Fastball

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

The Kansas City Royals lost a lot more than a game on Thursday night...

Brady Farkas

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9 reacts after a collision with Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) in the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park. Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) had to leave the game on Aug 29.
Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9 reacts after a collision with Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) in the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park. Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) had to leave the game on Aug 29. / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
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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.

Per the Royals on social media:

Vinnie Pasquantino has a broken right thumb, and further tests are scheduled today. He could return in six to eight weeks.

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.

The Royals are locked in a huge series with the Astros this weekend. Game two of the series is Friday night with first pitch coming at 8:10 p.m. ET. Seth Lugo will get the ball against lefty Framber Valdez.

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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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