Phillies vs Royals Preview: Deep Phillies Pile Up for Sunday Showdown

The Phillies roll into Kansas City with one of the National League's most talented pitching staffs. Aaron Nola takes the mound Sunday, leading a rotation that includes ace Zack Wheeler and several other quality arms. Philadelphia's bullpen got even stronger when they acquired closer Jhoan Duran, whose blazing fastball and devastating splitter shut down hitters in the ninth inning. The Phillies sit at 49-39 and won seven of their last ten games. Their pitching depth gives them a real shot at dominating this matchup against a struggling Royals team.

Kansas City is struggling this season with a 35-53 record and just lost three straight games. Their pitching staff has potential but faces real challenges with key injuries. Star pitcher Cole Ragans had elbow surgery and won't return until 2027. The Royals still have solid arms like Seth Lugo and closer Carlos Estévez, but injuries have weakened the rotation. Luinder Avila gets the start Sunday. Kansas City needs to find wins fast or fall even further behind in the AL standings.

Both teams are dealing with significant injuries heading into this game. The Phillies lost outfielder Adolis Garcia for the rest of 2025 after shoulder surgery. Center fielder Johan Rojas faces a long recovery from elbow surgery. Kansas City's injury list is even longer: first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is out with hand surgery, and third baseman Maikel Garcia just hit the injured list. Catcher Salvador Perez is day-to-day with an elbow problem. These missing pieces make it tougher for both lineups to produce runs and win close games.