Royals vs. Guardians May 5 game info and thread

TL;DR

The Kansas City Royals face the Cleveland Guardians on May 5, 2026. Noah Cameron's start is skipped due to moderate back spasms, with Stephen Kolek taking the mound instead.

Key points

Noah Cameron is skipping his start due to back spasms
Stephen Kolek will start for the Royals
Kolek has a 2.76 ERA in Omaha

Mentioned in this story

Kauffman StadiumKansas City

Kansas City RoyalsCleveland GuardiansNoah CameronStephen Kolek

May 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen (22) signals he was safe at home against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images Welcome to game 36 on this young season. Can you imagine? Thirty-six games? I feel like it just started yesterday. In any case, the big news for today’s game is Noah Cameron’s start being skipped. The press crew talked to Cameron and Matt Quatraro before the game, and it doesn’t seem that big of a deal. Cameron said that it was only a “moderate” back spasm but that it was “too early to push through.” He said that if it was August or September, he’d probably take the mound. Q also reiterated that, too. In Cameron’s place, we’ll get Stephen Kolek. This marks Kolek’s first game for the Royals; he was competing for a spot in the rotation in spring, but an oblique injury sidelined him. He’s been really good in Omaha, sporting a nifty 2.76 ERA over four starts.