Paul

DeJong

With Patrick Corbin starting for the Nationals, the Royals will sit Massey, MJ Melendez, Adam Frazier, and Kyle Isbel. This is the fourth straight game in which the Royals are facing a lefty starter. Paul DeJong will draw his first start in the last week and play third base, while Hunter Renfroe will play RF, and Garrett Hampson will play CF.

DeJong’s home run was his 22nd of the season. He hit a solo shot off Logan Allen in the second inning. DeJong is 16-for-54 (.296) with four home runs and 10 RBI in 18 games since the Royals traded for him. He’s hitting .238 with a .738 OPS and 51 RBI on the year.

Even with the Guardians likely using a left-handed bulk reliever, the Royals will start Michael Massey at second base, moving Maikel Garcia to third base and sliding Dejong to the bench. Perhaps Dejong will come into the game as a pinch hitter once the Guardians make a pitching change.

DeJong’s home run was his 21st of the season. DeJong is 12-for-38 (.315) with three home runs and eight RBI since he was traded to the Royals at the end of July. The main issue for fantasy managers is that he’s only started 10 games so far for Kansas City. DeJong is hitting .237 with a .734 OPS and 49 RBI on the year.

DeJong is 8-for-25 with two homers since being acquired from the White Sox, which could earn him more playing time at the expense of Maikel Garcia and Adam Frazier. The 20-homer season is the third of his career, two go along with two years in which he finished with 19 (2018 and ’21). He hit 30 during his lone All-Star season in 2019.

DeJong knocked a base hit in the fifth inning, then gave the Royals the lead with a two-run blast off Kenta Maeda in the seventh. The 31-year-old shortstop is slashing .233/.280/.438 with 19 homers and 45 RBI across 375 plate appearances.

The Royals needed to make room on the 40-man roster for newly acquired Paul DeJong, so they decided to move on from McMillon, who is currently pitching to a 6.53 ERA in 30 1/3 innings at Triple-A Omaha. He could remain in the organization if he clears waivers.

Rosado is a hard-throwing young relief prospect with two future plus-pitches. He currently sits 94-97 mph with his fastball and has a plus curveball that has helped him register a 1.85 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 45:11 K:BB ratio in 39 innings in Single-A in 2024. He’s still at least two years away, but he’s an intriguing get for the White Sox.

No words on the return just yet. DeJong will provide some infield depth for the Royals after hitting 18 homers and 41 RBI with a .706 OPS in his 102 games with the White Sox. He’s capable of playing shortstop and third base, but even with the power his value is much more tied to “real life” than fantasy at this point.

DeJong made a costly error early in this game which gifted the Mariners two runs, but then got them back with his own two-run shot off to end Bryce Miller’s outing. Those 18 long balls are the most DeJong has hit in a season since 2021, when he hit just 19, as he’s made the most of his ample playing time with the White Sox.