Royals add four with MLB experience as rosters expand

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The playoff-contending Kansas City Royals took roster expansion to the next level, adding four players Sunday who have major league experience: Yuli Gurriel, Tommy Pham, Robbie Grossman, Alec Marsh.

Major league teams can expand rosters by two players for the final month of the regular season, with the Royals creating more space by designating left-hander Anthony Veneziano for assignment, while infielder Nick Loftin and outfielder Tyler Gentry were optioned to Triple-A Omaha.

Pham and Grossman were claimed off waivers Friday from the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers respectively. Gurriel was acquired in a trade from the Atlanta Braves, also on Friday.

Pham, 36, is a .258 career hitter with 137 homers, 462 RBIs and 125 steals in 1,098 career games over 11 seasons. He also has played for the Tampa Bay Rays (2018-19), San Diego Padres (2020-21), Cincinnati Reds (2022), Boston Red Sox (2022) and New York Mets (2023).

Grossman, 34, is hitting .243 with 93 homers and 429 RBIs in 1,197 games over 12 seasons with the Houston Astros (2013-15), Minnesota Twins (2016-18), Oakland Athletics (2019-20), Detroit Tigers (2021-22), Atlanta Braves (2022), Rangers (2023, 2024) and White Sox.

Gurriel, 40, is a career .281 hitter with 98 home runs and 462 RBIs over 909 games in eight seasons for the Houston Astros (2016-22) and Miami Marlins (2023). He played 75 games in Triple-A for the Braves this season and batted .292 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs.

In his second season with the Royals, the 26-year-old Marsh was 7-7 with a 4.67 ERA in 21 appearances (20 starts) earlier this year.

–Field Level Media