Royals’ Jac Caglianone exits Giants game with shoulder injury

While the Kansas City Royals are going through a tough season, the development of Jac Caglianone remains a top priority. However, the right fielder/first baseman’s 2026 season may now be put on pause.

Caglianone was forced to leave the Royals’ Tuesday matchup against the San Francisco Giants with shoulder soreness, the team announced. He suffered the injury while attempting to make a diving catch in the fifth inning.

The Royals will have further information once Caglianone undergoes further tests. They’ll hope he doesn’t need to undergo a long stint on the injured list. But Kansas City will ultimately take a cautious approach rather than try and rush him back.

Entering Tuesday’s matchup, Caglianone was hitting .260 with 16 home runs and 37 RBIs. He leads the Royals in home runs and ranks fourth in RBIs.

It’s a stark improvement from the numbers the first baseman/outfielder put up as a rookie. Over his fist 62 games in the league, Caglianone hit .157 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs. Kansas City is still expecting the slugger to keep growing and become a key part of the lineup. But he has at least shown some of the potential that made him such a potent prospect.

Entering Tuesday with a 41-60 record, it would take a Herculean effort for Kansas City to get back into the playoffs. While they’ll continue to battle every night, the Royals will be sellers at the deadline. It seems unlikely Caglianone will be on the move. But he’ll need to step up in an even bigger way to get the team back on track upon his return.