The Kansas City Royals got an update on injured infielder Maikel Garcia.
The Kansas City Royals have no shortage of players who have either underperformed or been injured this year, contributing to what has been a deeply disappointing season. On Sunday the club lost their 70th game, a number that tells the whole story.
One player who has experienced both a down year and significant injury trouble is third baseman Maikel Garcia. Garcia officially reached his peak in 2025, earning his first career Gold Glove award at the hot corner and forming one of the most dominant defensive left sides of any infield in baseball alongside Bobby Witt Jr., who also took home a Gold Glove.
He paired that defensive excellence with the best offensive season of his career, posting a .286 batting average, .351 on-base percentage, .800 OPS, 16 home runs and 74 RBIs across 160 games while earning his first All-Star selection.
Kansas City rewarded that breakout with a long-term extension this past offseason. Garcia has responded by reverting back to the player he was during the first three years of his career. Across 69 appearances this year, every offensive number has dipped. The defense remains elite, but the bat has been below league average.
It has not been solely his fault though. In May, when the Royals were still fighting to salvage their season, Garcia suffered sharp pain in his left hand but opted to play through it.
A month later in June he was placed on the 10-day injured list after it became clear the issue was affecting him too much. In late July he attempted a rehab assignment but the pain returned, forcing him back to the club for further evaluation.
He received an injection to address the discomfort last week, and on Sunday manager Matt Quatraro provided an encouraging update on his timeline.
"Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia was taking grounders before today's game. Matt Quatraro said if all goes well, Garcia will start a rehab assignment at Omaha on Wednesday," reported Pete Grathoff of The Kansas City Star.
Given how much time he has missed, Garcia will likely spend meaningful time in the minor leagues working through his swing before returning.
The Royals are so far out of the wild card race that they can afford to be patient with him and hope he rebounds fully heading into 2027, a season that matters far more for this organization than the remainder of this one.
