Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. landed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday due to tightness in his lower back.

A starter for the American League in the All-Star Game last week, Witt left the Royals’ 4-3 win against the San Francisco Giants on Monday with back spasms. The roster move is retroactive to Tuesday.

Being without their best player for any length of time is likely the crowning blow for the Royals, who at 42-60 have a better record than only the Los Angeles Angels (41-60) and Colorado Rockies (41-61) heading into play Wednesday.

Because of the relative weakness of the AL Central, the Royals are 12 games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians. But with a little more than two months to play and a dozen games to make up, Witt’s injury should insure the Royals will be sellers at the trade deadline on Aug. 3.

Veteran starting pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha are projected to be coveted by contenders, though the Royals have said they are not inclined to move either right-hander.

In 94 games this season, Witt is batting .289 with 13 homers and 39 RBIs. He has 103 hits and 22 doubles, scoring 51 runs.

His 30 stolen bases lead the major leagues.

Witt is a three-time All-Star and the winner of two Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. He won the AL batting title in 2024 when he led the majors with a .332 average.

Kansas City’s shortstop since 2022, Witt has a career average of .288 with 118 home runs, 412 RBIs and 178 stolen bases in 720 games.

In a corresponding move, the Royals promoted 32-year-old Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Omaha. He is a well-traveled utility infielder who has not played in the major leagues since 2023.

He and Tyler Tolbert, a 28-year-old infielder hitting .328 in 38 games this year, are expected to share duties at shortstop.

The Royals also transferred right-hander Stephen Kolek to the 60-day injured list, designated center fielder Kameron Misner for assignment and traded right-hander Nate Pearson to the Houston Astros in exchange for right-hander Max Martin.

–Field Level Media

Already without injured starter Adley Rutschman, the Baltimore Orioles placed rookie catcher Samuel Basallo on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday.

The roster move is retroactive to Monday. In a corresponding move, the Orioles recalled right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez from Triple-A Norfolk.

Basallo, 21, is enjoying a solid first full season in the majors, posting 16 homers and 46 RBIs to go along with a .241 batting average in 86 games. He left Sunday’s game at the Houston Astros with right shoulder discomfort and did not play in Monday’s series opener at the Boston Red Sox.

Sam Huff started Monday and also was behind the plate Wednesday afternoon in the opener of a day-night doubleheader against Boston. Tuesday night’s game was rained out.

Rodriguez, 26, is 0-for-7 with an RBI in five games this season with Baltimore. He played 44 games for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024-25, hitting .176 with two home runs and 15 RBIs.

–Field Level Media

What’s the deal with Fernando Mendoza as the Raiders begin training camp with rookies due in Las Vegas on Thursday?

The franchise might be without the No. 1 overall pick, and the cause of his absence is a clause in his unsigned rookie deal.

The Heisman Trophy winner is locked into the four-year, $57.2 million contract parameters set by the collective bargaining agreement, with a $38.11 million signing bonus.

Representatives for Mendoza, according to multiple reports, are asking for the entire signing bonus at the time the rookie puts pen to paper on his first pro deal. Fact is, the lump sum bonus for No. 1 picks has become a matter of course since the Cincinnati Bengals decided to pay Joe Burrow, the top pick in the 2020 draft, his full signing bonus before ever taking a snap. After some posturing and public consternation, the Jacksonville Jaguars followed suit in 2021 (Trevor Lawrence) and 2022 (Travon Walker).

Rookies report for the first day of training camp with the Raiders on Thursday and veterans join next week, including backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins could start the season as the No. 1 quarterback even if Mendoza decides to sign.

But he’s not the only quarterback giving the stiff-arm to his rookie contract at the moment. A line formed behind Mendoza with Rams rookie first-round pick Ty Simpson (13th overall) waiting to see whether any precedent is established with the only quarterback drafted ahead of him. Carson Beck (65th overall by the Arizona Cardinals) and Drew Allar (76th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers) were in the same holding pattern as of Wednesday afternoon.

–Field Level Media