Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia back in starting lineup against Seattle Mariners

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia is back in the lineup after missing one game with left upper body discomfort.

Garcia exited Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals after getting two hits and extending his hitting streak to 15 games. That 15-game streak tied Garcia with David DeJesus (twice) and Mike Moustakas for the longest hitting streak by a rookie in Royals history.

Royals manager says the injury would seem to be in the rear-view mirror.

“He says he feels great,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “When we left here on Saturday, he said he would be ready. Yesterday, we checked with him and he said he felt good. Today, he felt good. We are hoping that was a blip and it’s behind us.”

Garcia is hitting .286 with four home runs, 38 RBIs and 18 steals this season. He has acclimated well to the leadoff spot and has played strong defense at third base.

The Royals also made a couple of roster moves:

KC reinstated outfielder Drew Waters from the Bereavement List. Waters missed the last three games. In a corresponding move, the Royals optioned outfielder Edward Olivares to Triple-A Omaha.

Olivares appeared in 85 games this season. He posted a .246 average with six home runs and 20 RBIs.

“We have a really good idea of what Oli is,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “He has done some good things for us over the last couple of years. We are trying to create some opportunities for other guys that we are trying to learn more about at the Major League level.

“Sometimes you just have to make tough decisions like that. That wasn’t an easy one.”

Royals add outfielder from Texas Rangers

The Royals continue to build organizational depth. On Monday, the Royals claimed outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers from the Texas Rangers.

Thompson, 25, was a first-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. He posted a .170 batting average in 37 games this season.

The Royals are intrigued with his offensive potential. Thompson recorded two home runs, 17 RBIs and 16 steals in 32 minor-league games this season.

“He’s a player that we’ve always liked,” Picollo said. “We see him a lot, and we’ve seen him since he signed. … “I think everybody knows how much we value defense in center field. Just to add depth like that is really good. We continue to look for right-handed power somewhere along the way and Bubba fits that as well.”

Picollo added there is not a specific timeline call up Thompson. He was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after joining the organization.

Injury Notes: Brad Keller, Jake Brentz to start rehab assignments

The Royals have a couple of pitchers on the mend. Royals starter Brad Keller is slated to begin a rehab stint in the Arizona Complex League (ACL). He has a right shoulder impingement injury and last pitched in the majors on May 15.

This will be Keller’s second rehab stint. He completed a previous rehab assignment on July 27. Keller owns a 4.36 ERA in 43 1/3 innings of work for the Royals this season.

Brentz is slated to begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday. He will join Keller in the ACL. Brentz’s last pitching appearance came on April 29, 2022. He has been sidelined after undergoing Tommy John surgery.