Royals vs. Athletics - News - March 14, 2026

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Lawrence Butler - Eyeing Tuesday for spring debut The Athletics are planning on having Butler (knees) make his Cactus League debut Tuesday versus the White Sox, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Impact Butler's spring debut has been delayed while the Athletics have eased him along slowly during camp after he underwent surgery on his right knee in October to repair a torn patellar tendon and received a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. Though the 25-year-old has been able to stay on top of his hitting progression throughout camp, he's needed more time to complete a running program and take part in full defensive drills. Gallegos noted that Butler appeared to be running the bases at full speed during his workout Sunday, so the outfielder may have cleared the final hurdle in the long recovery process. Since he's already been able to get plenty of competitive at-bats in through live batting practice sessions and simulated games, Butler may need to play in just a couple of Cactus League games to prove to the Athletics that he's ready to go for Opening Day.

MARCH 15 • ROTOWIRE

Shea Langeliers - Trio of homers in spring win Langeliers went 3-for-3 with three solo homers in Saturday's Cactus League win over the Royals.

Impact Langeliers was locked in at the plate, going yard in each of his three at-bats, all of which came against Ryan Bergert. Fresh off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he slugged 32 doubles and 31 homers with an .861 OPS in 123 games, the catcher has continued to rake in Cactus League play, slashing .351/.429/.919 with six homers, three doubles and 11 RBI across 15 appearances.

MARCH 15 • ROTOWIRE

Jacob Lopez - Stellar in spring start Lopez allowed no hits and a walk across four scoreless innings in Saturday's Cactus League win over the Royals. He struck out seven.

Impact After allowing a leadoff walk to Nick Loftin, Lopez proceeded to retire each of the next batters he faced for the rest of the outing, striking out over half of them. After being slow-played to open the spring following a left elbow strain that landed him on the injured list to close the 2025 season -- and looking shaky in his first spring start -- the right-hander looked much more in his element Saturday. Though formal confirmation has yet to be given, Lopez is expected to open the season with a spot in the big-league rotation as the 28-year-old looks to build on some of the upside he flashed last season, when he posted a 4.08 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 113:37 K:BB across 21 appearances (17 starts) and 92.2 innings.

MARCH 15 • ROTOWIRE

Ryan Bergert - Struggles in spring loss Bergert allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk over 3.2 innings in Saturday's Cactus League loss to the Athletics. He struck out four.

Impact Bergert struggled to find a rhythm, allowing runs in each of the four frames he pitched in, fueled by four homers, three of which came off the bat of Shea Langeliers. Prior to Saturday's outing, the right-hander had allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four across six innings in his first three spring appearances. While this outing wasn't stellar, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports that the Royals are considering deploying a six-man rotation to open the regular season, which increases the chances for Bergert to be part of the starting staff, with Stephen Kolek (oblique) and Bailey Falter also viable options.

MARCH 15 • ROTOWIRE

Jonathan India - Resting with groin injury India (groin) will receive a few days off as a precautionary measure, MLB.com reports.

Impact India left Friday's Cactus League game due to right groin tightness but reportedly felt fine Saturday. He's been cleared for activity, though the Royals will err on the side of caution and hold the second baseman out of Sunday's contest before an off day Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. This development helps ease concerns about India's availability for Opening Day, as the 29-year-old will look to carry a strong spring at the plate into a bounce-back 2026 campaign after a lackluster 2025 in which he slashed .233/.323/.346 with 29 doubles, nine homers and 45 RBI across 136 games.

MARCH 15 • ROTOWIRE

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Kansas City Royals vs. Athletics - News: Mar 14, 2026

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