Hunter

Renfroe

Renfroe was always going to clear waivers after being DFA’d by the Royals, but there are some outfield needy teams (the Padres?) who might be willing to take a chance on him. The 33-year-old was hitting .182/.241/.242 in 108 plate appearances before being cut.

Renfroe’s contract calls for him to make $7.5 million in 2025, and even with that figure now prorated, it’d be a surprise if anyone had interest in claiming him. The 33-year-old was awful in 2025 with a 182/.241/.242 slash over 108 plate appearances. He’ll likely become a free agent, and someone should have interest in him as a reclamation project.

The 33-year-old slugger went 2-for-3 with a double and drew a walk as the Royals triumphed over the Rockies in the first game on Thursday, but he’ll get a breather for the second ballgame. Mark Canha will start in his place in right field and bat seventh for the Royals against rookie right-hander Chase Dollander.

Renfroe delivered a bases-clearing three-run double off of Kyle Freeland in the second inning that extended the Royals’ early edge to 5-0. He then put the exclamation mark on the victory with a two-run triple in the sixth inning. The 33-year-old outfielder is having a very strong spring for the Royals, hitting .348 (8-for-23) with a homer, nine RBI and a stolen base. He’s still an afterthought in most fantasy drafts, going well after the top 450 picks overall.

Renfroe drew a one-out walk in the third inning, advanced to third on a base hit and scampered home on a wild pitch with the Royals’ first run. He then delivered a two-run double as part of a six-run uprising in the sixth inning, unexpectedly swiped third base and scored on an RBI double by Nick Loftin. The 33-year-old slugger is hitting .263 (5-for-19) with a homer, four RBI and that one swipe so far this spring.

Renfroe hit .229 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI in 120 games with Kansas City in 2024. Renfroe, a first round pick by the Padres in 2013, has seen his production fall off in the last two years. He had a career .490 SLG before the 2023 season, but posted a .416 SLG in 2023 and a .392 last year. Renfroe, who turns 33 before spring training, is likely just a name to know for deeper fantasy formats in 2025.

Hunter Renfroe got the nod over Pham against the Orioles’ Zach Eflin. Today’s lineup is the same the Royals used in the opener against Baltimore: 2B Michael Massey, SS Bobby Witt Jr., DH Vinnie Pasquantino, C Salvador Perez, 1B Yuli Gurriel, LF MJ Melendez, RF Pham, CF Kyle Isbel, 3B Maikel Garcia.

Renfroe will take the spot of Tommy Pham in the lineup as the Royals look to advance to the NLDS against the Yankees. Renfroe has hit well against Baltimore starter Zach Eflin in a small sample, going 5-for-13 with a 1.154 OPS. The full lineup: Michael Massey 2B, Bobby Witt Jr. SS, Vinnie Pasquantino DH, Salvador Perez C, Yuli Gurriel 1B, MJ Melendez LF, Renfroe RF, Kyle Isbel CF and Maikel Garcia hitting ninth at third behind Seth Lugo and the Kansas City pitching staff.

With Hunter Renfroe coming off the IL, the Royals needed to make room on the active roster, and Cruz was the choice. The 25-year-old made two appearances in the past week and has thrown 3 1/3 scoreless innings from the Royals this season. He’ll likely get another shot out of the bullpen this season.

Renfroe began his rehab assignment on Wednesday and that was apparently all the Royals needed to see. The veteran was hitting .263/.345/.424 in 27 games since the All-Star break with four home runs and 17 RBI before heading to the injured list. With Vinnie Pasquantino out, the Royals will hope Renfroe can bring a little bit of pop back to their struggling lineup.