The Kansas City Royals announced some roster moves following a 14-6 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday in their series opener.
The Royals announced that right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo was reinstated from the 7-day concussion injured list.
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The 36-year-old was hit in the head by a 106.6 MPH comebacker on June 10 while pitching against the Texas Rangers. He was placed on the injured list two days later.
He pitched a bullpen early this week and felt clear enough to return to the starting rotation for Thursday night’s game.
In his 10th major league season, Lugo has pitched well. The veteran holds a 3.86 ERA over 79 1/3 innings with 66 strikeouts and a 2-4 win-loss record.
Getting Lugo back into the rotation quick was very important for the Royals as they have a lengthy injury report which includes starters Kris Bubic and Cole Ragans.
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As a corresponding move, the Royals set down right-handed reliever Mason Black to Triple-A Omaha.
Black has been up and down between the major leagues and minor leagues for the Royals organization this season.
Black pitched well to start the season before falling into a very rough stretch after Lugo went down. On the season, Black holds a 3.57 ERA with 15 strikeouts across 17 1/3 innings for the Royals.
However, in his last four appearances, Black has pitched seven innings while giving up five earned runs. He also surrendered seven walks in that span.
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Over his short time spent in the major leagues in three seasons, the 26-year-old has pitched to a high six ERA while consistently walking batters. He could potentially serve as a trade piece for the Royals come the 2026 trade deadline.
As a whole, the Royals have not performed well this season. Coming into Thursday, the team holds a 31-45 record and sits in fourth place of the American League Central division.
Their pitching staff has been a large reason for their rough season. They current hold a 4.48 ERA which ranks 21st in the league. Their bullpen has struggled immensely, with 16 blown saves in 35 opportunities, they are only converting on saves 54 percent of the time.
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Going back to the team’s injured list, they will not be able to improve without a heathy team, and with All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. now going down with an apparent injury, the Royals will surely be sellers at the deadline.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 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 ’
