Vinnie Pasquantino reaches personal goal as he returns to Royals after injury
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- Vinnie Pasquantino was reinstated from the Injured List and returned to the Royals roster.
- He had nine Triple-A plate appearances for Omaha during his rehab.
- Manager Matt Quatraro said Pasquantino set a goal to return before the All‑Star break.
First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino got the thumbs-up on Friday to return to the Royals, but his right thumb carries the reminders of some tough times.
Pasquantio’s right thumb has two scars, the latest the result of a right-hamate fracture that had sidelined him since June 14. During the 2024 season, Pasquantino had a broken thumb after a freak play against the Astros in Houston.
That previous injury is one reason why Pasquantino is confident he won’t have any setbacks when stepping into the batter’s box this time around. He had nine plate appearances for Triple-A Omaha this week and was thrilled to face a pitcher that reached triple-digits on the radar gun.
“I have a bit of history with doing it,” Pasquantino said of rehabbing a thumb injury, “so probably not as much this time as last time, because once you get over the ‘you can’t really do anything to it,’ that’s kind of when the confidence comes back.
“It was nice being able to put the bat on the ball my first at-bat there and that just kind of builds a confidence there. So maybe (I have) a little bit of nerves, but nothing crazy.“
Pasquantino on Friday returned from a rehab assignment and was reinstated from the Injured List, while right-hander Eli Morgan was recalled from the Triple-A Storm Chasers. The Royals optioned outfielder Kameron Misner and reliever Jose Cuas to Omaha.
Although Pasquantino was not in the starting lineup for Friday night’s game against the Orioles at Camden Yards, manager Matt Quatraro said a start is coming this weekend. Pasquantino also will be available to pinch-hit.
“I’m happy for him. I’m happy for us,” Quatraro said. “He worked exceptionally hard to get through this, which he set his goal really early to get back before the All-Star break, and he had to do a lot of hard work to get here. It’s nice to have him back.”
Pasquantino admitted some plate appearances felt better than others this week, and he’s hopeful he got his timing back at the plate. But it will be a wait-and-see thing.
The important thing for Pasquantino is the hand feels normal and the soreness is easing.
Reaching a goal of returning to the club before Tuesday’s All-Star Game was important to Pasquantino, as his manager noted.
“That’s why we do it,” Pasquantino said. “I owe it to my teammates, the organization, the fans, everybody to do whatever I can to get back as soon as I can, as healthy as I can.
“So that’s how I approach these things. We obviously wouldn’t do it if I didn’t feel comfortable. I do feel comfortable. It’s just one of those things. I think I can help this team win. I’m going to do whatever I can to do my part.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 5:15 PM.
