Quebec native Eric Cerantola records his first strikeout in MLB

Unless there's a major change, it's pretty rare for us to take a really in-depth look at the Kansas City Royals' roster moves.

But what happened yesterday (Wednesday) deserves our close attention. The Royals sent Stephen Kolek down to the minors this afternoon after a strong start against the Cleveland Guardians the day before. To replace him, Quebec native Eric Cerantola was called up from Omaha, the AAA affiliate.

The 26-year-old then made his major league debut that evening, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two batters and giving up no runs in the ninth inning of the Royals' 3-1 loss to the Guardians.

The Montreal native allowed the first two batters he faced to reach base, but after Austin Hedges was caught stealing, Cerantola struck out the final two batters to close out the inning.

Eric Cerantola notches career strikeout No. 1! https://t.co/53CC4Wqlg5 pic.twitter.com/KQsn4TOoZA

— Royals.TV (@kcroyalstv) May 7, 2026

The Royals drafted Cerantola in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The 6-foot-5 reliever posted a 1.42 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a 18-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 2/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level this season.

Cerantola pitched for Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic this spring, making two scoreless appearances as the Canadians advanced to the quarterfinals of the international tournament.

When you see him in action, expect to see plenty of sliders and several swings and misses from opposing batters.

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