Michael Wacha has been the Kansas City Royals’ most consistent starting pitcher in 2026. Of late, however, he hasn’t looked like the All-Star he has been this season.

The 35-year-old right-hander has been exceptional during his career against the San Francisco Giants, who visit the Royals on Monday night.

Wacha (5-7, 3.77 ERA) ranks among the major league leaders with 12 quality starts. Just one reason he earned his second All-Star Game nod — 11 years after his only other such honor.

“Just the way I still love the game, and how much I love to prepare,” said Wacha, Monday’s scheduled starter for Kansas City. “I love to go out there and compete every day. I’m glad that the fire is still there.”

Wacha remains an inspiration and Royals management has stated it’s not actively shopping him in advance of the upcoming trade deadline.

However, he has allowed a combined 10 runs and four homers over 10 2/3 innings in losing each of his last two starts. In his most recent, at the New York Mets on July 9, Wacha matched a season high with six runs surrendered, plus three walks, across a season-low 4 2/3 innings.

Wacha has not faced the Giants since 2024, but he’s 3-1 with a stellar 1.94 ERA in 10 career starts against them.

Kansas City is last in the AL Central with 40 victories but took two of three from San Diego at home despite losing 19-2 on Sunday. Budding Royals star Jac Caglianone homered in that series finale, and has recorded seven extra-base hits during his 10-game hitting streak.

Teammate Bobby Witt Jr. was given the day off Sunday. Perhaps that rest will help the All-Star shortstop get back on track after batting .167 (6-for-36) with 10 strikeouts in his last eight games.

He’s batted .310 with six RBIs in 12 career games against the Giants.

San Francisco has just two more wins than Kansas City and will try to avoid a third straight defeat after dropping two of three at Seattle. The Giants managed just five hits during a 6-3 loss Sunday, and they have scored more than three runs twice while splitting their last six games.

“It’s not ideal, but all we can do (Monday) is come out and put our best game forward,” San Francisco left-hander Robbie Ray said.

Despite the Giants’ struggles, rookie Bryce Eldridge hit his 10th homer Sunday and is batting .320 with three homers, four RBIs and six walks in the last seven games.

The Giants are scheduled to start Trevor McDonald (3-7, 5.02), who allowed a homer and two other hits over seven strong innings against Colorado on July 12. It was a needed bounce back for the right-hander, who yielded eight runs and 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings versus Toronto in his previous start on July 7.

“Come back (from the All-Star break) with some confidence and momentum,” McDonald said. “I’m looking forward to the second half (of the season).”

This will be McDonald’s first appearance against the Royals.

San Francisco’s Luis Arraez is 6-for-16 (.375) with two home runs versus Wacha. Giants teammate Willy Adames is 3-for-8 against him.

Royals veteran Salvador Perez is batting .211 this season, but he’s two shy of tying George Brett’s franchise-record 317 career home runs. Perez has four homers in 72 career at-bats over 18 games versus San Francisco.

–Field Level Media

The Milwaukee Brewers are hoping hard-throwing Jacob Misiorowski will benefit from extended rest over the break when he opens the three-game series against the visiting New York Mets and former teammate Freddy Peralta on Monday.

Misiorowski (10-4, 1.62 ERA) will be making his first start in almost two weeks against Peralta (5-8, 4.66), who was traded to New York in January after eight seasons with Milwaukee and will be facing his former team for the first time.

Milwaukee completed a sweep of the Miami Marlins with a 3-1 victory on Sunday on William Contreras’ walk-off three-run homer in the ninth inning.

The Mets defeated Philadelphia 6-1 on Sunday behind rookie right-hander Nolan McLean, who struck out 10 over six scoreless innings. Francisco Lindor had three hits, including a two-run homer, and three RBIs.

Misiorowski, who was originally slated to start Tuesday but was bumped up a day, said he’s looking forward to the matchup against Peralta.

“That will be fun,” Misiorowski told MLB.com. “I want the best for Freddy. He’s an awesome guy. I love Freddy. … But he’s on the other team, so you’ve got to kick his (butt). That’s my job.”

Misiorowski, who leads the majors in ERA and strikeouts with 167, will be making his first start since July 7, when he allowed three runs on three hits, including two homers, over seven innings in a 4-3 win at St. Louis.

The 24-year-old right-hander, whose fastball routinely tops 100 mph, skipped his final start before the All-Star break due to arm fatigue. Misiorowski has thrown a career-high 111 innings in 18 starts after pitching 66 innings last season as a rookie in 15 regular-season appearances.

“I feel normal. I feel good,” Misiorowski said. “The rest was 100% good. I feel ready.”

Misiorowski was named to the All-Star team for the second time in his two seasons but did not pitch in last week’s game.

He has faced the Mets once, allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings and took the loss in a 7-3 defeat at New York last July.

Peralta, 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA last season in 33 starts with Milwaukee, has been inconsistent with New York.

He was 2-2 with a 6.39 ERA in five starts in June and is 0-2 with a 5.54 ERA in three starts this month.

The right-hander lasted just 4 1/3 innings in his last start on July 11, allowing two runs on three hits but walking five in a 92-pitch outing, taking the loss in a 4-0 home defeat against Boston.

“It’s a terrible, terrible feeling coming out before the fifth inning,” Peralta said afterward. “I’ve been struggling, and I’m just working on it, trying to navigate through this. It’s been difficult, but not impossible for me. I never lose the hope. Just keep working — that’s what I keep telling myself. And at some point, I’m going to navigate through it.”

Peralta has issued 44 walks — sixth most in the National League — in 104 1/3 innings and also allowed 15 home runs.

He pitched well at American Family Field during his time with the Brewers, going 40-20 with a 3.19 ERA in 112 games, including 84 starts.

–Field Level Media

The Chicago Cubs have found their rhythm at the plate.

Chicago will try to keep it up when it welcomes the Detroit Tigers for a three-game series beginning Monday night. The Cubs are coming off back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Twins, including a 10-1 rout on Sunday afternoon.

“Top to bottom, we’re just grinding out at-bats,” Cubs first baseman Michael Busch said. “We’re making that pitcher have his stuff for everybody in that lineup. I think it just makes his job tougher. It gets runners on base, it gets runners in scoring position.”

Detroit will try to spoil the Cubs’ momentum.

The Tigers won their first two games coming out of the All-Star break, but they fell short 3-2 against the host Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon. Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene each hit solo home runs in the loss for Detroit.

Tigers catcher Jake Rogers said he and his teammates felt good as they prepared to travel to Chicago.

“We came away with a series win,” Rogers said. “We’re happy.

“Obviously, we want to sweep there, and (it) could have been a big win, but it wasn’t our best hitting performance. They did a really good job of keeping us off the bases. And when they did, they got out of it.

“We’re playing winning ball right now. And obviously, it wasn’t a win there. And we wanted it, needed it, but we moved on.”

Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty (3-8, 4.48 ERA) is set to start the series opener. He is two strikeouts shy of reaching 100 on the season.

The 30-year-old Flaherty is going for his third victory in as many starts. In his most recent outing on July 10, he got the win after limiting the visiting Philadelphia Phillies to two runs on two hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out six.

In 18 career games (16 starts) against the Cubs, Flaherty is 4-4 with a 3.38 ERA. He has walked 37 and struck out 89 in 74 2/3 innings.

Chicago is set to counter with right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.19), who is expected to be activated from the injured list after sitting out since early June because of a left hamstring strain. Taillon, who will make his 14th start of the season, has earned 84 career victories in 237 games.

Taillon, 34, has started against the Tigers five times in his career. He is 2-2 with a 5.81 ERA in those outings, and he has walked seven and struck out 27 in 26 1/3 innings.

Nico Hoerner will look to stay hot as the Cubs begin their second series after the break. The second baseman went 2-for-5 with a triple and four RBIs on Sunday afternoon, and he had eight hits in 13 at-bats during the series.

On the season, Hoerner is hitting .245 with four homers and 43 RBIs in 97 games.

The Cubs are 29-20 at home this season. The Tigers are 19-30 on the road.

–Field Level Media