A difficult season is about to get a little harder for the Kansas City Royals as they placed one of their star sluggers on the 10-day IL on Sunday.
Vinnie Pasquantino exited Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros after flying out to third base. Pasquantino immediately grimaced after his swing and left the game, replaced by Isaac Collins. Jac Caglianone shifted from the outfield to cover Pasquantino at first base. The Royals immediately diagnosed the injury as a right hamate bone injury, and further testing confirmed that the bone had been broken. Pasquantino underwent successful surgery on his hand on Sunday morning.
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The hulking first baseman is expected to be out of the lineup for at least four to six weeks, depending on how the bone heals. There has been a slew of hamate bone injuries this season, starting in MLB’s Spring Training. Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles all had similar injuries during the preseason. Holliday did not return to the lineup until late May.
Pasquantino’s injury also comes just a day after Cleveland Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez suffered a broken hamate bone against the Detroit Tigers in a similar fashion. A few weeks earlier, Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers also broke his hamate bone while swinging at the plate.
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The injury is the latest frustration in what has been a down year for Pasquantino. Through 68 games, Pasquantino is slashing .224/.309/.350, with six home runs and 32 RBI. His OPS is nearly 100 points lower than his career average, and his hard-hit rate has fallen from 44.7% in 2025 to 37.7% in 2026.
The hamate bone injury should be of concern to the Royals as it has been known to sap hitters’ power, even when fully healed. For a player who relies on power and hard contact, the injury could just be the nail in the coffin on a lost year for Pasquantino.
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For now, expect the Royals to continue playing Caglianone at first base, while the team shuffles its options in the outfield. The group currently includes Collins, Lane Thomas, Kameron Misner, and John Rave, who the Royals recalled from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Veteran Starling Marte has made 16 appearances in the outfield this season, but has primarily been the team’s DH.
The Royals are fairly thin at the outfield position in their farm system, so the team could look at veteran free agents or a minor trade to solidify their depth while Pasquantino is on the shelf.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sports.yahoo.com ’
