Analysis: The Royals are going to shut Marsh down for 7-to-10 days before re-evaluating him, which will obviously delay when he makes his season debut. The 26-year-old righty didn't have a defined return timeline prior to his setback, though we might finally receive one once he's been cleared to restart his throwing program.

Analysis: Gordon signed a minor-league deal with Baltimore in the offseason and failed to make the Opening Day roster after turning in a .310 OPS across 30 plate appearances in spring training. He'll now get another shot in the Royals organization, though he still doesn't project as anything more than organizational depth for Triple-A Omaha.

Analysis: Entering the game in the seventh inning as a pinch runner for Jonathan India, Tolbert swiped second and third base -- his first two career MLB steals -- before grounding out in the eighth in his lone plate appearance. The Royals have a long history of aggressively deploying speedsters late in games, and with Dairon Blanco (Achilles) currently on the shelf, Tolbert is filling that role. It would take a rash of further injuries in the outfield for the 27-year-old to have real fantasy value in most formats, however.

Analysis: The steal was his first of the season, while the RBI doubled his total to begin the year. Garcia is off to a flying start to his campaign, batting .381 (8-for-21) through seven games with three doubles, two homers and four runs scored.

Analysis: The veteran righty tossed 59 of 85 pitches for strikes in his first quality start of the season, but Lugo relied heavily on generating weak contact and managed only two swinging strikes on the night. He sports a 3.27 ERA and 6:4 K:BB through his first 11 innings of 2025, and Lugo will look to build on this performance in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Twins.

Analysis: Blanco will be sidelined from all activity for the next 3-to-5 days, at which point he'll be re-evaluated by the Royals' medical staff. This virtually eliminates the possibility of a minimum-length IL stay for the 31-year-old outfielder, and a return timetable may emerge once he's cleared to resume baseball activities.

Analysis: The 33-year-old is off to a slow start and will begin Friday's series opener on the bench, as Cavan Biggio is in the lineup at designated hitter with MJ Melendez in right field. Renfroe is 2-for-18 at the plate with one double, three RBI, three walks and six strikeouts through five games this season.

Analysis: The right-hander was called upon for the bottom of the 10th inning with a 2-1 lead, but he quickly blew the save as leadoff man Jackson Chourio brought home the designated runner with a double. A balk and two intentional walks then loaded the bases with no outs, but Estevez successfully navigated the tightrope and retired the next three batters to force an 11th inning. The 32-year-old has recorded the Royals' lone save through seven games and has yet to allow an earned run in three appearances this year. Estevez is currently the lead man for saves in Kansas City, though setup man Lucas Erceg should also see some opportunities.

Analysis: Jackson Chourio started the scoring with a solo homer during the first inning, but Ragans then blanked the Brewers by scattering baserunners for the next four frames. The left-hander showcased his stuff and generated 20 whiffs, but 21 foul balls drove up his pitch count and helped result in an early exit. Ragans has yet to provide much length in his first two starts of 2025 as he's gone five frames in both outings, but he's pitched well with four runs allowed and a 13:4 K:BB. A home matchup with the Twins likely awaits him early next week.

Analysis: The Royals have faced all right-handers so far this season and Melendez has now been in the lineup for four of six contests. He will yield left field to Cavan Biggio, who is batting seventh in Wednesday's game.

Analysis: Garcia didn't start Opening Day but had been in the lineup for each of the last four games before beginning this one on the bench. Jonathan India is covering third base for the Royals against Freddy Peralta and the Brewers.

Analysis: It was a mixed bag for Lorenzen, who did fan seven but also served up a solo homer to Eric Haase in the third inning. The right-hander worked into the sixth frame but watched Rhys Hoskins drive in a run on a single before he was lifted for Sam Long, who allowed one of Lorenzen's inherited runners to score. The veteran righty is next slated to take the mound early next week at home against Minnesota.

Analysis: Pasquantino started each of the Royals' first four games of the season, although he's been limited to designated hitter duty as he comes back from a hamstring injury. MJ Melendez will be the club's DH on Tuesday, while Cavan Biggio will cover first base.

Analysis: Massey has started all four games this season at second base as Jonathan India has played left field and third base. Massey played some left field in spring training, but so far it looks like he'll be the regular second baseman. Regardless of position, Massey looks to be in the lineup every day.

Analysis: Bubic beat out Daniel Lynch for the fifth starter role during spring training, and the former's performance Monday made it look like the right decision. Bubic came out firing by striking out the side in the first inning, and after escaping a bases-loaded situation in the second, he allowed only three more base runners over the next four frames and generated 15 whiffs in 95 pitches. Bubic served out of the Royals' bullpen for the past two seasons after a difficult 2022 campaign when he registered a 5.54 ERA and 1.70 WHIP across 28 starts, but the southpaw was locked in Monday and will look to carry that momentum into his next start tentatively slated for this upcoming weekend against the Orioles at home.

Analysis: Garcia took a 93 mph fastball from Elvin Rodriguez deep for a 428-foot solo home run to center field in the second inning, and the former drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh frame to bring in another run. Garcia manned third base in his last two outings but got the start in center field Monday, and his utility should allow him to see every day work. He's gone 5-for-13 with two solo home runs through the first four games of the 2025 season.

Analysis: India was given the green light to play Monday after being removed from Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Guardians after being struck on the helmet by a pitch in the ninth inning. It didn't appear to affect him Monday, as he led the team with three hits including a two-run single in the seventh to expand the Royals' lead to eight runs. Following his 0-for-5 effort on Opening Day, India has gone 6-for-11 with two walks and two RBI across his last three outings.

Analysis: Despite not earning regular playing time at any point during the 2024 season, Blanco had some usefulness in deeper mixed leagues and AL-only leagues after accruing 31 stolen bases in just 131 plate appearances. Though Blanco was hampered by the Achilles issue for much of spring training, he made enough progress to win a spot on the Royals' Opening Day roster. Despite going 2-for-2 on steal attempts in the Royals' season-opening series with the Guardians, Blanco apparently hasn't fully moved past the injury, so he'll be given some time off to heal. Kansas City will replace him on the 26-man active roster with infielder/outfielder Tyler Tolbert, another speed merchant who could see ample use off the bench as a pinch runner.

Analysis: Isbel went 2-for-9 with a double and two runs scored while starting in center field in all three games of the Royals' season-opening series versus the Guardians. He'll be getting a breather as Kansas City opens a three-game set in Milwaukee, with Maikel Garcia spelling Isbel in the outfield.

Analysis: India's availability for the series opener in Milwaukee was in some question after he was removed from Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Guardians after being struck on the helmet by a pitch in the ninth inning, but his early exit looks to have been precautionary. He apparently passed all follow-up testing and should be ready to handle an everyday role during the Royals' upcoming six-game week.