The Royals set first base Vinnie Pasquantino on the 10-day injured list with a right hamate fracture, according to a team announcement. The one who plays outside John Rave it is remembered by the motion of the corresponding operating system.
Pasquantino was injured in the fifth inning of yesterday’s 8-7 loss to the Astros. Facing Houston Mike BurrowsPasquantino swung into the infield and out to third base. He immediately became upset after the throw and ended up leaving the game (video courtesy of MLB.com). Jac Caglianone slide from right field to first base, again Isaac Collins he took Pasquantino’s place in the lineup, playing left field.
A hamate fracture is the same injury that the twins suffered. Ryan Jeffers and more recently the guards José Ramírez. The Royals have yet to announce a timeline for Pasquantino, but as noted by MLBTR’s Steve Adams, hamstring fractures typically sideline players for four to five weeks. Jeffers arrived in IL on May 19 and is expected to return in July, according to the Twins’ official release. Others like it Corbin Carroll again Francisco Lindor returned within the expected timeframe, while the Orioles’ Jackson Holiday it took about three months after facing the obstacles.
At the very least, Pasquantino will be inactive for the All-Star break. That would leave the Royals without a key player, though he has struggled in 2026. Pasquantino has thus far hit .224/.309/.350 in 291 plate appearances, which is 19% below average with a wRC+. That’s a far cry from last year, when Pasquantino was 16% above average, and easily the worst mark of his career. In addition to his poor defense, the 28-year-old has been below replacement rate this year.
Pasquantino’s decline in hard contact is a major factor in his decline at the plate. He had a 44.7% strikeout rate last year, but it dropped to 37.7% in 2026, which ranked in the 34th percentile according to Statcast. Pasquantino also has a low 88.5 MPH exit velocity. There is some evidence that he was unlucky, as Pasquantino’s .350 slugging percentage fell behind his projected .394 slugging percentage. However, even the last one would be a low performance, so the reality is that Pasquantino is unlucky and he is not hitting much this year.
For now, the Royals will likely go with the lineup they used last night after Pasquantino’s exit: Caglianone at first, then Collins and Lane Thomas in the outer corners. Caglianone has never played first base in the Majors, though he has played 516 innings there in the minors since 2024-25. Caglianone is hitting very well this year (118 wRC+), so he can be a pass rusher as a passing defender. Offensively, the result of Pasquantino’s injury puts him out of favor with Thomas. The latest 99 wRC+ is technically below average but still surpasses Pasquantino’s output this year.
For now, Rave is being called upon to fill in as a backup outfielder. Rave, a fifth-round draft pick by Kansas City in 2019, was released last year and hit .196/.283/.307 in 175 plate appearances, for a 65 wRC+. Conversely, he hit .278/.395/.475 with a 126 wRC+ in Triple-A this year, his third straight season of above-average output at that level. Rave is two years away from the election and will likely be deployed when Pasquantino returns.
Photo courtesy of Denny Medley, Imagn Images
