Royals Reinstate Vinnie Pasquantino From IL
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Coming out of an off day and heading into their home series against the Detroit Tigers, the Kansas City Royals will be getting some additional help for the weekend slate. After his stint on the injured list due to right shoulder discomfort, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is being reinstated and is back in Kansas City for Friday's game. In a corresponding move, outfielder Brent Rooker is being optioned to Triple-A Omaha:
Pasquantino originally went on the 10-day IL after being in obvious pain following a swing in Kansas City's Aug. 22 contest against the Chicago White Sox. The smooth-hitting infielder landed on the list the following day, then spent some time rehabbing before beginning a rehab stint at Triple-A Omaha on Sept. 3. In four games with the storm chasers, Pasquantino recorded three hits in 14 at-bats while walking three times, striking out three times and driving in a trio of runs.
Pasquantino's promotion to the big-league club back in late June saw him struggle to post eye-popping numbers out of the gate, but it wasn't due to a bad process. Once things began to align, his stats skyrocketed. From July 16 until the time of his injury, the 24-year-old slashed .304/.373/.509 with a 148 wRC+ and a measly 12.7% strikeout rate in 31 games. On the year, Pasquantino's 123 wRC+ is tied for fifth among rookies with at least 200 plate appearances under their belt. He's also in the top five in walk rate.
Without Pasquantino in the lineup, Kansas City posted a 6-8 record. With just a 3.5-game lead over Detroit for the No. 4 spot in the American League Central, a good series could create even more distance between the Royals and their struggling foes. The re-insertion of Pasquantino back into the fold should help things, as his combination of a mature approach, impressive raw power and a good hit tool could help Mike Matheny's offense avoid some of the cold spells it's had as of late.
In 29 plate appearances as a Royal this season, Rooker is hitting just .160 with a pair of RBIs. The 27-year-old was acquired via trade for former Royals catcher Cam Gallagher.
