NEW YORK -- Thursday marked Michael Wacha’s last game before heading to Philadelphia to participate in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. He was selected by the league to make his second career All-Star appearance and his first as a member of the Royals.
Unfortunately, Wacha had an outing against the Mets he would like to forget, as Kansas City lost the series finale, 7-3, at Citi Field. He lasted 4 2/3 innings and allowed a season-high-tying six runs on six hits.
The game started off positively. The Royals gave Wacha a 1-0 lead in the first frame when Lane Thomas swung at the first pitch from left-hander Sean Manaea and hit a homer over the left-field wall. Wacha responded by retiring the Mets in order in the bottom of the inning. Manaea would go on to pitch seven strong innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits.
After the opening salvo, New York adjusted to Wacha. The Mets were able to tie the game an inning later when Carson Benge scored on a double by Jared Young. Kansas City then took a 2-1 lead on Bobby Witt Jr.’s 13th homer of the season in the top of the fourth.
By the fifth frame, the Mets had long at-bats against Wacha and it proved costly. New York batted around and scored five runs to put the game out of reach. Tyrone Taylor highlighted the scoring with a solo homer.
“I felt like I had some good command early on -- good mix going on there for sure,” Wacha said. “But there were a lot of long ABs. They were fouling off pitches and they ended up with some walks. The pitch count was getting up there [104 pitches total]. I had a long stressful inning [that] added up there in the fifth. I just have to do a better job right there. I have to limit the damage, limit those big innings and give our guys a chance to win.”
Despite what happened to Wacha on Thursday, he still gets to represent the American League in the All-Star Game. He was a workhorse during the first half, leading the AL with 119 1/3 innings pitched and a solid 3.77 ERA.
Asked to evaluate his first half, Wacha said, “There were some ups and downs. There were a lot of learning experiences, for sure. For the most part, I thought it went well. I competed well this first half and am looking to build off of this first half into the next half.”
There have been reports that Wacha could be dealt before the MLB Trade Deadline on Aug. 3, and it’s almost a certainty he will be asked about his future in Kansas City once he arrives in Philadelphia. Wacha, however, has other things on his mind.
“My focus is on the current start today and [moving] on to the next start,” he said. “I love it here in K.C. Those are 'things you can’t control' type of stuff. All of those things are out of your hands. There is no sense even thinking about those things.”
The Royals did receive some good news before the game, however. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday in the series opener against the Orioles. Pasquantino has missed almost a month because of a right hamate bone fracture. At the time of the injury, Pasquantino was hitting .224 with six home runs and 32 RBIs.
The Royals could use Pasquantino’s production at the plate. At the time of his injury, he was hitting with consistency in the middle of an eight-game hitting streak and was slashing .298/.365/.426 with a home run and seven RBIs in June.
“I’ve been texting Vinnie and he has been feeling good,” Witt said. “Having a guy like that -- the way he takes at-bats and plays the field -- it’s great to have back. He is one of our guys. Anytime he is there in the clubhouse, in the dugout or wherever it is, having him back … is great.”