Return of KC Royals speedster gives team major boost ahead of weekend rivalry series

The Kansas City Royals enter a pivotal weekend series against their in-state rivals in the St. Louis Cardinals having looked the worst they have in weeks, dropping back-to-back series to the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros in the past week.

As they look to get back on track, they'll get a long-awaited boost in the speed department, as it was announced Friday afternoon that Dairon Blanco would be making his long-awaited return to the lineup after a lengthy IL stint.

Return of Dairon Blanco gives KC Royals major boost ahead of weekend rivalry series

The Royals have been waiting for Blanco's return for quite some time now after he hit the IL with an Achilles injury on March 31.

But he looks ready to go again on all fronts after a relatively long rehab assignment in Triple-A Omaha over the past few weeks. In 32 plate appearances across 12 games with the Storm Chasers, Blanco slashed .296/.387/.333 with a 103 wRC+ and five stolen bases.

Blanco's average bench bat (94 wRC+ in 2024 and 107 wRC+ in 2023) will certainly be a welcome addition back to an outfield that's been reeling all season when it comes to production at the plate, holding a 72 wRC+ as an outfield unit.

However, the 32-year-old's real impact on this Royals roster is made on the basepaths, stealing 24 bases in 2023 and then 31 in 2024.

KC Royals place Taylor Clarke on paternity list to make way for Blanco's return

In a corresponding move to clear space for Blanco on the active roster, the Royals placed reliever Taylor Clarke on the paternity list.

Having not appeared in the majors since 2023 before he was added to the 40-man roster an promoted this month, expectations likely weren't overly high for Clarke, especially given the fact his 2023 season saw him throw to a near-6.00 ERA (5.95) in 59.0 innings of work.

But Clarke has stepped up in a big way for the Royals in recent weeks, as he's yet to surrender an earned run and sports an accompanying 1.97 FIP, 0.56 WHIP and .158 BAA in 5 1/3 innings on the mound.

Whether Clarke will return to the big league roster after his time on the paternity list remains to be seen and is a story for a different day, but what we do know is that he's made quite the impression on the Royals brass in 2025.