The Kansas City Royals have officially set their opening day roster.
KC’s Major League Baseball team on Wednesday revealed its 26-man roster ahead of Friday’s regular-season opener against the Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta. And there were few surprises.
The Royals return the majority of their 2025 squad this season. New additions include Isaac Collins, Matt Strahm, Starling Marte and Nick Mears. The Royals’ core unit of shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., catcher/first baseman/DH Salvador Perez, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and third baseman Maikel Garcia are expected to lead the offense in 2026.
All-Star pitchers Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic will anchor the starting rotation.
The Royals aimed to raise their overall floor this spring, adding several pieces to complement their young stars and veterans . Club officials feel they accomplished that by signing the veteran slugger Marte and retaining southpaw pitcher Bailey Falter in a new role.
There weren’t many final roster decisions to be made by Wednesday’s MLB deadline. The Royals had a couple of bench spots to fill and decided to go with utilityman Nick Loftin and speedster Tyler Tolbert.
Both players will have defined roles. Loftin had a .903 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in 18 games this spring. He can play all over the field and gives the Royals another right-handed bat early in the season.
Tolbert is a late-inning speed threat. He recorded 21 stolen bases during his rookie season in 2025. And the Royals can utilize him in both outfield and infield roles.
The Royals will continue to evaluate their bench early in the season. After their season-opening weekend series in Atlanta, they return to Kauffman Stadium for their home opener on Monday against the Minnesota Twins (3:10 p.m. start).
Kansas City’s roster could shift quickly once second baseman Michael Massey returns from injury. Massey was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left calf. The designation is retroactive to March 22 — which means he could miss a handful of games before returning.
The Royals are playing it safe with Massey. He stayed behind in Surprise, Arizona to play in minor-league games this week and continue his rehab. On Tuesday, the Royals played the second of two exhibition games against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas before departing for Atlanta.
It’s possible Massey could rejoin the Royals next week. For now, the team will rely on Loftin and outfield reserves Marte and Lane Thomas to fill the void.
The Royals made some other roster moves on Wednesday, designated outfielder Drew Waters for assignment and placing pitchers Stephen Kolek (left oblique strain) and James McArthur (right elbow inflammation) on the 15-day injured list. Right-handed pitcher Eli Morgan was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.
The Royals will send Ragans to the mound Friday against the Braves. It will be his third opening day start, with first pitch set for 6:15 p.m. Central Time.
Here’s a look at the Royals’ opening day roster:
Pitchers (13)
LHP Cole Ragans
RHP Seth Lugo
RHP Michael Wacha
LHP Kris Bubic
LHP Noah Cameron
LHP Bailey Falter
LHP Daniel Lynch IV
RHP Alex Lange
RHP John Schreiber
RHP Nick Mears
LHP Matt Strahm
RHP Lucas Erceg
RHP Carlos Estévez
Catchers (2)
Salvador Perez
Carter Jensen
Infielders (6)
1B Vinnie Pasquantino
2B Jonathan India
SS Bobby Witt Jr.
3B Maikel Garcia
INF Tyler Tolbert
UTIL Nick Loftin
Outfielders (5)
LF Isaac Collins
CF Kyle Isbel
RF Jac Caglianone
OF Lane Thomas
OF Starling Marte
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Jaylon Thompson
The Kansas City Star
Jaylon Thompson covers the Royals for The Kansas City Star. He previously covered the 2021 World Series and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.
