It was a painful day at the ballpark for the Kansas City Royals, who not only lost 7-6 to the Texas Rangers but finished the game without one of their best hitters.
In the top of the seventh inning, third baseman Maikel Garcia was pulled from the game after he appeared to injure himself running to third base. Tyler Tolbert came in as a pinch-runner for Garcia and took over at second base in the bottom of the seventh, while Nick Loftin replaced Garcia at third. The Royals were quick to announce that Garcia had left the game due to a right hamstring strain. Judging by the amount of pain that Garcia appeared to be in, an IL stint is highly likely.
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The injury should be a concerning one for the Royals, not only for Garcia’s well-being, but because he has been the team’s most consistent hitter after Bobby Witt Jr. Garcia has also been extremely durable over the past few seasons. Over the past two years, Garcia has played 157 and 160 games, respectively, in 2024 and 2025. He missed seven games earlier this year with elbow soreness but was able to avoid going on the IL.
So far in 2026, Garcia has played 55 games, all of which have been at third base. He leads all MLB third basemen with 49 defensive putouts, 15 double plays turned, and a .986 fielding percentage. Needless to say, the left side of the Royals’ infield defense has been a pillar of strength for the team.
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Garcia’s absence will also be felt at the plate. In 242 plate appearances, Garcia is slashing .268/.326/.386, with three home runs, 20 RBI, and four stolen bases. He has always been a patient hitter and has collected 20 walks against 35 strikeouts this year, primarily hitting at the top of the Royals’ lineup.
The Royals have struggled this season and currently sit 11 games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the top spot in the AL Central. Depending on the severity of Garcia’s injury, it could prove to be a lengthy absence for the infielder. With the MLB All-Star Game on July 14th, a six-week absence would mean Garcia may not be back until just before the trade deadline.
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Kansas City will finish its series with the Texas Rangers on Sunday, and then immediately go to Ohio to begin a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 31, 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 ’
