Royals could be in for another crippling injury blow after latest Maikel Garcia update

Beyond their inabilities on the field, the Kansas City Royals continue to be one of the most cursed teams from an injury perspective of late. In the span of around a week they've sent the likes of Vinnie Pasquantino, Seth Lugo and Kyle Isbel to the injured list. And now, perhaps an even bigger name could be on his way to the shelf.

In Tuesday's loss to the Washington Nationals, star third baseman Maikel Garcia was pinch-hit for in the sixth inning after suffering what was later revealed to be left hand soreness. As Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports, this isn't something new that Garcia has been dealing with however, this time it could be more grave.

"[The] Royals are working through next steps tonight but [the] IL could be in play," Rogers wrote on X after the game. "We’ll see tomorrow."

At this rate, the Royals have been a sinking ship and the thought of them fulfilling their postseason contention dreams in 2026 seemed far-fetched even with Garcia in the lineup. That being said, if he were to land on the injured list, it seems all but likely that this could be the defining blow that officially sinks them and seals there fate as a team that needs to start focusing on the 2027 season.

How do the Royals fill hole at third base if Maikel Garcia lands on injured list?

The short answer to this question is, they don't. While he's struggling this season in comparison to last, there's no denying that he's a building block for the future. In cases like this, you can physically fill the position, but nowhere near to the degree that he would offer.

This is especially the case on defense. While .705 OPS and 94 wRC+ have left a lot to be desired this season, Garcia's Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base has been just that. So far this year, he's sporting 7 DRS, 4 OAA and a FRV of 4 at third base - all of which rank him firmly in the top five in the majors at the position.

In the interim, it seems that a name like utility man Nick Loftin would be the logical solution to see increased reps at the hot corner. The 27-year-old has rebounded very nicely from a pair of brutal seasons at the dish, becoming one of the Royals' more productive hitters in the process. In 124 plate appearances across 38 games, Loftin holds a .742 OPS and 106 wRC+, led primarily by his excellent plate discipline with an OBP that sits 105 points above his AVG thanks to a 12.1% walk rate compared to just a 12.9% K-rate.

In terms of a call-up, veteran names like Josh Rojas and Abraham Toro could be in play - although Rojas' recent big league stint along with Toro's 97 wRC+ in Omaha aren't overly inspiring.

Or perhaps thriving prospects like Brett Squires and Peyton Wilson might finally get the call with their white-hot bats in the upper minors this season. Squires has belted 14 homers, driven in 51 runs and posted a 128 across Double and Triple-A this season and Wilson has returned from injury admirably, posting a .330 AVG and 128 wRC+ with the Storm Chasers in 2026.

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