The Kansas City Royals could look to move veteran right-hander Seth Lugo at this year's trade deadline with a Nathan Eovaldi-type deal awaiting him in free agency this winter, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan. That could especially be the case if the Royals continue to struggle going into late July with lefty Cole Ragans (shoulder) on the injured list. Despite not possessing eye-popping strikeout rates or velocity, Lugo has posted mid-3.00s or lower ERAs for five straight seasons. His ability to strand runners and limit hard contact has been impressive and has been helped by the fact that he can keep hitters off balance with nine different pitches. Lugo currently is sporting an ERA under 3.00 with a 1.04 WHIP, but with only 68 strikeouts in 83 innings and an xERA of 4.69. The Cubs, Astros, Blue Jays, Padres and Dodgers are potential landing spots if Lugo is dealt.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball but did not factor into Sunday's 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. The veteran allowed two hits and struck out seven, recording his third outing of 2025 sans issuing a free pass. Lugo boasts a superb 2.93 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through 83 innings (14 starts), but his expected stats tell a different story. The 35-year-old is typically pretty good at outperforming his projections, but he came into this outing with an xERA nearly two full points over his actual (4.94). Furthermore, he had a .280 xBA against and yielded a hard-hit ball 46.3% of the time, placing him in the bottom 15% of all pitchers. He'll get a tough ask next time out against a strong Los Angeles Dodgers lineup at home.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo shut down the Texas Rangers in a 6-1 win on Tuesday. Lugo notched a quality start, allowing just one run on three hits over six innings of work while striking out nine and walking one. He forced 14 swinging strikes on the way to earning the win, improving his record to 4-5, to go along with a 3.05 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts over 76 2/3 innings of work on the year. Lugo is on the radar as a rock-solid fantasy starting pitcher. He will take on his 2023 team, the San Diego Padres, in his next start, which will be on Sunday.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, but did not factor into Thursday's 1-0 loss to the New York Yankees. The veteran yielded two hits and three walks, striking out two in the no-decision. Lugo was excellent in this one, limiting the Yanks to two singles and allowing no earned runs for the second time in 2025. The 35-year-old righty has been solid for the Royals through 12 starts, notching a 3.18 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 52:22 K:BB ratio in his first 70 2/3 innings. However, it's worth mentioning that he's outpitching his 5.35 xERA by a good margin (4.18 xFIP). He'll look to get back in the win column in his next start, a road outing with the Texas Rangers in the middle of next week.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (finger) is scheduled to be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Friday's series opener against the division-rival Detroit Tigers, according to manager Matt Quatraro. Lugo has been sidelined with inflammation in his right middle finger, but he's going to come off the IL immediately when he's eligible without going on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 35-year-old veteran has been solid for the Royals so far in 2025, going 3-4 with a 3.02 ERA (4.50 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 42 strikeouts and 15 walks in 56 2/3 innings over his nine starts. However, his 6.7 K/9 mark and 4.50 FIP mean regression is likely coming for the soft-tossing hurler. Lugo's first start back this weekend also won't be a very favorable matchup for fantasy managers, as the Tigers boast the No. 8 team OPS (.734) so far in 2025.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (finger) threw a bullpen on Saturday and is progressing well, according to MLB.com. Lugo is on track to return when he's eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on May 30. The 35-year-old veteran was placed on the IL on May 17 (retroactive to May 14) with a right third-finger sprain. If Lugo makes his return and starts on Friday, he'd be facing the division-rival Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium, which won't be a great first matchup back. While Lugo only has 42 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings over his nine starts for the Royals this year, he's limited hard contact and currently sports a strong 3.02 ERA (4.50 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP. His 4.50 FIP points to regression on the horizon, but he hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in an outing since April 14 against the New York Yankees.

The Kansas City Royals have placed starting pitcher Seth Lugo (finger) on the 15-day injured list due to a finger sprain. Lugo was initially expected to get the starting nod on Saturday, but saw his start pushed back. However, Lugo will now be held out of action for at least the next two weeks. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status while he is sidelined. This afternoon, the Royals promoted Noah Cameron from Triple-A to take his spot in the rotation. If he performs well, Cameron should be the favorite to remain in the rotation for the next two weeks. Through 56 2/3 innings this season, the 35-year-old has posted a strong 3.02 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. While he has only struck out 42 batters, he has provided excellent ratios. Fantasy managers in standard formats should stash Lugo while he is sidelined.

The Kansas City Royals will skip veteran right-hander Seth Lugo (finger) ahead of his scheduled start on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals due to right middle finger inflammation, according to The Kansas City Star's Jaylon T. Thompson. As a result, the Royals are expected to recall pitching prospect Noah Cameron to make a spot start. The Royals are hoping Lugo can avoid a trip to the 15-day injured list. If the 35-year-old veteran does avoid the IL, he'd next be scheduled to take the mound on May 23 against the suddenly hot division-rival Minnesota Twins on the road. Lugo doesn't have the most fantasy upside because of his lack of swing-and-miss stuff, but the crafty veteran knows how to mix his pitches and keep hitters off balance. He's currently sporting an ERA just over 3.00 and has delivered five straight quality starts.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (2-3) allowed three hits and a walk while striking out eight across eight scoreless innings in Friday's 2-0 win over the Houston Astros. He picked up his second win of the season. The 35-year-old was efficient on Friday, needing just 94 pitches for eight innings of work. He landed 65 of 94 pitches for strikes and posted a season-high eight strikeouts to secure his second win of the year. The veteran right-hander has allowed just two runs or less in each of his last five starts. Overall, Lugo owns a 3.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 29:12 K:BB across 38 innings in 2025. He will look to build on Friday's impressive performance in his next scheduled start on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo tossed six innings of two-run ball (one earned) with five hits en route to picking up his first victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He served up one walk and struck out two batters. Heston Kjerstad would bring in the first run of the evening in the second inning. Later in that frame, Kjerstad would cross home on a throwing error. This was a nice bounce-back outing for the 35-year-old as he allowed three runs, four hits, and three walks across five frames in his first start of the campaign. Last summer, Lugo enjoyed an impressive season as he logged 206 1/3 innings to the tune of a strong 3.00 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He tallied 181 punchouts and served up 48 free passes. Lugo will look to continue this momentum in his next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo lasted five innings in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Yankees, allowing two earned runs on just two hits, but he walked four batters and only struck out two on the way to earning a no-decision. Lugo posted a better-than-average 5.7% BB% in the regular season so it is uncharacteristic of him to lose his command. The Royals will need to win two in a row in order to extend their season, so if this is Lugo's final game pitched in 2024, it closes out a phenomenal year for the righty. The 34-year-old finished the regular season 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 15.9% K-BB%.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo will take the mound for his team's American League Division Series Game 3 matchup at home against the Yankees. The 34-year-old made a solid start against the Orioles in the wild-card series, allowing one run over 4 1/3 innings pitched with one walk and six strikeouts. Lugo was a surprise asset for the Royals and fantasy managers in the regular season, going 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 21.7% strikeout rate in 33 starts and 206 2/3 IP. He pitched deep into both of his regular-season starts against the Yankees, allowing four runs in seven IP with four strikeouts in his first matchup and no runs in seven IP with 10 strikeouts in his second. His regular-season success and his above-average ground-ball rate could make him a useful DFS play despite the tough opponent.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo turned in another excellent start in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Yankees. Lugo pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts. The 34-year-old veteran struggled to begin the second half of the season but has returned to his strong first-half form lately, tossing three consecutive seven-inning starts and notching four in his last five. Lugo now owns a 16-8 record with a 2.94 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 7.88 K/9 rate in 30 starts and 193 IP. He will have a good chance to extend his streak in his next start against the Tigers.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo righted the ship in Monday's 5-3 win over the Angels. Lugo pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. It was a welcome result for the 34-year-old and fantasy managers, as he had posted a bloated 6.23 ERA in his first three August starts. Overall, Lugo is now 14-7 with a 3.02 ERA, a 7.72 K/9 rate, and a 2.27 BB/9 rate in 26 starts and 166 2/3 IP. Lugo's next start is scheduled to be against a Phillies lineup that has only been mediocre lately, so he may have a chance to continue to improve his August numbers.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo had a terrific start on Thursday, tossing eight one-run innings and picking up his 13th win in a 7-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Lugo didn't have much swing-and-miss stuff in this one, generating only three strikeouts, but it didn't matter as he allowed just four hits and a walk. The Tigers couldn't generate hard contact against him or string anything together, as has been the case with most teams Lugo has faced this year. He isn't doing it in the conventional way, but he's been so good for so long that it's hard to doubt him. He is a must-start fantasy option.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo authored another impressive performance on Sunday, shutting out the Cleveland Guardians for six innings and earning his 11th win of the season in the process. Lugo was masterful in this one, allowing just four hits and a walk while punching out 10. After a bit of a rough patch in early June, the 34-year-old has gotten right back on track with four terrific starts. Those four starts have all been quality starts, and he has allowed just four runs in 24 IP (1.46 ERA) while striking out 30. While he should still be considered a sell high, it isn't unreasonable to just hold onto him as he should continue to rack up quality starts and wins on a good Royals team.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo turned in another excellent effort in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Marlins. Lugo pitched six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. The 34-year-old emerged as a surprise fantasy starter last season and has been even better in 2024, going 10-2 with a 2.29 ERA, a 7.77 K/9 rate, and a 2.13 BB/9 rate in 17 starts and 110 IP. The veteran has been a fantasy steal and All-Star, considering he was drafted outside the top 250 picks on average coming into the season. He will face a tough test against the Guardians in his next start, but he has simply been too good to sit.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo was solid against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, pitching into the seventh inning and picking up his 12th quality start of the year in a 3-2 win. Lugo cruised through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh, where he allowed a two-out, two-run homer. The 34-year-old allowed six hits and three walks while striking out eight in his 6 IP. He hasn't been quite as good in June as he was in April and May, but he has still pitched at least six innings in all four June starts and has given up only two runs in two of those starts. He remains a solid pitcher for fantasy but should still be considered a sell-high, especially after a good start like this one.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo (9-2) pitched seven innings and allowed four runs on eight hits with one walk and four runs allowed in a 4-2 loss Monday night against the New York Yankees. The loss was only the second of the season for the 34-year-old veteran, who owns a 2.36 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 91 1/3 innings pitched. Though he's been outstanding so far this year, this is the second game in a row Lugo has allowed four earned runs or more after only having one such outing in his first 12 starts combined. The road doesn't look like it will get any easier for Lugo, as he's projected for a matchup with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

Kansas City starting pitcher Seth Lugo (9-1) picked up his ninth win Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The ninth win leads the American League in that category and ties him for the MLB lead with Philadelphia Phillies starter Ranger Suarez. Safe to say, Lugo has been a bargain for the Royals after signing the veteran right-hander to a three-year $45 million contract in the offseason. He currently lies at the top in wins, ERA, and innings pitched on the season while having an impressive 1.01 WHIP as well. His next start will put him against the red-hot Cleveland Guardians next Tuesday, whom he has yet to match up against this season.