MINNEAPOLIS – The Royals were without two of their everyday players on Sunday for the series finale against the Twins at Target Field, with catcher Salvador Perez (severe right thumb contusion) and right fielder Jac Caglianone (right shoulder soreness) both banged up with injuries.
Perez was hit on his right thumb by a wild pitch on Friday night, cracking the nail, but stayed in the game after a trainer’s visit. Caglianone crashed into the right-field wall while chasing down a double in the second inning on Friday night, with his shoulder bearing the brunt of the crash, but he, too, stayed in the game.
By Saturday, Perez’s thumb was swollen enough that the Royals had to keep him out of the lineup, and he was still dealing with that swelling on Sunday, making it hard to grip the bat during swings and the ball during throws. The thumb isn’t broken, though, so the Royals are hopeful that Perez will continue to improve over the next couple of days and feel more normal on Tuesday following Monday’s team off-day, manager Matt Quatraro said Sunday morning.
Caglianone was in the lineup to begin Saturday’s game but exited in the fourth inning for pinch-hitter Lane Thomas. Caglianone hadn’t been able to shake the soreness he was feeling, so the Royals lifted him before anything could get worse.
“We don’t think it’s anything structural, but he was favoring it a little bit in the swing,” Quatraro said. “So we didn’t want to take any chances.”
Quatraro said Caglianone felt better Sunday, but he was being evaluated before the game to determine his availability off the bench. With the Royals believing that there’s not anything structurally wrong, the hope is that Caglianone will feel improved enough in the next few days to get back in the lineup.
The Royals have, at least, gotten another injured player back in their lineup in Maikel Garcia, who sustained a right hamstring strain on May 30 against the Rangers. Garcia was available off the bench the past few games, coming in as a pinch-hitter both Thursday and Friday against the Twins. He was the designated hitter in Saturday’s win and was in the lineup back at third base on Sunday. Garcia might not be back at 100% on the bases, but the Royals feel confident enough with him at the plate and in the field.
“He’s very confident in what he can do in the field,” Quatraro said. “He looked comfortable [Saturday]. I think getting the at-bats the previous days to get a little timing back … probably helped him.”