Fastball

Kansas City Royals Provide Injury Update on Key Reliever

We learned that the Kansas City Royals were going to lose first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for the rest of the regular season (and potentially the entire postseason on Friday). Did they fare better with reliever Lucas Erceg?

Brady Farkas

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg (60) reacts after a play in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Aug 18.
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg (60) reacts after a play in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Aug 18. / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
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After learning that they would lose first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for the rest of the regular season (and possibly the entire postseason), the Kansas City Royals also provided an injury update on reliever Lucas Erceg.

Per Joel Goldberg of the Royals broadcast team:

Lucas Erceg is day to day. Has swelling and soreness in the hand and said he hopes to be back very soon. He’s understandably upset about the play last night. Most upset about the injury to Vinnie Pasquantino. Says his teammates, including Vinnie, supported and consoled him.

Erceg and Pasquantino were injured on the same play Thursday in the loss to the Houston Astros. Erceg was hit by a batted ball, then threw the ball to first base. The throw took Pasquantino into the runner, which is where he suffered his injury.

The 29-year-old Erceg was acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Oakland Athletics. He's 2-5 this season with a 3.40 ERA. In 51 appearances, he's struck out 57 batters.

The Royals enter play on Friday at 75-60 overall. They are 1.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central and they currently hold the second wild card spot in the American League.

Kansas City hasn't made the playoffs since 2015, which is the last year they won the World Series.

The Royals and Astros will play each other again on Friday night. It will be a battle of aces as Seth Lugo (Kansas City) pitches against veteran lefty Framber Valdez for Houston.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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