Maikel Garcia is close to returning, writes Jaylon Thompson.
“A lot better,” Garcia said before the game in Minneapolis. “(I was) running yesterday at like 65% and today was like 80-something. Just ready to come off the bench and try to help the team.” Garcia did defensive work in Cincinnati. He admitted that the injury doesn’t bother him in the field or at the plate. It’s just a matter of tolerating the pain. “It’s like, I can run but not hard,” Garcia said. “So it’s just managing how we’re going to run in the game. And yeah, defense is normal and (I can) run a little bit. Hitting, no pain, so I’m close.”
More injury updates from Anne Rogers.
Jaylon also writes how Jeremy Guthrie has integrated into the broadcast booth.
“Jeremy embraced that from the very beginning,” Lefebvre said. “He’s not in the clubhouse talking to major-league coaches and teammates. So the way he communicates has to be different from that. And I think he’s found the perfect balance of taking his knowledge and being able to express it in a way where any kind of a fan can absorb it.”
At ESPN, Jeff Passan has an early look at the trade deadline for each team.
The Royals can’t totally tear things down, not with Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia locked up long term, but the magic they found in 2024 has dissipated into a puddle of meh. This deadline is an opportunity to turn the team over and figure out how to replicate ’24, when Kansas City went from 56 to 86 wins.
Most of their top prospects are at the lower levels, so focusing on near major-league-ready talent — ones who will be there when the Royals move into their new stadium in 2030 or ’31 — makes sense. And the list of desirable veterans is plentiful. Wacha has been tremendous and is under control for two more seasons. Same with Seth Lugo. Kris Bubic could be the best of the bunch — and the least costly. Kansas City should listen on Cole Ragans. Even Vinnie Pasquantino and Daniel Lynch IV, two years from free agency, could be options.
David Lesky writes that Vinnie Pasquantino may be warming up.
Pasquantino has quietly come alive lately. It hasn’t helped much, but since getting a day off in the series finale against the Red Sox and then getting the team’s off day off, he’s hit .289/.396/.422 in 12 games. That home run last night was his first of the stretch, but he also has eight walks and five strikeouts in 53 plate appearances. In a bigger sample, he’s actually hit .242/.331/.420 in his last 42 games (after his low-water mark in OPS) and .254/.356/.419 in his last 35 games (after he broke a four-game hitless streak). The power just hasn’t really been there, which is an issue, but he’s been better than you might realize.
Pete Crow-Armstrong loses a flyball in the lights for an inside-the-park home run.
The Padres cut ties with outfielder Nick Castellanos.
The Red Sox demote pitcher Brayan Bello to the minors.
Aaron Judge is out indefinitely with a rib fracture.
Eno Sarris and Brittany Ghiroli at The Athletic evaluate injuries in each organization and find the Royals to be the second-healthiest team in baseball over the last three seasons. [$]
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