianone needs to get his feet wet in high-pressure games as early in his career as possible.</p><p>The Royals’ chances of making the playoffs ride on its offense. If Quatraro can find a way to even things out and get runs from all sides of his order, Kansas City has a chance to make a run.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals’ fatal flaw that will doom 2025 postseason hopes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-seth-lugo-il-kansas-city-postseason-push');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals’ Seth Lugo lands on IL amid Kansas City’s postseason push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Seth-Lugo-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals’ Seth Lugo lands on IL amid Kansas City’s postseason push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T16:14:34-07:00">September 4th, 4:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T16:14:34-07:00">September 4th, 4:14pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-manager-salvador-perez-plan-postseason-push">Kansas City Royals’ postseason hopes</a> took a major hit Thursday as the team placed right-hander Seth Lugo on the 15-day injured list <a href="https://x.com/MLBONFOX/status/1963711278444405241" rel="noopener">with lower back strain</a>. The move takes effect retroactively from September 1, keeping the 35-year-old out for at least two starts right in the thick of the Royals’ American League playoff push.</p><p>Lugo was originally scheduled to start Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, but rookie Noah Cameron (7-6, 2.92 ERA) was pushed into the rotation instead. Manager Matt Quatraro explained that Lugo attempted to play catch twice this week but continued to experience stiffness, leading to the IL decision.</p><p>The veteran has been a mainstay in Kansas City’s rotation since he arrived in 2024, when he posted a 3.00 ERA over 33 starts and finished second in AL Cy Young voting behind Tarik Skubal. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-seth-lugo-multi-year-contract-extension">That success earned him a two-year, $46 million extension</a> in July 2025, removing him from trade speculation at the deadline.</p><p>However, Lugo has struggled mightily since the All-Star break. After carrying a 2.67 ERA into mid-July, he owns a 7.51 ERA across nine starts since, including a 9.11 ERA and 2.03 WHIP in his six August appearances. His overall season line sits at 8-7 with a 4.15 ERA, 125 strikeouts, and 154 1/3 innings pitched.</p><p>Lugo’s downturn has coincided with the Royals’ playoff battle. Entering Thursday, Kansas City holds a 70-69 record, sitting 2.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the AL’s third Wild Card spot. The Texas Rangers (72-69) are also ahead in the standings, further crowding the race.</p><p>The Royals will now turn to right-hander Stephen Kolek to fill Lugo’s rotation spot. The Royals acquired 27-year-old Kolek from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline, sending catcher Freddy Fermin to San Diego in the deal. He made his Royals debut last weekend against Detroit, allowing just one run across six innings in a 3-1 win. Across 15 starts this year with San Diego and Kansas City, Kolek has compiled a 3.99 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings. While his strikeout rate is modest (16.5%), he has paired it with a strong 51.9% ground ball rate and 7.3% walk rate.</p><p>At Triple-A Omaha, Kolek has shown similar underlying skills but a high .400 BABIP has contributed to an inflated 6.26 ERA. Still, Kansas City sees him as capable of holding down a rotation spot until Lugo’s return as they chase their first playoff berth since 2015</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Royals’ Seth Lugo lands on IL amid Kansas City’s postseason push

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-manager-salvador-perez-plan-postseason-push');   ga('set', 'title', 'Royals manager reveals Salvador Perez plan amid postseason push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Salvador-Perez-in-his-catcher-gear.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Royals manager reveals Salvador Perez plan amid postseason push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T16:47:38-07:00">September 2nd, 4:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T16:47:38-07:00">September 2nd, 4:47pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals have three catchers on their active roster, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-calls-up-no-2-prospect-wild-card-push">including No. 2 prospect Carter Jensen</a>, but Salvador Perez will still get the majority of the reps behind the plate.</p><p>Royals manager Matt Quatraro <a href="https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1963008400465309720" rel="noopener">revealed as much</a> on Tuesday, according to MLB.com’s Anne Rogers. She added that Quatraro indicated Jensen will “pinch-hit, pinch-run, go in for defense, etc.”</p><p>At 35 years old, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-salvador-perez-walks-off-braves-extra-innings-rbi">Perez is still holding his own</a> behind the plate. He’s hit 23 home runs and has a .241 batting average and 100 OPS+. Bringing up Jensen will allow Perez to see some time at first base or DH to help keep him fresh, even if he remains the team’s primary catcher with Luke Maile playing behind him.</p><p>In addition to his ability to help Perez behind the plate, Jensen brings a promising bat to the Kansas City lineup. In 43 games at Triple-A Omaha, he has hit for a 1.051 OPS with 14 home runs and 11 doubles. As a team, the Royals rank 22nd in baseball in team OPS (.701) and 26th in total home runs (132).</p><p>With rosters expanding at the start of the month, Kansas City also activated promising rookie Jac Caglianone, who had been on a rehab assignment. He had not started to hit yet in 150 at bats before his injury (.147 BA), but as the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, he soared through the minor leagues, proving himself at every stop along the way.</p><p>The Royals are facing an uphill <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">climb to reach the postseason</a>, but by no means is it unrealistic. While they’re out of the American League Central race, they’re 2.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the Wild Card race with the Texas Rangers between them.</p><p>After dropping two out of three to the Detroit Tigers over the weekend, the Royals begin a three-game set at home against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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