Vinnie

Pasquantino

Pasquantino won’t have any coddling, as he will make his return from a fractured thumb by hitting in the middle of the lineup against Corbin Burnes. The full lineup for the Royals in Game 1: Michael Massey 2B, Bobby Witt Jr. SS, Pasquantino DH, Salvador Perez C, Yuli Gurriel 1B, MJ Melendez LF, Tommy Pham RF, Kyle Isbel CF and Maikel Garcia hitting ninth at third behind starter Cole Ragans.

Pasquantino was able to take batting practice multiple times on the field over the weekend, and the 26-year-old will be able to at least hit during the three-game series against the Royals. He ended up missing close to exactly a month with his fractured thumb.

The first baseman has been out since the end of August with a broken thumb that was expected to keep him out for 4-6 weeks. Over the weekend, he took batting practice on the field multiple times, and the team must feel good about his ability to manage the pain while swinging. No final decisions have been made yet, but it seems like things are tracking for the 26-year-old to be in the lineup in the Wild Card round.

That session will take place in either Baltimore or Houston; depending on where the Royals are heading. The 26-year-old has not played since the end of August with his fractured thumb, but he’s making progress; enough so that he just might be an option for the Wild Card series or the ALDS if the Royals are able to advance.

The Royal’s first baseman has been out since August 30th after breaking his thumb. While it’s unlikely that Pasquantino will return before the end of the regular season, he has stated that he plans to play in the playoffs should the Royals get there. If he responds well from today’s batting practice session, that would be one step closer to making that happen.

Pasquantino is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, which means he’s like to miss the remainder of the season. It’s within the realm of possibility that he beats that initial recovery timeline, but he’s not going to make much of an impact, if any, for fantasy managers. It’s possible he’ll be able to help Kansas City if they make it to the playoffs.

“In my mind, my season’s not over” Pasquantino said. The 26-year-old still hasn’t been able to undergo surgery as of yet because of the swelling in his thumb, but he’s meeting with a surgeon Monday. Pasquantino seems very unlikely to return during the regular season because of his 6-8 week timeline of recovery, but it’s possible he could be a helper if the Royals are to play deep into the postseason.

As expected, Pasquantino is set to miss the next 6-8 weeks after breaking his right thumb in a collision at first base on Thursday. He’ll miss the remainder of the season. It’s a brutal blow for the Royals, as the 26-year-old slugger had been a force in the middle of their lineup with 19 homers and 97 RBI.

Pasquantino will undergo further testing on Friday to determine his next steps, but for fantasy purposes, his season is over. It’s unclear what the Royals might do to fill his spot at first base in the meantime, though increasing playing time for Paul DeJong wouldn’t be a bad idea given his production this year. Pasquantino was in the middle of somewhat of a breakout season. He was hitting .262 with 19 home runs and 97 RBI with the home run and RBI totals representing career-highs.

Pasquantino’s arm got run into by Yainer Díaz on a play at first base, and he appeared to be in considerable pain afterwards. Salvador Perez took over for him at first base tonight. If Pasquantino goes on the IL, the Royals will likely recall either CJ Alexander or Nick Loftin, and they could mix and match with Perez and maybe Paul DeJong or Adam Frazier at first. Freddy Fermin would often catch in that scenario. Nick Pratto might also be an option for a callup, but he’s been pretty bad in Triple-A.