Royals slugger exits game with hamstring strain

Fans in Kansas City are awaiting news on the status of their first baseman after Vinnie Pasquantino exited Saturday’s game with what the Royals announced as a right hamstring strain. The club added that Pasquantino will continue to be evaluated, and MLB.com’s Anne Rogers adds the club expects to know more Sunday about the severity of the issue, including whether or not the slugger will miss time due to the issue. For his part, Pasquantino told reporters (including Rogers) this evening that he feels “fine.”

“I don’t want to put any timeframe on it, but I don’t think — my gut tells me it’s not going to affect anything,” Pasquantino said, “But my gut is not the medical staff. So we’ll get it evaluated [Sunday] and we’ll see.”

While it’s certainly visible that the issue proves to be mild enough that Pasquantino doesn’t miss significant time, it’s somewhat difficult to imagine him being back in the lineup in time for Opening Day, which is just five days away. Even a relatively mild strain could be cause for a short stint on the injured list, though if Pasquantino manages to avoid the IL it wouldn’t be the first time he’s successfully defied the conventional wisdom when it comes to recovery time. The first baseman suffered a broken thumb in the final days of August last year and was slated to miss between six and eight weeks, but wound up coming back just a month later to participate in the club’s Wild Card series against the Orioles.

Of course, returning in time for Opening Day is not as significant as returning to the field for the Royals’ first playoff appearance since their 2015 World Series championship was last year. With a long season ahead, it would hardly be a surprise if the Royals decided to proceed cautiously with one of their top hitters. A career .267/.335/.445 (114 wRC+) hitter who posted a 108 wRC+ last year, only AL MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. and veteran slugger Salvador Perez were more valuable for Kansas City last year at the plate than Pasquantino.

Fortunately, the club is better equipped to handle an injury of this sort now than last year. Adding Jonathan India to the club’s offense should offer another solidly above-average bat to contribute regularly and extend the lineup even if Pasquantino misses time. The club coincidentally added veteran Mark Canha in a Friday trade with the Brewers. While Canha appeared likely to be tasked with shoring up the club’s outfield depth entering the season, if Pasquantino misses time, the 36-year-old should be able to slide into the first base job fairly seamlessly and provide at least average production at the position while Pasquantino recovers. An injured list stint for Pasquantino could also open the door for out-of-options first baseman Nick Pratto, a lefty-swinging former top prospect who seemed unlikely to break camp with the club, to fill in and either platoon with Canha or at least spell him on days the Royals would like to utilize him in the outfield.