Fermin opened the scoring in the first inning with a line drive single to right off of Randy Vásquez. He added another RBI knock off of Vásquez in the second and rode home on Harold Castro’s two-run blast. The hard-hitting backstop then put the game out of reach with a two-run single off of Raul Brito in the third inning making it a 10-2 ballgame. Fermin is an interesting option for batting average in the later rounds of deep two catcher leagues, but that’s about as far as his usefulness goes from a fantasy perspective.

Salvador Perez will slide to designated hitter, but the Royals continue to find ways to get Fermin’s bat in the lineup after hitting .307 in 27 games since the All-Star break with two home runs, nine runs scored, and 14 RBI. He’s a fringe option in one-catcher formats with his expanded playing time.

The 29-year-old started at designated hitter on Friday and continues to play regularly at DH and behind the dish. He’s also swinging the bat really well in the second half, going 23-for-68 (.338) in 17 games since the All-Star break with two home runs and 10 RBI. That production and regular playing time make him a sneaky option at catcher in most fantasy leagues.

It’s the first time Fermin has led off this season as the Royals have gone ahead and stacked their lineup with right-handed bats against Tigers lefty opener Tyler Holton. It might be a one-off deal here, but it’s worth noting that Maikel Garcia hasn’t exactly been setting the league on fire of late, while Fermin is batting .417 (15-for-36) with two homers in 11 games since the All-Star break.