The Royals activate Vinnie Pasquantino before Game 1 of the Wild Card Series

The Athletic reports on it live MLB Wild Card Round.

The Royals activate first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for their Wild Card Series against the Orioles, which begins Tuesday in Baltimore.

Pasquantino broke his right thumb on August 29 and was expected to miss six to eight weeks. But he beat his recovery schedule by nearly two weeks. The Royals had a 75-60 record and were averaging 4.9 runs per game when Pasquantino was injured in a collision at first base in Houston. The team finished the year 11-16, averaging just 2.9 runs per game.

Pasquantino was batting .262 with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs at the time of his injury. The Royals tried to replace his performance by signing first baseman Yuli Gurriel and outfielders Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman, but the offense struggled for most of September.

In the days leading up to the postseason opener, Royals officials acknowledged that Pasquantino could be at risk of re-aggravating the injury. However, such an injury is unlikely to impact the start of his 2025 season, giving the club incentive to be aggressive.

“For us, it's more about, 'Can he help us win a ballgame on Tuesday?'” Royals general manager JJ Picollo said Saturday at Bally Sports Kansas City. “If the answer is yes, he’ll probably be in that lineup.”

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