Shane McClanahan (6-5, 3.30 ERA) draws Seth Lugo (3-5, 4.18 ERA) for a 6:40 PM CT first pitch at Kauffman Stadium — a rematch of their June 25 matchup, when Lugo lasted just 5 innings and surrendered 7 earned runs to this exact Tampa Bay lineup.
The Rays enter at 49-33 and winners of 5 straight, including a 13-2 blowout of Kansas City on June 25 and a 10-4 road win Tuesday night. The backdrop on the other side is grim. The Royals sit at 35-51 with their Opening Day infield essentially gone: Vinnie Pasquantino had hamate surgery, Maikel Garcia is out with a left hand strain, and Jonathan India's season ended after labral repair surgery. Kansas City is running out of recognizable names in the lineup.
The last 5 games for Kansas City tell the whole story: they've been outscored 51-13 in that stretch, a run that included a 22-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on June 26 that tied a franchise record for most runs allowed in a single game. It was 2 days after Tampa Bay hung 13 on them. The rotation is stripped down too — Cole Ragans is done for the year after elbow surgery, Alec Marsh is on the 60-day IL with a shoulder issue, and Stephen Kolek is on the family medical emergency list. Lugo is the last dependable arm standing, and even he just got torched by this Rays lineup 6 days ago.
- Day-To-DayAustin Vernon RP — Triple-A Durham placed Vernon (elbow) on its full-season injured list Friday.
- Day-To-DayTre' Morgan 1B — no
- Day-To-DayLogan Davidson 1B — Davidson signed a minor-league contract with Tampa Bay on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
- Day-To-DayAlfredo Zarraga RP — no
- 10-Day-ILJake Fraley RF — Fraley (hernia) began a rehab assignment with the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Saturday, going 0-for-3 as the designated hitter.
- developmental listLuis Guerrero RP — The Rays acquired Guerrero from the Red Sox on Tuesday in exchange for Tristan Gray.
- 15-Day-ILSteven Matz SP — The Rays placed Matz on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a left ankle sprain.
- 15-Day-ILJesse Scholtens RP — Scholtens was charged with a blown save and dropped to 5-3 on the season in Monday's 9-7 loss to the Orioles in 13 innings after yielding five runs (three earned) on four hits across 1.1 frames. He struck out one batter.
- Day-To-DayConnor Seabold RP — The Royals acquired Seabold from the Blue Jays on Monday in exchange for Denis Samudio and cash considerations.
- Day-To-DayJavier Vaz 2B — Vaz (fingers) has produced a .238/.304/.262 slash line with zero home runs and three stolen bases in 10 games since being activated from Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 7-day injured list April 22.
- Day-To-DayTyson Guerrero RP — no
- 10-Day-ILMaikel Garcia 3B — The Royals placed Garcia on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a left hand muscle strain.
- 10-Day-ILVinnie Pasquantino 1B — Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that Pasquantino underwent surgery Sunday to remove a fractured hamate bone in his right hand and will face a recovery timeline of roughly 4-6 weeks, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.
- 10-Day-ILKyle Isbel CF — Isbel has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 tear of a portion of his left plantar fasciitis.
- BereavementStephen Kolek SP — The Royals transferred Kolek (personal) from the paternity list to the family medical emergency list Tuesday.
- 15-Day-ILNick Mears RP — Mears (shoulder) threw a bullpen Saturday, MLB.com reports.
McClanahan skipped a turn in the rotation last week, so he arrives on extra rest and with a healthy arm. His June was bumpier than the season ERA suggests, but even a version of McClanahan that isn't at his sharpest is a lot to ask a Royals lineup to handle — one that has scored 13 runs across its last 5 games combined. Tampa Bay has put up 38 runs over that same span and shows no sign of letting up against a Kansas City club that's running thin on reasons for optimism heading into the All-Star break.