3:30pm: The Royals introduced that Pasquantino has been positioned on the 10-day injured listing with Loftin recalled because the corresponding transfer.
10:30am: The Royals introduced that first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino has a damaged proper thumb. He’s scheduled for additional testing at the moment however the membership says he gained’t be capable of return for six to eight weeks. Provided that timeline, he’ll miss the rest of the common season and would want the membership to place collectively a deep postseason run to be an element late in October.
Throughout final night time’s sport in opposition to the Astros, Yainer Diaz hit a comebacker to right-hander Lucas Erceg, who tried to discipline the ball together with his naked hand. Erceg knocked the ball down, picked it up and fired to first. The ball arrived on the bag across the similar time as Diaz, who made contact with Pasquantino as the primary baseman tried to discipline the throw (Video hyperlink from MLB.com). Each Erceg and Pasquantino had been visibly injured and faraway from the sport after the play. Supervisor Matt Quatraro informed reporters after the sport that each gamers would bear X-rays, per broadcaster Joel Goldberg on X.
The Royals haven’t but supplied an replace on Erceg, however the information on Pasquantino is devastating. He’s been a key bat for the membership this 12 months, hitting 19 residence runs whereas limiting his strikeout fee to 12.8%. His .262/.315/.446 batting line interprets to a wRC+ of 106.
That’s solely six p.c higher than league common however the Royals have had a reasonably top-heavy offense this 12 months. Bobby Witt Jr. has been elite and Salvador Perez has been nice, however there’s an enormous drop-off with out Pasquantino within the combine. The one others gamers on the group with an above-average wRC+ this 12 months are Freddy Fermin, Michael Massey and Paul DeJong. Fermin’s output is fuelled by a .344 batting common on balls in play that he’ll battle to take care of whereas DeJong has been a boom-and-bust gamers for years, alternating between residence run surges and massive strikeout woes.
The lineup appears loads much less imposing with out Pasquantino in it and the Royals will now need to proceed in his absence. Regardless of that pretty middling offense, the membership has been in a position to trip Witt’s wonderful season and a powerful rotation to a report of 75-60. They’re in the course of a three-way battle for the Central division, at present 1.5 video games again of the Guardians however two forward of the Twins. Each the Royals and Twins at present maintain Wild Card spots, with Boston 3.5 video games again of Minnesota for the ultimate slot.
The membership will now need to navigate the rest of the common season and at the least the start of the playoffs whereas determining an answer at first base. Perez has gotten into 35 video games there, together with 31 begins, often with Pasquantino slotting in because the designated hitter. Maybe Perez will play first extra typically however Fermin gained’t be capable of catch day-after-day, so Perez must be behind the plate once in a while.
Maybe the membership will flip to one among Nick Loftin or CJ Alexander, as each are multi-positional guys able to enjoying first and every is having season in Triple-A. Loftin is slashing .331/.422/.509 for the Storm Chasers whereas Alexander is hitting .303/.352/.554. However neither participant has hit within the majors but, as Loftin has a line of .236/.316/.305 in 232 massive league plate appearances whereas Alexander slashed .125/.125/.125 by his eight journeys to the foremost league plate.
The Royals may look exterior the group for extra offense, although their choices will probably be restricted now that the commerce deadline has handed. Gamers like Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman have reportedly been placed on waivers this week. Neither is an actual first base answer however they might conceivably assist with the DH spot. It’s probably there are different names on the wire that haven’t been reported. Any participant claimed previous to September 1 is playoff-eligible together with his new group.
The following few days ought to shed some gentle on how the Royals reply. For Pasquantino, it’ll be a second consecutive season marked by damage. His 2023 marketing campaign was led to June by shoulder surgical procedure, limiting him to simply 61 video games. He obtained into 131 contests this 12 months however he gained’t be capable of enhance that quantity now. He’s slated to qualify for arbitration after 2025 and free company after 2028.
