Next steps for KC Royals after Vinnie Pasquantino, Lucas Erceg injuries

The Kansas City Royals have lived by their “Today” slogan this season. For the rest of the 2024 campaign, the self-proclaimed mantra will be tested.

On Thursday, Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino fractured his right thumb during the game against the Houston Astros. The Royals confirmed he will need surgery and is slated to miss six to eight weeks.

“Vinnie is a great run producer,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He has been in the middle of our order all year, and we don’t want to lose sight of that. But part of the reason he’s producing those runs is because other guys are getting on base for him to produce them. So that team concept has to continue.”

Pasquantino has a .262 batting average with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs. He was putting together a career season before the injury. It’s a significant blow as Pasquantino had fueled the Royals offense at various points.

“No one person is going to carry the weight of Vinnie on a daily basis,” Quatraro said. “But we’ve got plenty of other major-league players here to contribute to winning baseball.”

The Royals have prior experience without Pasquantino in the lineup. Pasquantino missed the majority of the 2023 campaign with a right shoulder injury.

Royals captain Salvador Perez stepped up in his stead last year. Perez drew more starts at first base and performed well at the position. The Royals also utilized infielder Nick Pratto for several games, and he provided solid defense.

KC will stick with Perez in the interim this season. He played first base on Friday against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Other options include versatile players Adam Frazier, Nick Loftin and Garrett Hampson. Loftin was recalled from Triple-A Omaha as Pasquantino went on the 10-day injured list.

“It’s tough to see friends and teammates go down,” Loftin said. “Vinnie has been a great teammate of mine for a long time since I’ve started in this organization. He’s been a vital key to this team. I’m just going to go out there and compete to the best of my abilities and help this team win.”

The Royals could also use outfielders MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe at first base in a pinch. They have taken ground balls at the position this spring. Pratto remains in Triple-A and is another option when active rosters expand on Sept. 1.

“We can make roster moves, and we can do all kinds of things to put us in the best position to win every night,” Quatraro said.

It’s possible the Royals also look outside the organization.

There is an option to bring in another veteran bat that can rotate in at the designated hitter role. This will free up Perez to be at first base while tag-teaming with backup catcher Freddy Fermin behind the plate.

“We are going to continue to rotate,” Quatraro said. “Salvy is a big part of what we do behind the plate with game calling and leadership. You guys have seen him catch here for over a decade, so we are not going to all of a sudden run and say he has to play first base every day. I don’t think that is fair to Freddy either. We have a good, versatile group of guys that can play multiple positions. And, we will match up the best we can every night.”

Lucas Erceg update

Royals reliever Lucas Erceg was also injured on Thursday night. He attempted to field a ground ball with his bare hand in the eighth inning against the Astros.

The baseball bounced off his right hand with a high velocity. Erceg grabbed the baseball and threw wildly to first base, where Pasquantino indirectly injured his thumb.

Erceg is listed as day-to-day with a bruised right hand. He has some swelling and will continue to get treatment.

“It feels a lot better today,” Erceg said Friday. “Hopefully, it just came up to just some swelling. There’s no broken bones or anything, so that’s good. I should be out there as soon as I’m able to, and I’m looking forward to that.”

Erceg admitted he feels bad for Pasquantino’s injury. In the last 24 hours, Erceg leaned on his teammates to process the situation.

“Last night was rough for me,” Erceg said. “I felt like it was my fault that play ended up happening the way it did. Could’ve made a smarter decision by either getting out of the way of the ball or just eating it after kind of reacting to putting my hand up. Nonetheless, it’s a big blow for us, and you know, I’m just going to stay positive about the whole situation just like I know Vinnie is.”

Erceg said he spoke with Pasquantino after the injury. He apologized and was met with more encouragement from the Royals first baseman.

“I was trying to console him, and he was consoling me because that’s the type of guy that he is,” Erceg said.

The Royals supported both players. Hampson said the team is hoping for a speedy recovery for both and will get through the tough situation together.

“Just making sure Erceg knows he can’t blame this on himself,” Hampson said. “He can’t. It’s just a baseball play. So we’ve got to make sure we are all rallied behind him. Like I said, it’s just a baseball play, and it’s unfortunate things like that happen.”

The Royals are likely to give Erceg time to recover from the line drive. The club will continue to monitor his status over the next few days.

“We will see how he feels when he gets out here today,” Quatraro said.