Royals' Maikel Garcia: Collects two hits in return from IL
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Garcia went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and was caught stealing in Monday's 9-5 win over the Athletics.
In his first at-bat since June 22 after dealing with a muscle strain in his left hand, Garcia lined an RBI single in the first inning. The third baseman added another single in the second frame, marking his 20th multi-hit effort of the season. Garcia has had a disappointing 2026 due to both injuries and modest production, slashing .264/.321/.374 with three homers, 31 RBI, 33 runs and five stolen bases across 70 contests.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Returns after lengthy IL stint
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The Royals reinstated Garcia (hand) from the 10-day injured list Monday. He'll start at third base and bat cleanup in the team's series opener versus the Athletics.
Kansas City will get two major lineup pieces back ahead of its four-game series versus the Athletics, as first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (wrist) was also activated from the IL. Garcia had been on the shelf since June 22 due to a muscle strain his left hand, with his return getting pushed back further after he experienced renewed discomfort following his first rehab game July 28. He then underwent a cortisone shot that appears to have yielded the desired effect, as Garcia resumed his rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas last week and went 4-for-10 with a double, three walks and a stolen base over three games. Garcia is expected to step back in as the Royals' primary option at the hot corner, resulting in Nick Loftin shifting into more of a utility role.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Looks poised to return Monday
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Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Garcia (hand) will go through a workout Sunday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Athletics if he responds well, Jack Janes of MLB.com reports.
Quatraro left the door open for the Royals to get two key pieces in the lineup back Monday, as Vinnie Pasquantino (wrist) also worked out in Kansas City on Sunday in preparation for a return from the IL. Garcia, who has been on the shelf since June 23 due to left hand muscle strain, resumed a rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday and went 3-for-16 with a double and a walk while playing on four consecutive days. He played full nine-inning games at third base in two of those contests and should be ready to unseat Nick Loftin as the primary option at that position once he comes off the IL.
Garcia (hand) went 0-for-1 with a run scored and three walks with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Thursday.
Garcia resumed his rehab assignment from a strained muscle in his left hand, though he didn't get much chance to hit, drawing three walks while committing a pair of errors across a full game at third base. The 26-year-old was pulled off his assignment after just one appearance July 28 due to renewed discomfort, but after receiving a cortisone injection and participating in some baseball activity, he was given the green light to return to game action. It's unclear how long the Royals plan to keep Garcia in the minors, but provided his hand remains pain-free coming out of Thursday's game, he's tracking toward a return to the big-league roster in the not-too-distant future. Before landing on the injured list, Garcia slashed .261/.320/.373 with three home runs, 30 RBI, 32 runs and five stolen bases across 69 contests.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Could resume rehab assignment soon
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Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that Garcia (hand) could resume his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha as soon as Wednesday, Pete Grathoff of The Kansas City Star reports.
Garcia was scheduled to take part in fielding drills Sunday, and if the workout goes well, he'll get the green light to return to action at Triple-A after he was previously pulled off his assignment when he experienced renewed discomfort in his strained left hand following a July 28 appearance. Nick Loftin has been serving as the Royals' primary third baseman in recent weeks, but he'll likely be ticketed for a utility role once Garcia completes his rehab assignment and is ready for activation.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Seeing hand specialist
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Garcia is scheduled to see a hand specialist next week, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.
Garcia has been battling through a left hand muscle strain that caused him to go on the 10-day injured list in late June. He was cleared to embark on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, but he was pulled from that assignment after feeling renewed pain in his left hand. Garcia's recovery timeline should come into focus once he is evaluated further.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Hand discomfort returns
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Garcia felt renewed pain in his left hand while playing in a rehab game at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Tuesday marked Garcia's return to game action after landing on the injured list in late June with a strained muscle in his left hand. He was originally slated to play another game Wednesday, but he'll instead return to Kansas City for further evaluation. An updated timeline for his return could emerge after the team takes a closer look at him.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Hitless in first rehab game
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Garcia (hand) went 0-for-3 with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday.
Garcia logged five innings at third base but went hitless to begin his rehab assignment, as he works his way back from a muscle strain in his left hand that has kept him sidelined since June 22. The 26-year-old likely won't need an extended rehab assignment before rejoining the big-league club, though it's unclear how many minor-league games he'll require before being activated from the injured list. Garcia is slated to serve as the designated hitter for Wednesday's contest, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. He's slashing .261/.320/.373 with three homers, 30 RBI, 32 runs and five stolen bases across 69 games.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Kicking off rehab Tuesday
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Garcia (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday.
Garcia is finally ready to test things out in a game setting after missing more than a month of action with a nagging muscle strain in his left hand. The third baseman shouldn't require too many rehab at-bats before rejoining the Royals' active roster. Nick Loftin has been serving as Kansas City's primary option at the hot corner since Garcia went down.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Slated for re-evaluation Sunday
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Garcia (hand) began swinging during the All-Star break and is set to be re-evaluated Sunday, per MLB.com.
Garcia landed on the injured list June 23 due to a nagging muscle strain in his left hand, but the 26-year-old took a step in the right direction by beginning to swing a bat during the All-Star break. Sunday's re-evaluation will determine whether he's ready to ramp up his hitting progression, including taking full rounds of batting practice, and should provide a clearer picture of when the third baseman could return to game action. Before being shelved, Garcia hit .261/.320/.373 with three homers, 30 RBI, 32 runs and five stolen bases across 69 games.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Out with hand injury
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The Royals placed Garcia on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a left hand muscle strain.
The 26-year-old returned to the lineup the past two days after missing three games due to left hand soreness, but he apparently aggravated the injury and will now require a stint on the injured list. Garcia will be eligible to be reinstated in early July, though it's unclear how long he's expected to be sidelined. Nick Loftin has started the past five games at the hot corner -- Garcia filled in for Bobby Witt (knee) at shortstop Sunday and Monday -- and should continue to operate as Kansas City's primary third baseman while Garcia is on the shelf.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Back in lineup Sunday
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Garcia (hand) will start at shortstop and bat second in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
A left hand strain had kept Garcia out of the lineup for the Royals' previous three games, but the extra rest plus a team off day Saturday appears to have provided enough time for him to move past the issue. Though he had made all of his starts to date at third base or designated hitter, Garcia will cover shortstop Sunday while Bobby Witt (knee) misses a second straight game.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: On bench again Friday
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Garcia (hand) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.
It's the third straight game on the bench for Garcia as he continues to manage soreness in his left hand. The 26-year-old departed Tuesday's matchup with the Nationals due to the injury, but it's actually a nagging issue that he's been dealing with throughout the past month. Nick Loftin is picking up another start at third base Friday.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Remaining out of lineup
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Garcia (hand) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Cardinals.
Garcia will miss a second straight start due to left hand soreness. The injury forced Garcia from Tuesday's game against the Nationals, but it's something he's dealt with off-and-on for the past month. Consider him day-to-day. Nick Loftin will get another start at third base in Garcia's stead.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Exiting starting lineup
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Garcia is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Rangers.
Garcia returned from a hamstring injury to start each of the previous four contests, but he'll grab a seat during Thursday's matinee. Nick Loftin will cover third base for the Royals.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Remains out of lineup Friday
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Garcia (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Twins.
Garcia is missing his sixth straight start, though he was able to pinch hit in Thursday's 8-6 win over the Twins. With Garcia absent from the starting nine, Nick Loftin is starting at third base and batting eighth against right-hander Zebby Matthews.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Out of lineup again Thursday
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Garcia (hamstring) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Twins.
It will be a fifth straight start missed for Garcia, who is working his way back from a right hamstring injury. The Royals are optimistic Garcia will be able to avoid the injured list, but a decision one way or another will need to be made soon. Nick Loftin is again filling in at third base in Garcia's stead.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Set to be evaluated Monday
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Garcia (hamstring) will be re-evaluated Monday, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.
Garcia suffered a right hamstring strain in Saturday's loss to the Rangers, and he was unavailable for Sunday's contest as a result. Manager Matt Quatraro provided an update Sunday, outing that the 26-year-old is "feeling better" and that the team is "not going to IL him right now." Garcia is expected to do some testing of his hamstring Monday, and Kansas City will see what direction it wants to go from there.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: No decision yet on IL stint
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Garcia is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers as the Royals await test results on the right hamstring injury he suffered in Saturday's 7-6 loss, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Garcia sustained the injury in the seventh inning Saturday while running the bases and was immediately lifted. At this stage, the 26-year-old appears more likely than not to wind up on the IL, but the Royals are holding out hope that he's dealing with a low-grade strain that may cause him to miss just a few games.
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Royals' Maikel Garcia: Trio of hits in loss
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Garcia went 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a walk in Sunday's 6-3 loss against the Tigers.
Garcia reached base in all four plate appearances Sunday, tallying his fourth three-hit performance of the campaign. Following a breakout 2025 season in which he posted an .800 OPS, the third baseman has continued to produce in 2026. Through 39 games, the 26-year-old is slashing .285/.353/.437 with 12 doubles, a triple, three homers, 16 RBI, 21 runs and four stolen bases while operating exclusively out of the leadoff spot.
