The Kansas City Royals just can’t catch a break. On Tuesday, the team announced that third baseman Maikel Garcia has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. That’s the same kind of muscle injury that’s been plaguing hitters across the league this season, and it’s about the last thing a club already shuffling lineup cards needed.
Garcia joins first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino on the shelf, and for a team that came into 2025 with real playoff expectations, this is starting to look like a slow bleed. The Royals called up infielder Josh Rojas from Triple-A Omaha to take Garcia’s spot on the active roster.
Garcia has been one of Kansas City’s most consistent pieces this year. He’s hitting .267 with an on-base percentage hovering around .320, plus 16 stolen bases that make him a real threat on the bases. His defense at third has been solid too, nothing flashy but reliable. Losing that stability on the left side of the infield hurts.
Injuries Piling Up at the Worst Time
The Royals have had an honestly rough go of it with health. Bobby Witt Jr. has been playing through some leg soreness, and the team has been careful with him. Pasquantino went down earlier this month with a hamstring issue. And now Garcia, who has started nearly every game at third base since Opening Day, is out for at least ten days. Probably longer, because oblique strains can be tricky.
Kansas City’s offense hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire either. They’re in the middle of the pack in runs scored, and without Garcia’s bat near the top of the order, that production could slip even more. Rojas, who was hitting .280 in Triple-A, should provide some solid at-bats but he’s not the same caliber player.
The Royals have a brutal stretch coming up too. They face a couple of division leaders right after the All-Star break, and they’ll have to do it without two of their better hitters. Manager Matt Quatraro hasn’t said much publicly yet, but you can bet the front office is keeping an eye on the trade market.
What’s Next for Kansas City
There’s no word yet on whether Garcia will be ready when his IL stint is up. Oblique injuries are weird. Some guys bounce back in two weeks, others need a month or more. The Royals are probably going to be cautious with him. They can’t afford to rush him back and lose him for the whole second half.
For now, it’s Rojas and maybe some shuffling between Nick Loftin and Michael Massey in the infield until Garcia returns. Witt will stay at shortstop. The bullpen is fine. The rotation has been decent. But the offense is starting to look thin, and in a division with the Guardians and Twins, that’s a problem.
The trade deadline is a few weeks away. If the Royals are still hanging around in the Wild Card race, they might have to make a move. If not, well, this might be the kind of injury that changes the entire plan.
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