With key stars returning from injury, Kansas City showcased the potential of a healthy lineup in the season's final stretch.
For most of the summer, the Kansas City Royals have had to imagine what their lineup might look like with everyone back.
On Monday night, they finally got a pretty good look.
With Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia both returning from the injured list, the Royals put together the kind of offensive performance they had been waiting for. Bobby Witt Jr. was at the center of it, going 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a two-run home run, three RBI, a stolen base and four runs scored in a 9-5 win over the Athletics.
Witt's performance was impressive on its own, but the timing made it more significant. This was the first time in more than two months that Kansas City had Garcia and Pasquantino back in the lineup alongside the rest of its everyday contributors.
“It’s always exciting getting those two guys back,” Witt said postgame, via Royals TV after the game. “The energy sets the tone from them just showing up to the field today.”
That energy showed up quickly.
Garcia drove in a run during Kansas City's three-run first inning, while Pasquantino doubled in the seventh. Witt then provided the biggest swing of the night in the second, launching his 15th home run of the season an estimated 390 feet to left-center field.
It was also his second homer in as many games, the first of which ended a 17-game stretch without one. By the eighth inning, Witt was still producing, adding an RBI double before eventually scoring for the fourth time.
For a player who has been one of the central pieces of Kansas City's offense all season, Witt's explanation for the recent success was surprisingly simple.
“You go out there and just play the game,” Witt said. “You’re just enjoying the game. Just playing it one pitch at a time.”
That approach fit what the Royals were trying to do throughout the night. They went 7-for-13 with runners in scoring position and scored four of their nine runs with two outs, repeatedly extending innings instead of allowing the Athletics to escape.
Witt described that as the identity the team has been trying to build.
“It’s just being relentless, just going one pitch at a time,” he said. “We’re all working hard in there to get better each and every day.”
That doesn't mean Monday suddenly erased the problems that put Kansas City in this position. The Royals have struggled offensively at different points this season, and getting their regular lineup back does not guarantee that production will remain this consistent.
But the final six weeks of the season now give them a chance to find out.
According to MLB.com's Anne Rogers, Pasquantino said that the goal is to show the front office this group can compete without requiring major changes around it. Manager Matt Quatraro made a similar point, saying the Royals want to continue building on the individual progress their players have made while keeping everyone healthy.
Witt's performance offered a pretty convincing first example of what that could look like.
After spending much of the summer waiting for the lineup to come together, Kansas City finally had nearly everyone on the field Monday night. Witt made sure they took advantage of it.
