Royals manager Matt Quatraro explained the reason for a Maikel Garcia decision on Saturday.
The Kansas City Royals are entering Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels still without one of their most important players, as third baseman Maikel Garcia remained out of the lineup for a second straight day.
Garcia exited Wednesday’s game at Kauffman Stadium in the sixth inning due to right elbow soreness and was held out again on Friday against the Angels in the series opener.
On Saturday, the Royals made the same decision. The Royals decided to place Garcia on the bench for Saturday’s game against Los Angeles, marking his second straight absence. When speaking with reporters during pregame, manager Matt Quatraro explained the decision.
Quatraro admitted the team thought about having Garcia as the designated hitter but wanted to “make sure he feels as good as he possibly can” before returning (h/t Anne Rogers of MLB.com).
The Royals are clearly being cautious with Garcia, and for good reason. Nick Loftin once again will fill in at third base, but he simply cannot replicate the all-around value Garcia provides.
Garcia broke out during the 2025 season, earning his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove Award while establishing himself as one of the best all-around players in MLB. He hit .286 with a .351 on-base percentage, .800 OPS, 16 home runs, 74 RBIs and 23 stolen bases last year, all while playing elite defense at third.
He is off to a slower start in 2026, but even when the bat is not fully locked in, Garcia impacts the game in so many areas: defense, baserunning, contact ability and overall consistency.
That is a major reason why the Royals signed him to a five-year, $57.5 million extension this past offseason, committing to him as a long-term piece on the left side of the infield next to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Garcia has spent his entire career in the Royals organization and is now in his fifth MLB season. His growth, reliability and defensive excellence have made him one of the most important players on the roster, and Kansas City knows how much more difficult winning becomes without him available.
For now, the Royals will continue to monitor his elbow and hope the extra rest prevents the issue from becoming something more serious, because losing Garcia for any extended stretch would be one of the toughest blows this team could take. Kansas City owns a 9-17 record and they have a massive hole to climb out of.