Report: Craig Kimbrel to join Royals bullpen

Boyd only struck out three, continuing a recent theme of strong results despite few Ks. The veteran lefty had a 31 K% with a 6.00 ERA before suffering an early-season injury, and his strikeout rate has been cut in half since he returned. However, he’s been much more effective at preventing runs during this stretch, throwing fewer four-seamers in favor of more breaking pitches. Pitching in front of a genuinely elite defense helps, too. He’ll aim to keep rolling next time out, at home against the Cardinals.

Dobnak struck out four and walked one. He entered the day with a 1.16 ERA despite a 15:13 K/BB, and regression finally arrived. Dobnak hadn’t started since 2021 before the Royals picked him up midseason. He’s rotation depth for Kansas City right now, which keeps him off the fantasy radar despite a favorable matchup against the Angels next time out.

Bregman accounted for three of the 18 hits Chicago totaled in Kansas City, continuing his productive second half. He has yet to get blistering hot, but his recent play has been an improvement over a below-average first half. Bregman remains an everyday player batting in the heart of one of baseball’s highest-scoring lineups, and the counting stats have added up to strong fantasy production lately.

Happ’s homer was a two-run shot in the sixth, one of 18 hits Chicago recorded in Kansas City. He’s also gone deep in back-to-back games. Happ now has 20 homers for the fourth consecutive season, and he has a real shot at a career high. He’s maxed out at 25 in both 2021 and 2024.

Hoerner’s stolen base was his 18th of the season as he continued his strong start to the second half. The veteran second baseman isn’t hitting for as high an average as fantasy managers are accustomed to, but he’ll likely finish with double-digit homers and roughly 25 thefts. The Cubs entered the day as MLB’s second-highest-scoring offense, which will help his counting stats too.

Musgrove, making his way back from Tommy John, averaged 94.6 mph with his fastball, which is really encouraging. He averaged 93.0 mph in his 19 starts in 2024, and his career high for a season was 93.5 mph in 2018. He threw 53 pitches today, so he’ll probably need at least one more rehab start. However, the uptick in his stuff makes him worth stashing in mixed leagues now.

Conine’s first homer was a two-run shot that left the bat at 115 mph, the hardest-hit ball by a Marlin this season. His second came off a 40-mph eephus with the game well out of reach. He’s a platoon player with a strikeout rate hovering around 30%, but his profile has some strong batted-ball metrics. Conine has hit 2-5 in the lineup in every game against right-handers this month, increasing his fantasy value in daily lineup leagues.

Gusto struck out four and walked one in the 60-pitch outing. He’d gone over 75 pitches in each of his past two starts, but Miami limited him on Sunday afternoon. He stepped into the rotation when Max Meyer went on the IL shortly after the All-Star break, and he’ll likely stick for a while, given Braxton Garrett was traded at the deadline. Gusto doesn’t have much fantasy value, though, and his next start lines up in Cincinnati’s hitter-friendly ballpark.

Rodriguez struck out eight but couldn’t build on his best start of the season last time out. His K-BB% has improved over his past handful of starts, but he remains wildly inconsistent and pitches for one of the worst developmental organizations in pro baseball. Rodriguez now has a 7.20 ERA in 12 starts with the Angels. He remains off the fantasy radar next time out against the Royals.

Trout got off to a strong start, but March/April has been his best month by far. Things have only slipped further in August, with his strikeout rate well north of 40% in a small sample. Worse, the Angels’ lineup doesn’t surround him with much help, limiting his opportunities for counting stats. He has 19 homers this season but only 41 RBI. He stole five bases through April but has just three since. Trout is talented enough to go on a heater down the stretch, but serious environmental concerns cap his upside.