Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
KC	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0
DET	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	2	5	0

The Royals are turning to rookie Beck Way for essentially a bullpen day, his first big-league start after 18 relief outings, with Noah Cameron ready to soak up whatever innings follow. Across the mound sits Tarik Skubal, who just carved up the Angels for 7 shutout innings on 5 hits and no walks with 9 strikeouts. On paper, it's not close.

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Total

Royals(43-61)

LWWWL

1

+1.5+111+239o8.5+150

Tigers(49-54)

WWLWL

2

-1.5-113-245u8.5-147

Best BetTigers -302

Pregame

The price on Detroit has only gotten more expensive, moving from -218 out to -281, and that's the market pricing in exactly what it should: an ace on a heater against a rookie opener. Kansas City's remaining lineup is banged up enough that betting against Skubal here feels like fighting the tape.

But history says slow down a little. Skubal has quietly struggled against Kansas City for years, and this stretch of the schedule has been physically brutal for the Royals — Bobby Witt Jr. landed on the injured list for the first time in his career this week with lower back spasms that had him admitting he "couldn't even be 50% of myself" out there. That's the kind of absence that changes a lineup's entire complexion, and it's compounding an already thin group in Kansas City.

Beck Way

(1-1)·3.86 ERA

07/24 Lineup

Tarik Skubal

(7-6)·2.81 ERA

Jul 18 @ Angels

W

7.0IP

0ER

9K

0BB

87P

07/24 Lineup

Detroit, meanwhile, is playing its best baseball of the second half, having won 5 of 7 since the All-Star break, and the market has noticed — Detroit's moneyline price has only gotten steeper as gametime approaches. With the trade deadline a week out and Skubal's future with the organization unresolved, there's a real chance this is one of his final starts at Comerica Park in a Tigers uniform, which adds a little extra weight to what's otherwise a lopsided-on-paper matchup.

Kansas City Royals

(43-61)

Jul 23L@ Tigers3-4

Jul 22Wvs Giants5-4

Jul 21Wvs Giants3-2

Jul 20Wvs Giants4-3

Jul 19Lvs Padres2-19

Detroit Tigers

(49-54)

Jul 23Wvs Royals4-3

Jul 23W@ Cubs5-1

Jul 22L@ Cubs2-11

Jul 21W@ Cubs8-6

Jul 19L@ Angels2-3

Kansas City Royals

(13)

• Day-To-DayJac Caglianone (RF) — Caglianone (shoulder) isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers.07/23
• 10-Day-ILKyle Isbel (CF) — Isbel (foot) went 1-for-2 with an RBI triple and a run scored with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.07/22
• 10-Day-ILBobby Witt Jr. (SS) — Manager Matt Quatraro said that Witt, who is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants, is still feeling "pretty stiff" as he continues to manage back spasms and tightness, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.07/22
• 10-Day-ILMaikel Garcia (3B) — Garcia (hand) began swinging during the All-Star break and is set to be re-evaluated Sunday, per MLB.com.07/18
• 15-Day-ILConnor Seabold (RP) — The Royals placed Seabold on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right lat strain.07/01
• 60-Day-ILStephen Kolek (SP) — The Royals reinstated Kolek (personal) from the family medical leave list and placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right flexor strain.07/22
• 60-Day-ILCarlos Estevez (RP) — Estevez (shoulder) started a throwing program Friday, per MLB.com.07/18
• 60-Day-ILKris Bubic (SP) — Bubic (elbow/shoulder) could begin a new throwing program next week, per MLB.com.07/18
• 60-Day-ILNick Mears (RP) — The Royals transferred Mears (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.07/14
• 60-Day-ILCole Ragans (SP) — Ragans underwent UCL repair surgery on his left elbow Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.07/02
• 60-Day-ILJonathan India (2B) — no06/04
• 60-Day-ILJames McArthur (RP) — McArthur (elbow) underwent surgery Friday to help combat continued soreness and inflammation, MLB.com reports.05/25
• 60-Day-ILAlec Marsh (SP) — The Royals placed Marsh (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08

Detroit Tigers

(13)

• Day-To-DayCasey Mize (SP) — Mize is dealing with groin tightness and a wrist injury following his early departure from Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Angels, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/19
• 15-Day-ILJack Flaherty (SP) — The Tigers placed Flaherty on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right flexor strain.07/22
• 60-Day-ILJavier Baez (SS) — Baez (ankle) will embark on a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILJackson Jobe (SP) — Jobe (elbow) struck out three and allowed one unearned run on three hits and no walks across three innings Sunday in his rehab start with Double-A Erie.07/20
• 60-Day-ILWill Vest (RP) — Detroit transferred Vest (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.07/19
• 60-Day-ILBailey Horn (RP) — Horn (elbow) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILBurch Smith (RP) — Smith (shoulder) will start a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland on Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILJustin Verlander (SP) — Verlander (hamstring/hip) announced Wednesday via social media that he will retire following the 2026 season.07/08
• 60-Day-ILWenceel Perez (RF) — Perez (orbital) played light catch on the field at Comerica Park on Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/07
• 60-Day-ILParker Meadows (CF) — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Meadows (forearm) has yet to resume hitting and is without a timeline to return from the 60-day injured list, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.06/25
• 60-Day-ILTrey Sweeney (SS) — Sweeney will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery this week, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.06/05
• 60-Day-ILBrant Hurter (RP) — The Tigers placed Hurter on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to lumbar spine inflammation.05/29
• 60-Day-ILReese Olson (SP) — The Tigers placed Olson on the 60-day injured list Tuesday after he underwent a right shoulder labral repair Feb. 2 that will result in him missing the 2026 season.05/08