After Vinnie Pasquantino injury, Kansas City Royals acquire veteran first baseman

The Kansas City Royals aren’t quite done reshaping their roster.

After claiming two veteran outfielders on waivers, the club announced late Saturday afternoon it has acquired infielder Yuli Gurriel from the Atlanta Braves on a minor-league deal for cash considerations.

Gurriel has played eight seasons in the majors, most notably with the Houston Astros (seven seasons) and last season on the Miami Marlins. He has not appeared in a major-league game this season.

However, the move is particularly notable after the injury to Vinnie Pasquantino, who will miss the rest of the regular season based on the recovery timeline the Royals provided (six to eight weeks) for his broken thumb.

Both Pasquantino and Gurriel, 40, are first basemen. A career .281 hitter, Gurriel slashed .245/.304/.359 last season in 108 games with the Marlins. He was hitting .292 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs in 75 games for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers this season.

Gurriel is a two-time World Series champion and won a Gold Glove in 2021.

This story will be updated.