The Kansas City Royals announced that first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum. Nick Pratto is expected to take over as the interim first baseman while Kansas City weighs its options. They could have one of Salvador Perez and MJ Melendez at catcher and the other at first base. When looking at the farm system, they could move a player up, but there isn’t a clear first-base replacement waiting in the wings.
INF Vinnie Pasquantino is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he will require surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 14, 2023
Pasquantino initially left the team’s game against the Baltimore Orioles last Friday with shoulder discomfort. The 25-year-old has played in 61 games this season. He is hitting .247 with 17 doubles, nine home runs and 26 RBI. Kansas City is having a dismal season, with an 18-49 record at the time of this writing. The loss of Pasquantino is going to be tough for the lineup to overcome, and there are rumors around the Royals looking to move Perez ahead of the trade deadline.
Pratto is playing in his second career season and has appeared in 42 games this season. He is hitting .281 with nine doubles, four home runs and 18 RBI. If Pratto can maintain this clip, he should remain toward the top of the Royals’ batting order and hopefully serve as a bandaid with Pasquantino sidelined.
