The Kansas City Royals dropped two of three games over the weekend in a hard-fought series against the Chicago Cubs.
Now, on Monday night, they’ll continue their stretch against some of the National League’s top teams when they begin a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ahead of Game 1, Royals manager Matt Quatraro made some notable lineup changes, including one involving superstar Bobby Witt Jr.
Royals Announce Witt Jr. Change
Witt Jr. returned from a six-day stint on the injured list following his back injury, and Quatraro gave him the day off defensively Sunday while starting him at designated hitter.
That won’t last long, however, as Witt Jr. will return to shortstop for the series opener and bat second in the lineup.
Royals 8/10
N. Loftin 3B
B. Witt Jr. SS
J. Caglianone 1B
S. Perez C
C. Jensen DH
S. Marte RF
M. Massey 2B
I. Collins LF
K. Isbel CFN. Cameron SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 10, 2026
Witt Jr.’s 2026 Season
Witt Jr. earned his third consecutive MLB All-Star selection in his fifth season in the league.
He’s appeared in 100 games this season and has recorded 111 hits, 57 runs, 13 home runs, 42 RBIs and a league-leading 31 stolen bases across 391 at-bats. He’s also hitting .284 with a .450 slugging percentage and an .805 OPS.
Looking at the Royals
Kansas City enters the Dodgers series with a 49-70 record, sitting dead last in the AL Central. The Royals currently sit 13.0 games back in the division and 10.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the American League.
However, they’ll have an opportunity over the next three days to make matters worse for a Dodgers team that has lost eight of its last nine games, which is easily the worst stretch they’ve had all year long.
Kansas City Royals Announce Bobby Witt Jr. Change Before Dodgers Series