Royals reveal roster and Game 1 lineup for Wild Card series vs Orioles

Following the announcement of their postseason roster on Tuesday morning, the Kansas City Royals have released their starting lineup for Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series against the Baltimore Orioles, with first pitch slated for 3:08 p.m. CT.

Tuesday's game will mark the Royals' first postseason appearance since winning the World Series in 2015, as well as the first playoff appearance for many of the team's key players, including Bobby Witt Jr., Michael Massey, Vinnie Pasquantino and Kris Bubic.

Earlier in the day, the Royals received good news on Pasquantino, which should help the offense and current situation at first base.

Vinnie Pasquantino makes quick recovery to return to Royals lineup

Exactly four weeks after breaking his thumb on Aug. 29, Pasquantino has been reactivated to the Royals' roster for the Wild Card series. Despite initially being given a 6-8 week timeline to return from the injured list, Pasquantino is slated to bat third in Game 1, rounding out a strong 1-2-3 behind Massey and Witt Jr.

Before landing on the IL at the end of August, Pasquantino posted a .262 batting average with 19 home runs and 97 RBI this year, and prior to the surprise announcement of his return, there was understandable concern about how the Royals would cope without him in the postseason. Over the last four weeks, the Royals attempted to make do with veterans Robbie Grossman and Yuli Gurriel, but their limited success only made Pasquantino's value to the team more obvious.

Despite having the most playoff experience on the team's 26-man roster, Gurriel was not included in the Royals' Game 1 lineup. Grossman failed to make the Royals' 26-man postseason roster.

Hunter Renfroe noticeably absent from Royals' Game 1 lineup

One player notably left out of the Royals' Game 1 lineup is outfielder Hunter Renfoe. Instead, Tommy Pham has gotten the nod to start in right field, despite Renfoe starting in the position for eight of the regular season's final 12 games.

Since Renfroe is on the Royals' 26-man postseason roster, he may still be utilized as a pinch hitter, so an appearance in Game 1 isn't entirely ruled out. During the 2024 regular season, Renfroe slashed .229/.297/.392 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI.

It'll be Cole Ragans vs Corbin Burnes in a few short hours. Get ready, Royals fans.