Kansas City

Royals

Melendez suffered the ailment during Sunday’s first-half finale against the Red Sox and is most likely going to wind up missing a couple weeks coming out of the All-Star break. The 25-year-old corner outfielder posted an underwhelming .642 OPs with 11 homers, 29 RBI and two steals in 85 games prior to the Midsummer Classic.

Caglianone is one of the most “famous” players in this class as a two-way player for the Gators, but the reason he is considered one of the top prospects in the class is his bat. He homered 35 times while hitting .419 with a 1.419 OPS over his 316 plate appearances, and he has a chance to hit for both average and power from the left side at the highest level. There is reason to be intrigued by Caglianone on the mound as well as a hurler that can throw a heater in the high 90s -- occasionally higher -- with a solid change and quality cutter, but he also has control issues that might make him profile best as a reliever. Again, the arm is something to keep an eye on, but it’s Caglianone’s chance to hit 30-plus homers with a quality average and on-base percentage that make him a must-get in any fantasy league.

Singer couldn’t close out the first half on a high note, giving up two homers today after surrendering none in his previous four starts. His ERA crept back over 3.00 to 3.20.

Perez slumped in June, but he’s bounced back nicely of late and will enter the All-Star break with an eight-game hitting streak. The homer today was his third during the streak and sixth in his last 18 games.

Melendez suffered the injury while beating out a potential double-play grounder Sunday against the Red Sox. It’s unclear if he’ll require a stint on the injured list, but the Royals can wait to see how he recovers during the All-Star break.

Melendez beat out a potential double-play grounder before suffering what appeared to be a foot or ankle injury. The Royals should provide an official update soon.

The Royals made a strong move to bolster their bullpen on Saturday by acquiring Hunter Harvey from the Nationals, but to free up a spot on their roster Anderson was designated for assignment. The 34-year-old hurler holds a 4.15 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and a 27/15 K/BB ratio over 34 2/3 innings on the season. There’s a chance that another team in need of bullpen depth could take a flier on him on waivers.

The 29-year-old right-hander has functioned as the primary setup man in front of Kyle Finnegan this season, compiling a 4.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 50/12 K/BB ratio across 45 innings in 43 appearances with the Nationals. Presumably, he’ll keep the same role with his new club, setting up for incumbent closer James McArthur. Nick Anderson was designated for assignment by the Royals in a corresponding move.

Lugo has been fantastic throughout the 2024 campaign. Saturday was not a reminder of that. The All-Star hurler did strike out six against one walk, but hard to be too impressed by that considering the other numbers listed above. Even with the clunker, Lugo now has a 2.48 ERA for his work in the first half of the 2024 campaign, and there’s reason for optimism — even if there could still be some regression coming — over the final two-plus months.

Perez is back at designated hitter and batting cleanup on Saturday afternoon following an early departure from Friday’s series opener due to a hamstring cramp. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern moving forward as he should benefit from an extended layoff during next week’s All-Star break.