The Kansas City Royals secured a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday to even the series at one game apiece heading into Sunday’s finale.
Ahead of Sunday’s meeting, which will feature Matthew Boyd on the mound for Chicago and Randy Dobnak for the Royals, Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro made some notable lineup changes.
Royals Announce Bobby Witt Jr. Decision
Bobby Witt Jr. returned from a back injury that landed him on the injured list roughly five days ago, and the Royals appear to still be exercising some caution with their franchise cornerstone.
While Witt is starting and in the lineup Sunday, he won’t play shortstop. Instead, he’ll get the day off from defense and serve as the team’s designated hitter.
Royals 8/9
N. Loftin 3B
B. Witt Jr. DH
J. Caglianone RF
S. Perez 1B
S. Marte LF
M. Massey 2B
T. Tolbert SS
L. Maile C
K. Isbel CFR. Dobnak SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 9, 2026
Witt Jr.’s 2026 Season
Witt Jr. is in his fifth season with the Royals and made his third consecutive All-Star Game.
Across 99 appearances, he’s remained one of the best pure contact hitters in the game. He’s batting .286 with 111 hits, 13 home runs, 42 RBIs and a league-leading 31 stolen bases. He’s also slugging .454 with a .810 OPS.
Royals Right Now
Kansas City is likely to remain fairly cautious with Witt Jr. throughout the final 45 games of the season. The Royals are firmly out of the playoff mix with a 49-69 record entering Sunday.
They’re third-to-last in the American League and sit 12 games back in the AL Central. They’re also 10 games back of a Wild Card spot.
Kansas City Royals Announce Bobby Witt Jr. Decision During Cubs Series