The Kansas City Royals made a roster decision following Friday night’s blowout against the Chicago White Sox.
The Royals lost by a staggering score of 22-1 against their division rivals.
Of course, after this kind of loss, changes are going to be made.
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That came at the expense of Mitch Spence.
The Royals announced that they have optioned right-handed pitcher Spence to Triple-A Omaha. As a corresponding move, the team recalled right-handed pitcher Eric Cerantola.
Spence relieved Royals‘ opener Steven Cruz after 1 1/3 innings pitched in Friday’s game, set to play as the bulk reliever.
Unfortunately, the 28-year-old was unable to last even two full innings.
The night started smoothly for Spence after quickly working a strikeout and lineup to end the frame.
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But after a three-pitch out to start the third inning, Spence lost control.
Spence allowed a walk, single, home run, another walk, and a double before finally recording an out, putting the White Sox ahead 3–0. After the strikeout, the inning unraveled further as Chicago added a single, a walk, another single, a three‑run homer, another single, and a double to push the lead to 10–0. He was removed with a final line of 1 1/3 innings pitched, eight hits and 10 earned runs.
Spence currently holds a 21.21 ERA in 9.1 innings pitched for the Royals this season. He has continued to struggle in his short major league career as he holds a career ERA of 5.39.
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With his age, it may make sense for Spence to explore other league options, such as the Korea Baseball League (KBO). Other pitchers such as Cody Ponce have made this move, traveling overseas in order to gain confidence before returning to Major League Baseball.
On the other hand, the Royals have called up the 26-year-old righty in Cerantola.
Cerantola has been up and down between the majors and minors for the Royals this year. Through his four innings pitched, Cerantola has posted a 9.00 ERA with seven strikeouts.
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Cerantola has played well in Triple-A this year with a 2.67 ERA, and the Royals hope that he will be able to replicate this success at the major league level.
The Royals currently sit last in the American League Central division with a 34-49 record. They are 9.5 games back of the division lead.
However, in a weak American League, they only sit 6.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
Looking to bounce back following the blowout, the Royals face the White Sox in Chicago at 4:10 p.m.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sports.yahoo.com ’
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