The Pasquatch is back. Just before noon on Friday, the Kansas City Royals announced that Vinnie Pasquantino is being reinstated from the injured list. In the same flurry of roster moves, the Royals are recalling reliever Eli Morgan and optioning outfielder Kameron Misner and reliever Jose Cuas back to Omaha.
Morgan and Cuas are a part of the Royals’ “I-29 Express” group of relievers, and they’ll likely switch places again by the end
of the year. Misner, meanwhile, started off strong after his callup but ended up with only a .220/.256/.244 line and struck out 17 times in 44 plate appearances.
But Vinnie is the headliner here, and justifiably so. Kansas City’s starting first baseman went on the injured list with a hamate fracture on June 14. While the Royals lineup has turned in some strong offensive performances in the interim, Vinnie is clearly one of the most talented hitters in the Royals organization. He’ll assumedly resume his post at first base, shifting Jac Caglianone back to right field.
Three games are only three games, but you wonder if Vinnie’s short rehab stint with Triple-A Omaha could be a preview of the rest of the season. In 14 plate appearances, Vinnie had four singles and three walks—but no extra base hits. Hamate fractures are notorious for impeding players’ ability to swing for power. Still, it looks like Vinnie took some time to reset his swing, with a hand position much higher than he had been using for most of this year.
Vinnie is a fan favorite, and it’s always good to see players healthy and back to business.
