The Kansas City Royals will be without manager Matt Quatraro for Thursday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers after the club announced he is away from the team because of a personal matter.
Bench coach Paul Hoover will serve as acting manager, while Vance Wilson shifts into the bench coach role and José Alguacil moves to third base coach as Kansas City begins a four-game set in Detroit. The Royals confirmed the temporary coaching changes Thursday morning before the opener.
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Kansas City enters the road trip with momentum after winning three straight games and five of its last six at home. The club will try to keep that surge going despite the absence of its manager and a growing list of challenges.
The Royals are also adjusting after losing star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who was placed on the 10-day injured list with lower back tightness and recurring muscle spasms. It marks the first injured list stint of his major league career and removes the team’s top offensive catalyst from the lineup.
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Veteran catcher Salvador Perez now carries even greater leadership responsibilities. Perez enters the series after hitting the 317th home run of his career, tying George Brett for the most in Royals franchise history.
Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro (33) Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Kansas City opens the series at 43-60, sitting last in the American League Central but riding a three-game winning streak. Randy Dobnak is scheduled to start against Detroit’s Troy Melton as the Royals look to extend their recent success under Hoover’s temporary leadership.
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The Tigers enter Thursday at 48-54 after winning five of their last six series, making the matchup important for both clubs despite their positions in the division. Detroit continues to chase the American League Wild Card race while Kansas City looks to build on its recent stretch of improved play.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 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 ’
