Kansas City Royals Suffer Brutal Break That Could Have Serious Impact on Playoff Run

The Kansas City Royals lost to the Houston Astros on Thursday night, 6-3, but they also lost a lot more than a game.

The Royals lost first baseman and middle-of-the-order bat Vinnie Paquantino to a broken thumb. He will miss the rest of the regular season and could miss the entirety of a potential Royals playoff run.

Pasquantino was injured on a collision at first base. The 26-year-old is a key piece of what the Royals are doing in this magical 2024 season, as he’s hitting .262 with 19 homers and a whopping 97 RBI. Without him, the team will need to rely even more on superstars Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr.

It’s unknown how the Royals will handle his absence defensively as well. Perez could play first base, but that would weaken things behind the plate.

The Royals enter play on Friday at 75-60 on the season. They are just 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. They are holding firm to the second wild card spot in the American League, but this injury certainly has the ability to change everything for them.