Salvador Perez is closing in on Kansas City Royals history! The beloved catcher smashed a first-inning grand slam against the Chicago White Sox, putting him just eight homers away from breaking the franchise's all-time home run record. Royals fans have plenty to cheer about as the team kicks off a short road trip with two more games on the South Side.
In other encouraging news, left-hander Cole Ragans is making progress in his recovery from elbow soreness. Manager Matt Quatraro confirmed Tuesday that Ragans has played catch two of the last three days, with his most recent session going better than Sunday's. The plan is for Ragans to throw again Wednesday as he works through what's being described as "pitcher's elbow." While Stephen Kolek fills in as the starter Tuesday night and will hold Ragans' rotation spot on the 15-day injured list, the Royals don't expect this to be a long-term absence for their ace.
Speaking of pitching, the Royals' veteran duo of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha continues to shine. Both pitchers migrated from San Diego before the 2024 season and were instrumental in Kansas City's first playoff appearance in nine years. Now in their mid-30s, they're proving age is just a number. Wacha boasts a stellar 2.63 ERA while holding hitters to a .188 average, and Lugo's 3.21 ERA comes with the impressive stat of allowing just one home run in 47 2/3 innings. With Ragans sidelined and Noah Cameron experiencing a sophomore slump, this veteran stability couldn't come at a better time.
As for the bullpen, closer Carlos Estevez remains optimistic despite a setback. He won't throw for another three weeks but is determined to work his way back. Given the volatility of bullpens across the league, there's a good chance he'll get another shot at closing games later this season. "I have hope," Estevez said. "I'll be fine. I just have to keep working. I'll be back, right on time."
The Royals currently sit at 20th in The Athletic's latest power rankings, but with history within reach for Salvy and a pitching staff that's proving its mettle, there's plenty of reason to believe in this team.