The Kansas City Royals placed center fielder Kyle Isbel on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 3 tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot. The Royals announced the diagnosis after an MRI confirmed the severity of Isbel’s ongoing foot issue. There is no official timetable for his return, and the team said it will be “quite some time” before he can resume baseball activity.
Isbel, 29, has started 118 of the Royals’ 122 games in center field this season. His defensive value has dipped slightly this year, with a -2 Defensive Runs Saved mark and a 4 Outs Above Average rating from Statcast. The drop-off is partly due to the pain he’s played through all season, as reported by Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star. Despite the injury, Isbel has maintained his typical offensive production, hitting .244/.298/.354 with an 80 wRC+.
To fill the void in center field, the Royals recalled Kameron Misner from Triple-A Omaha. The Missouri native got the start in center field on Wednesday. Utilityman Tyler Tolbert also saw time in center last night, and veteran Lane Thomas started in place of Isbel. Thomas, who signed a one-year deal with the Royals in the offseason, has a career-best 15.8% walk rate in 152 plate appearances this season and is slashing .234/.362/.315.
Misner, a former first-round pick, has struggled in 231 MLB plate appearances with a .203/.260/.325 line. However, he has dominated Triple-A pitching in 2026, hitting .276/.373/.547 with 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases. The Royals could use a platoon between Thomas and Misner, given their opposite-handed swings.
Seth Lugo, who was hit in the head by a 106 mph comebacker last night, received a clean CT scan and is currently being monitored. The Royals said there are no signs of significant injury.
The Royals will continue their four-game series against the Texas Rangers on Thursday. They face a critical stretch in the second half, and the loss of Isbel could impact their ability to stay competitive in the AL Central.
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