Royals' Garcia Injured Again, Season in Jeopardy

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia has been placed on the 10-day injured list after straining his left hamstring. The injury occurred Thursday while running the bases and was diagnosed as a Grade 1-plus strain via MRI, potentially sidelining him for three to six weeks.

Given that just over a month remains in the regular season, this latest setback raises concerns about Garcia's availability for the remainder of 2026. Manager Matt Quatraro acknowledged that while not definitively ruling him out, a return is "probably not super likely."

This injury adds to a frustrating 2026 campaign for Garcia, who began the year as the everyday third baseman and was named World Baseball Classic MVP for Venezuela. He previously dealt with a right hamstring strain in May and a left hand muscle strain in June, which caused him to miss 46 games.

In Garcia's absence, Nick Loftin is expected to handle most of the third base duties. The team recalled outfielder Matthew Lugo, acquired via waivers in June, to provide depth. Reliever Jose Cuas was also recalled, while Carlos Duran was optioned.