The Chiefs’ time in St. Joe is over, the Royals played their best baseball in months, and Sporting Kansas City just made the biggest signing in club history.
Here is where things stand heading into the weekend.
Chiefs Check-in: Preseason Week Two Preview
The Chiefs travel to Tampa Bay tomorrow night for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff at Raymond James Stadium, and this one should tell us significantly more than last week’s opener. Head coach Todd Bowles typically plays his starters in preseason games, which means Kansas City’s first and second unit will get a real look against legitimate competition for the first time this summer.
Patrick Mahomes will sit again, which was expected. Andy Reid outlined his quarterback plan for the evening, with Justin Fields expected to play a quarter and a half before handing it off to Garrett Nussmeier for another quarter and a half, followed by Chris Oladokun for the remainder of the game.
The injury report is notable. Josh Simmons (back), Trey Smith (hip), Chamarri Conner (knee), Ashton Gillotte (plantar fascia), Jeff Caldwell (knee), Jack Cochrane (knee), and Jimmy Holiday (quad/groin) are all expected to sit. Simmons’ absence carries the biggest ripple effect on the offensive line, as it slides Jaylon Moore to left tackle and opens the door for Kahlil Benson to get his most meaningful reps yet at right tackle with the first unit. The right tackle battle that has been building all summer may finally get a real evaluation tomorrow night.
The other headline is that sixth-overall pick Mansoor Delane appears to be fully healthy from his shoulder injury and is expected to suit up, giving Chiefs Kingdom its first look at its most significant draft investment in over a decade. How much of the other key starters, including Kenneth Walker, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones, will see the field remains to be seen, but tomorrow’s exhibition promises to be the most informative of the preseason.
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Royals Report: Six Wins in Seven Days
The Royals showed real fight this week, going 6-1 over a seven-game stretch with no off days. They took two of three from the Los Angeles Angels last weekend before returning home to sweep the Oakland Athletics in four straight at Kauffman Stadium. They now sit at 55-74, which still feels like a long shot, but they are now just 8.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with roughly six weeks remaining in the season.
The offensive production was impressive across the board. Michael Massey had the week of his career, collecting nine hits for a .529 batting average. Jac Caglianone, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Massey all hit above .400 for the week. Bobby Witt Jr. was slightly more measured with the batting average but even more impactful with the slugging, hitting .304 with three home runs and six RBI.
On the mound, Noah Cameron was dominant, spinning nine shutout innings in his start, and Randy Dobnak made two appearances without allowing a run.
The injury news was not as encouraging. Maikel Garcia, who returned from a 46-game absence due to a left-hand muscle strain on Monday, is heading back to the injured list after pulling his hamstring rounding third base in Thursday’s win over the Athletics. It has been a brutal season for the veteran, who entered 2026 fresh off a World Baseball Classic MVP award and a Gold Glove and All-Star season in 2025. In just 73 games, he has posted a .269 average with three home runs and 32 RBI, and the hamstring injury is the latest setback in a year he would like to forget.
Garcia joins a lengthy list of core players who have missed significant time, including Pasquantino, Jonathan India (out for the season), Cole Ragans (out for the season), Carlos Estevez, Luinder Avila, and Stephen Kolek, the latter two also done for the year after having Tommy John surgery on the same day a few weeks ago. Despite all of that, this team keeps finding ways to win, and that counts for something.
Sporting Scoops: A Draw, and Then a History-Making Signing
Sporting Kansas City hosted cross-state rival St. Louis City SC last Saturday and came away with a 1-1 draw. St. Louis scored in first-half stoppage time before Calvin Harris equalized in the 55th minute to earn Kansas City a point. It was a hard-fought result against a familiar opponent.
The bigger story came after the final whistle. Sporting announced the largest signing in club history, inking Brazilian forward Andre Luiz to a five-year, $18 million deal. The 24-year-old is coming off a breakout campaign split between leagues in Portugal and Greece, and the investment signals a genuine commitment to building something more competitive in Kansas City.
Whether Luiz can hit the ground running in MLS remains to be seen, but this is the kind of move that changes the conversation around what Sporting is trying to become.
What to Watch This Week
Chiefs
At Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. CT at Raymond James Stadium
Royals (55-74)
Home vs. Detroit Tigers (61-66): Friday through Saturday
At Toronto Blue Jays (63-66): Tuesday through Thursday
Sporting KC (4-3-13)
At Atlanta United FC (5-3-12): Sunday, August 23, 6 p.m. CT