Royals Could Get Much-Needed Offensive Help As Slugger Begins Rehab Assignment
Not much has gone right for the Kansas City Royals this week.
Losers of seven straight entering play Wednesday, the Royals' usually-potent offense has gone stone cold. Everything changed when first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino broke his thumb on Thursday in Houston, but there have been other key losses on offense as well.
On Aug. 25, right fielder Hunter Renfroe went on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring. In the time since Renfroe's injury, the Royals have averaged just over 3 1/2 runs per contest, and have lost eight of 11 games.
Though the Royals have done everything they can to retool on the fly, adding veterans , it's hard to replace a steady contributor who's been around all season. Thankfully, though, it appears Renfroe is close to a return.
On Wednesday, the Royals announced on X that Renfroe would begin a rehab assignment with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He will report to Springfield, Missouri, where the Naturals are taking on the local St. Louis Cardinals affiliate.
Renfroe's overall numbers in 2024 aren't eye-popping, but the righty has been very solid after a dreadful first month. Since May 12, Renfroe has a .282/.357/.467 slash line, with 24 extra-base hits and 34 RBI in 64 games.
For the season, Renfroe's offensive numbers are barely below league average. He has a .710 OPS/96 OPS+ in 104 games. But if the Royals can get the version of Renfroe back that helped keep the offense ticking all summer, they'll be in a much better place.
There is no telling yet how long Renfroe's rehab assignment will be, but fans seem to hope it will be a quick one. The sooner Kansas City can put a trusted bat back in the lineup, the better.
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JACKSON ROBERTS
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org