Inside the whirlwind 24 hours after Cam Devanney got his MLB call-up to the Royals
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals promoted Cam Devanney after placing Mark Canha on 10-day IL.
- Devanney hit .272 with 18 home runs over 69 games for Triple-A Omaha.
- Family and friends traveled to Kansas City to witness his potential MLB debut.
On Monday night, Cam Devanney stepped out of the shower to five missed calls from Triple-A Omaha manager Mike Jirschele.
“He got on me for that a little bit,” Devanney said. “After that, it’s just been a rush, packing up the apartment, getting everything ready to rock and getting over here.”
Less than 24 hours later, he was recounting that story to a small crowd of reporters gathered in the Royals’ clubhouse. A general Kansas City Royals plaque hung above the 6-foot-1 shortstop’s head in lieu of his name.
But that didn’t matter.
A white jersey with the No. 17 and DEVANNEY across the back hung inside his locker, waiting to welcome him to the show.
Inside Cam Devanney’s call-up
Devanney was promoted from Triple-A on Tuesday after the Royals placed outfielder Mark Canha on the 10-day injured list. Pitcher Cole Ragans was moved to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster.
It all happened fast.
Shannon DiGrazio, Devanney’s girlfriend, was with him when Jirschele delivered the news.
Devanney’s first call was to his mom, Chris, who immediately set the travel plans in motion to get herself, Cam’s dad and younger sister, McKenna, from New Hampshire to Kansas City
The couple in Omaha didn’t get much sleep — DiGrazio estimated maybe three hours total, which she attributed to the adrenaline. By 8 a.m. Tuesday, they were on the road to Kauffman Stadium.
The three-ish hour drive was a mix of excited phone calls balanced out by moments of reflection. Sleep was nowhere in the equation.
“I was on cruise control the whole time,” Devanney admitted in the clubhouse Tuesday. “I couldn’t risk it.”
Journey to the Royals’ clubhouse
The 28-year-old shortstop has excelled this season hitting .272 with 18 home runs across 69 games in Omaha. Devanney, originally from New Hampshire, said he’s ready to fill in wherever the team needs him. That’ll likely end up being in the outfield.
“I think how you survive in this game is by being adaptable and versatile,” Devanney said Tuesday afternoon. “I understand the dynamic up here and what they are looking for, so I’m just trying to fit their needs and try to help the team win however I can.”
Devanney played college baseball at Elon University in North Carolina before he was drafted as a redshirt junior by the Brewers in 2019. As a 15th round pick, he was the last of Elon’s four selections that year.
On Tuesday, he became the third of that group to reach the majors alongside George Kirby (Seattle Mariners) and Ty Adcock (New York Mets).
“You sacrifice a lot for this game,” said Cam’s mom, Chris, inside a suite at Kauffman Stadium during Tuesday night’s game. “He loves the sport so much that he eats, sleeps, lives and breathes baseball.”
The suite was filled with family and friends, including Devanney’s college roommate and coaches.
People traveled from across the country on a moment’s notice to be there. It was a no-brainer, Chris explained.
Everyone knew how hard he had worked to get to that moment.
The Royals acquired Devanney and right-handed pitcher Ryan Brady in December 2023 when they traded right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke to the Brewers. Devanney began playing for the Omaha Storm Chasers after he attended spring training with the Royals in 2024. He was invited back in 2025.
The Royals deployed Devanney at second and third base during spring training. He toyed with those positions and spent some time in the outfield in the minors, too.
“They said he took to that really well,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He moves around well. He’s a good athlete, he’s a good baseball player.”
Devanney said he felt confident he could play anywhere in the outfield. Quatraro echoed that Devanney was ready when asked about him before Tuesday’s game.
The first Devanney jerseys at The K
DiGrazio wore a blue and white pinstripe button down in support of her boyfriend. Chris Devanney had a vibrant blue V-neck shirt.
Likely the first commercial Devanney Royals jersey belongs to Devanney’s college coach, Mike Kennedy.
Kennedy is still the head coach at Elon. Even having responsibilities to get back to Wednesday, he made the trip to Kauffman Stadium when he found out his former player had been called up.
He, too, called it a no-brainer. But the path wasn’t straightforward.
There were no flights out of Raleigh or Greensboro that would get him to the ballpark in time. So he drove two hours to Charlotte and flew from there.
“A bunch of people have texted me all day and said he’s not in the lineup,” Kennedy said pregame. “Who cares? He’s wearing a big-league uniform at a big-league ballpark for the first time. You only get one first game. So I want to be here for him.”
Kennedy’s flight got him to The K a few hours ahead of everyone else. When the gates opened he went to the team store and put in an order for a jersey with Devanney on the back.
Several more custom orders from the Devanney family were close behind.
“It’s so special,” Chris said. “As a parent you want what’s best for your kids and you want to see them succeed. For his dream to come true, this is amazing.”
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Inside the whirlwind 24 hours after Cam Devanney got his MLB call-up to the Royals."
