Royals vs. Cardinals lineups revealed ahead of June 5 matchup at Busch Stadium

Royals start power core led by Witt Jr. and Garcia
The Kansas City Royals will face the St. Louis Cardinals with a lineup anchored by Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Vinnie Pasquantino. Witt Jr., who enters the game with a .289 batting average, has hit seven home runs, driven in 35 runs, and swiped 21 bases. Garcia is batting .310 with five home runs and 27 RBIs, while Pasquantino adds power from the left side with eight home runs and 33 RBIs.

Designated hitter Jonathan India will lead off, entering with a .250 average and 14 RBIs. Salvador Perez will handle catching duties, bringing veteran experience along with four home runs and 27 RBIs. Rookie Wyatt Caglianone gets the start in right field, hitting .143 in limited at-bats. Drew Waters (.278 AVG), Michael Massey (.202 AVG), and Kyle Isbel (.280 AVG) round out the outfield and second base positions.


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Left-hander Mason Cameron (2-1, 0.91 ERA, 19 K) will start on the mound for Kansas City. He will aim to maintain his strong form in this interleague series against a Cardinals offense that has struggled with consistency in recent games.

Cardinals counter with Donovan and Herrera in key roles
The St. Louis Cardinals will counter with second baseman Brendan Donovan and designated hitter Ivan Herrera as key bats. Donovan leads the team with a .318 batting average and has recorded four home runs and 24 RBIs. Herrera, also performing well offensively, enters with a .323 average and 26 RBIs.

Lars Nootbaar will start in center field and leads off the order. He is batting .247 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs. Masyn Winn will bat second and play shortstop, contributing a .278 average, six home runs, and 20 RBIs. Catcher Pedro Pagés rounds out the order with a .216 average and 20 RBIs.

Paul Goldschmidt is absent from the lineup, with Willson Contreras starting at first base, hitting .239 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. Nolan Arenado will play third base with a .226 average, while Alec Burleson (.289 AVG) and Jordan Walker’s replacement Connor Vilade (.000 AVG) complete the outfield.

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Veteran right-hander Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.90 ERA, 36 K) will take the mound for St. Louis in search of his fifth win of the season.