KANSAS CITY – The Royals had just gotten their full lineup back together earlier this week when Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia were reinstated off the injured list, and there was no doubt it provided a little extra boost to both in terms of morale and production.
Full strength did not last long.
The Royals placed Garcia on the 10-day IL ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Tigers after the third baseman strained his left hamstring while running the bases Thursday against the A’s. An MRI revealed a Grade 1-plus strain, so Garcia could be out anywhere from three to six weeks. From a timing standpoint – given that there is just over a month left of the regular season – it could mean Garcia’s season is over, although the Royals don’t want to quite rule that out yet.
“Kind of too early to tell,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We’ll see how he bounces back here in the first few days, first week, and then we’ll have a better idea. If I was handicapping it, probably not super likely. But definitely don’t want to rule it out. We’ll see how his first handful of days to a week go, see how quickly he bounces back.”
In other roster moves Friday, the Royals recalled outfielder Matthew Lugo, whom they claimed off waivers from the Angels back on June 3. They also recalled reliever Jose Cuas to provide length in the bullpen and optioned reliever Carlos Duran, who made his Royals debut on Tuesday and earned his first career win but then walked three batters and allowed two runs in one-third of an inning Thursday.
If this does mark the end of the season for Garcia, it wraps up a frustrating 2026 – a year that started out on a high when he was named the World Baseball Classic MVP with champion Venezuela. Fresh off a five-year contract extension with the Royals, Garcia began the year as their everyday third baseman and was productive enough for the first few months of the season before injuries began to hinder him. He strained his right hamstring on May 30 and missed six games, avoiding the IL but continuing to nurse the ailment as he returned.
Also in May was when a hand injury began to bother Garcia, and it really began affecting him by mid-June. On June 23, he was placed on the IL with a left hand muscle strain. He missed 46 games – just under two months – before he was able to return this week.
And now the other hamstring.
Garcia has logged just 283 at-bats in ‘26, appearing in 73 games, and has a .269/.324/.385 slash line with 18 doubles and three home runs.
“It’s frustrating because I just got back,” Garcia said. “I feel great with my hand after the last month or more going through what I did with that. So it’s frustrating. And it makes me mad because I was feeling good and being myself. Looking at social media yesterday, people saying I’m faking my injuries and now I don’t like to play because I just got paid, that makes me mad.”
Garcia emphasized that he wants to be on the field and play everyday. Though it’s a long shot, his goal is to return this year, even if that means the last week or last few games of the season. The Royals would probably be cautious with him at that point, but they’ll have a better idea as they see how Garcia begins to recover.
“I want to get back and play,” Garcia said. “I don’t know how long it’ll be. Even if it’s with one week left, get back, finish healthy and go home with confidence of being healthy and get ready for next season.”
In his absence, the Royals will likely continue to play Nick Loftin at third base for the majority of the time. They brought up the 25-year-old Lugo, an outfielder, for an opportunity to show what he’s capable of on this team. The nephew of former Royal and now Baseball Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran, Lugo made his MLB debut with the Angels last season and posted a .707 OPS in 31 games. He’s played 53 games with Triple-A Omaha since the Royals acquired him and slashed .271/.320/.571 with 17 doubles and 11 home runs.
“For the most part, trying to work on my swing decisions at the plate,” Lugo said of his work in Triple-A. “On the hitting side, looking for good pitches to hit, not trying to – just consistent, good at-bats. And defensively, just working on my first step pre-pitch, getting better jumps on the ball.”
Lugo mostly plays in the corner outfield spots but has some experience in center, including seven games there with Omaha.
“He’s got bat speed, he’s got power,” Quatraro said. “He’s a developing player, so we’re excited to see what he does bring to the table.”