It has been a while since Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was last seen in action in the big leagues. A thumb injury has put him on the 10-day injured list, and he has not played for Kansas City since late August.
However, the Royals have teased a a return soon for Pasquantino.
Will Vinnie Pasquantino play for the Royals in the 2024 MLB playoffs?
In a social media post on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter), the Royals shared a caption-less photo of what appears to be Sasquatch holding a bat. For those wondering why is that being taken as a hint on Pasquantino's looming return, it's because the 26-year-old infielder is also known for his nickname “Pasquatch.”
The anticipation for Pasquantino's return ramped up lately when it was reported that he started taking batting practices weeks after he underwent a successful surgery to repair his broken thumb.
Shortly after the Royals made the Sasquatch post, Jeff Passan of ESPN confirmed that Pasquantino will indeed suit up this Tuesday in Game 1 of Kansas City's Wild Card Series versus the Baltimore Orioles.
The Royals, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since their World Series run in 2015, will play the Orioles in a a series at Camden Yards. Cole Ragans is scheduled to start for the Royals in the series opener while the Orioles will be giving the ball to Corbin Burnes in Game 1.
Pasquantino was the go-to first baseman for the Royals before his injury, while also mostly batting third in the order. He has hit at that spot for 127 games this season. Since Pasquantino's absence, the Royals have given the first-base role mostly to veteran Salvador Perez with Yuli Gurriel also seeing some action in that position.
Pasquantino apparently has beaten the timeline of six to eight weeks initially given to him following his injury. He will also be giving the Royals' offense a boost. During the 2024 MLB regular season, Pasquantino hit .262/.315/.446 with a career-high 19 home runs to go with 97 RBIs and 40 walks through 131 games.
Pasquantino was taken in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Royals. He signed a one-year deal worth $752,750 with Kansas City last March
Follow Us
Subscribe
