3 Triple-A farmhands who’ve earned their shot with Royals if dramatic lineup turnover continues

Call the exterminator because the injury bug has not just bitten the Kansas City Royals, the organization has a full-on infestation in the big league clubhouse. Injuries are part of any season, but the Royals are missing multiple Opening Day starters and All-Stars on the IL all before the season's halfway mark has passed. Superstar Bobby Witt Jr.'s scare and absence remind fans that on the injury front, it can always get worse.

The reality has forced Kansas City to get creative with their roster construction. Several outside additions to the pitching staff, along with John Rave and Tyler Tolbert seeing regular action again, are some surprising byproducts, but necessary ones.

If the Royals had a semblance of prospect power at the Triple-A level, there would be some enticing opportunities. But alas, Omaha offers prospects of middling pedigrees or veterans looking to rebound into the majors. If the Royals cannot find an exterminator for the injury bug, they will have to weather the infestation. These three players may be in line for a promotion with that in mind.

Matthew Lugo is passing his first Royals test with flying colors

If first impressions are truly everything, then outfielder Matthew Lugo has made quite the positive one in the Royals' organization. Kansas City claimed the former Los Angeles Angels player off waivers in early June, sending him straight to Omaha. Lugo saw sparing action in his 2025 debut season, posting an 89 wRC+ with four home runs across 31 games with the Halos. Lugo may not have lived up to the promise of being the 69th overall pick of the 2019 draft, but his time in Omaha shows a 25-year-old ready to contribute.

Lugo has found his power stroke in the batter-friendly International League after hitting 30 combined home runs across the 2024-2025 seasons. Lugo already has six long balls for the Storm Chasers, including an absurd .381/.403/.778 line, good for a 1.181 OPS. Lugo has never been one to draw walks in the minors, but a 4.5% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate are perfectly palatable for his extra-base hit production.

Lugo has not flashed the leather like Kameron Misner or Rave have made regular in Omaha, but he is an acceptable corner outfielder. Toss in the fact that Lugo is a regular for stealing double-digit bases in the minors, and there is certainly a path for Lugo to Kansas City. It may take another notable injury, or perhaps Lane Thomas or Starling Marte finding new teams, but Lugo is doing his best to earn a big league shot with his new club.

Brett Squires hasn't missed a beat since his promotion to Triple-A

Just what Kansas City needs, another left-handed hitting first baseman. But if the Vinnie Pasquantino injury is more serious than anticipated and the Royals take another depth hit, Brett Squires is right in the hunt for that call to Kansas City. Plus, he would be yet another of the ultra-rare players to go from undrafted free agent to MLB player.

Squires has been in the Royals' organization since following the 2022 draft and has done little wrong in each season. Sure, the strikeout rates hovered between 25% and 30%, but consistent seasons of above-average batting and double-digit steals are nothing to ignore. He has moved one level at a time before starting 2026 back in Double-A and earning a Triple-A promotion.

Since joining the Storm Chasers, Squires has been on a tear. He has nine home runs in 31 games for the Storm Chasers, good for a .262/.316/.557 line and .873 OPS. His elevated 29.3% strikeout rate shows a flawed process, but it is easier to watch when those deep drives keep landing in the seats.

Squires' .457 expected slugging ranks in Triple-A's 87th percentile, and his 11.9% barrel rate is in the same neighborhood. The poor swing-and-miss metrics will be a red flag for the 26-year-old, but that has commonly been the case and has improved slightly as Squires acclimates to Triple-A pitching. Plus, Squires is an underrated baserunner and more athletic than the average first baseman.

Squires has some shades of former Royals first baseman Ryan McBroom, and fans all know how that turned out. But Kansas City had nothing to lose when they deployed McBroom then, and a few more losses puts the Royals in a similar position in 2026.

Could a return to the majors for Luke Jackson be imminent?

Another mid-season newcomer to the Royals' organization, veteran reliever Luke Jackson was part of the first wave of relief help the Royals added to Omaha's ranks. Jackson is no longer the pitcher he was as the 2021 World Series-winning Atlanta Braves' setup man, but he has knocked the offseason rust off and has been underrated in Omaha.

Jackson has not been the same pitcher since undergoing Tommy John surgery back in 2022, posting a 4.19 ERA and 4.10 FIP in major league action from 2023 to 2025. Kansas City jumped on Jackson after he opted out of his deal with the New York Mets earlier this season, and the results have been better than the 5.27 ERA suggests. Jackson is fanning 28.1% of the batters he faces, all while walking just 7% of them and allowing 0.42 HR/9.

Jackson is pitching one-plus inning outings for Omaha right now, which calls into question how he would perform if he was limited to single-inning outings. Still, his 3.04 FIP is one of the best in the entire organization, anchored by a solid four-seam fastball and slider mix. Jackson also has a changeup he uses against lefties, something that prevents him from being completely one-dimensional.

Is Jackson a sure-fire contributor in the Royals' bullpen? No, absolutely not. But a club does not sign a soon-to-be 35-year-old pitcher in hopes that he can contribute next year. Jackson's opportunity in Kansas City is now, and if the Royals want to spare the development of a younger arm or absolutely need another righty in the bullpen, Jackson is a solid option to close out the back of a meaningless game.

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