The Kansas City Royals suffered two blows on Thursday. Right-hander Lucas Erceg (hand) was unable to field a groundball and he rushed a throw to first base, causing first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to move into the path of the baserunner. The aftermath of that incident left the Royals to announce that Pasquantino is out with a broken right thumb. He is scheduled for further testing on Friday but won’t return for six to eight weeks.
Lucas Erceg and Vinnie Pasquantino both exit this game with apparent injuries in the bottom of the eighth inning. #Royals pic.twitter.com/a7jl7eWd31
— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) August 30, 2024
Nick Pratto or Nick Loftin are options to be called up from Triple-A Omaha to fill in at first base. Also, Salvador Perez might get more action in the position while Freddy Fermin is the catcher.
Vinnie Pasquantino to Miss Six to Eight Weeks with Injury
Erceg, 29, has been a key part of the Royals bullpen since coming over from the Oakland Athletics. He has a 2.63 ERA in 13 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts for the Royals. Pasquantino, 26, has been Kansas City’s cleanup hitter between Bobby Witt Jr. and Perez. He’s hitting a robust .262/.315/.446 with 30 doubles, 16 home runs and 97 RBI. Pasquantino’s 97 RBI are the fourth most in baseball behind Aaron Judge, José Ramírez and Marcell Ozuna.
Avoiding long-term injuries has helped the Royals enter the postseason picture. However, losing both Erceg and Pasquantino is one of the hits the club has taken of late. Veteran relievers Hunter Harvey and Will Smith remain sidelined with back injuries. Newly acquired right-hander Michael Lorenzen went on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. The Royals will have to rely on their depth through this challenging time.
The Royals are 16-11 since the trade deadline, and after trailing 10 games behind the Cleveland Guardians, they enter the weekend only 1 1/2 games back in the American League Central. Playing good baseball down the stretch will be important, and a bad week could have major ramifications regarding postseason aspirations.
Main Photo: © Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
