Is Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone headed to 10-day injured list? What we know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals rookie Jac Caglianone exited early with left hamstring tightness.
- Caglianone was replaced by MJ Melendez after grounding into double play.
- The 2024 draft pick has hit .147 with 5 homers in 41 games since June debut.
The Royals turned to their bench early in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium.
Rookie right fielder Jac Caglianone exited the game in the third inning with tightness in his left hamstring after his first at-bat of the afternoon. MJ Melendez came in as his replacement, playing left field, and John Rave moved from left field to right.
Later Saturday, the Royals said it’s possible Caglianone will miss some time with a hamstring strain. The club expected to have more information about the severity of the injury Sunday morning.
“I don’t know yet,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “I really haven’t spoken to the trainers. I know there was a little mixup there, but if he has to go on the IL, it will be tomorrow morning. Don’t know the severity and just know the exam didn’t match the image. The image was better than the exam, so that is really encouraging.”
Also on Saturday, the Royals acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Andrew Hoffmann.
Caglianone grounded into a double play against Guardians starter Gavin Williams. He saw four pitches before hitting a 84 mph curveball back up the middle. Caglianone showed no signs of obvious discomfort on his way to first base.
“He felt it going after the ball (Kyle) Manzardo hit in the gap, and he felt it getting out of the box on the ground ball,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
The Royals took a cautious approach with their prized rookie. Melendez, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha earlier this week, moved into the sixth spot in KC’s lineup for the remainder of the game.
“We are going to get some more testing and see what we have,” Quatraro said.
This season, Caglianone is hitting .147 with five home runs and 10 RBIs in 41 games. He made his Major League Baseball debut on June 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Since arriving in Kansas City, Caglianone has produced some highlight moments. He generated his first multi-homer game against the Texas Rangers on June 19 and continues to show encouraging signs in right field.
The Royals selected Caglianone with the sixth pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He progressed through the minor leagues in under 11 months after showcasing raw power potential in a short span at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha.
“More than likely, when you are in this heat, this time of year, you know, the wise thing to do is to put a guy on the IL,” Picollo said. “But we will wait until tomorrow to truly determine it. That’s what we are anticipating.”
This story was originally published July 26, 2025 at 3:08 PM.
