Royals finalize Opening Day roster; Loftin, Tolbert make the cut

4:33 PM UTC

The Royals officially set their 26-man roster on Wednesday ahead of Opening Day on Friday night against the Braves in Atlanta (6:15 p.m. CT).

Of note, Kansas City placed second baseman/outfielder Michael Massey on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain, which he sustained on March 6. That opened the door for utility men Nick Loftin and Tyler Tolbert to make the team out of camp. Massey’s IL stint is retroactive three days to this past Sunday, so there’s a good chance he’ll be able to return during the opening homestand next week if he continues his recovery progress.

That also meant outfielder Drew Waters was designated for assignment, while reliever Eli Morgan was added to the 40-man roster but optioned to Triple-A. Right-handers Stephen Kolek (left oblique strain) and James McArthur (right elbow inflammation) were placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Sunday.

Here’s who’s on the squad to open 2026:

Catcher (2): ,
Perez embarks on his 15th Major League season, while Jensen will begin his first full Major League season. If Jensen is hitting, expect him to get playing time at DH and behind the plate, with Perez making the majority of starts at catcher at least to start the year.

First baseman (1):
Following his 32-homer, 113-RBI season, Pasquantino is back for more in the middle of the Royals’ lineup and will be coming fresh off an electric World Baseball Classic. If he needs a day off or DHs for a day, Perez, Loftin or Jac Caglianone could back up here.

Second baseman (1):
India begins the season as the main second baseman, but Massey’s absence opens playing time for both Loftin and Tolbert, who can play all over the field, including second base.

Shortstop (1):
Witt will play almost every day at shortstop. If he does DH or gets a day off, Maikel Garcia can slide over from third.

Third baseman (1):
Fresh off a five-year extension and a breakout 2025 season, Garcia is the Royals’ everyday third baseman and, together with Witt, helps the Royals boast the best left side of the infield in baseball.

Outfielders (5): , , , ,

The Royals had a ton of outfielders in camp this spring and recently added one more in Marte, but he’ll likely get more DH at-bats than outfield playing time. The Royals are targeting Collins in left field, Isbel in center and Caglianone in right. Thomas will move around to all three spots depending on the day and matchup.

Loftin can also plug into the corner-outfield spots, while Tolbert can play all three, including center field.

Bench/Utility (1): ,

The Royals opted for defensive versatility in their final two bench spots as well as a valuable asset with Tolbert, who can affect games late as a pinch-runner with his speed. Loftin also had a great spring, showing that he can play almost everywhere while posting a .903 OPS.

Starting Pitchers (5): , , , ,

The Royals set their rotation to this order and will open with a five-man crew -- with the ability to adjust to a sixth man with a long reliever in their ‘pen. This was always the expected group of starters, but the Royals had some competition for the fifth spot with Ryan Bergert. Instead, they optioned the young right-hander and will have him be in Triple-A Omaha as important depth to begin the year.

Relief Pitchers (8): , , , , , , ,

The bullpen is fairly fixed at the back end with Estévez, Erceg and Strahm. Schreiber and Mears figure to take those mid-leverage spots in middle relief. The Royals want to give Lange an opportunity to show what he can do, and Lynch earned the spot as another true lefty reliever to go alongside Strahm.

Falter rounds it out as a long reliever, with the ability to make a spot start if the schedule dictates a sixth starter is needed. He’s been staying stretched out to two-to-three innings after the Royals told him he’d go to the bullpen to stay ready. He’s out of options, so the Royals opted to preserve their depth by keeping Falter on the roster and sending Bergert, Luinder Avila and reliever Steven Cruz to Triple-A.