The Royals’ lineup received a boost today with the reinstatement of infielder Maikel Garcia from the Injured List. Garcia had been out since August 20 with a hamstring injury.
It has been a frustrating year for the 26-year-old, coming of an All-Star season in 2025 and a five-year, $57 million contract extension last winter. After a strong start, he injured his hand in mid-May against the Cardinals. He played through the injury, but went into a slump, batting .232 with no home runs in 29 games before
he finally landed on the Injured List on June 23. He returned to action on August 17, but injured his hamstring just four days later. Overall, he is hitting .269/.324/.385 with three home runs in 73 games. Despite his limited action, he has been worth 1.6 fWAR, 22nd-most among all third baseman.
To make room on the roster, the Royals optioned outfielder Matthew Lugo to Triple-A Omaha. The 25-year-old appeared in nine games and went 2-for-14 (.143) with a walk.
