April 8, 2026 5:14 am EDT
Carter Jensen rides a two-game homer streak into the Kansas City Royals’ game against the Cleveland Guardians at 1:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, at Progressive Field. Cole Ragans (0-2, 3.60 ERA) gets the start for the Royals, who are 5-6 this season and second in the AL Central. Joey Cantillo (0-0, 3.00 ERA) is the expected starter for the Guardians, who are 7-5 and first in the AL Central.
How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland GuardiansRoyals vs. Guardians odds
Injury reportsRoyals
Bailey Falter: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Carlos Estévez: 15 Day IL (Foot), Stephen Kolek: 15 Day IL (Oblique), James McArthur: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Alec Marsh: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)
Guardians
Gabriel Arias: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), George Valera: 10 Day IL (Calf), Andrew Walters: 15 Day IL (Lat), Hunter Gaddis: 15 Day IL (Forearm)
Stats to know
Kansas City’s Maikel Garcia has hit one home run this season. He has also tallied seven RBIs and has scored five runs. In 49 plate appearances, he has recorded a .310 BA, .388 OBP and .476 SLG with a 12.2% walk rate and a 16.3% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording one steal on two attempts.
In 31 plate appearances, Kyle Isbel is hitting .429/.467/.679 with a 1.145 OPS and four steals on four attempts. He has hit two long balls, driven in five runs and scored five times.
Cleveland’s Chase DeLauter is slashing .286/.350/.714 this season with five home runs (1st in MLB), nine RBIs (18th in MLB) and an OPS of 1.064 (9th in MLB). He has a 22.5% strikeout rate and a 10% walk rate in 40 plate appearances, and he has scored seven total runs.
In 51 plate appearances, Steven Kwan has posted an 11.8% strikeout rate and a 7.8% walk rate while slashing .244/.320/.356 with one home run, four RBIs and five runs scored. He has stolen one base on two attempts.
This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images
Apr 8, 2026
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today’s puzzle