Royals’ Josh Rojas did something historical; it may have been a baseball first
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- Josh Rojas had hits in a minor- and major-league game on the same day.
- Rojas went 1-for-3 with a double in Triple-A Omaha before joining the Royals.
- Rojas delivered a two-run pinch-hit single in the Royals’ 8-6 win over the Twins.
How’s this for some baseball math? A rain delay and a different time zone equaled a piece of baseball history.
Josh Rojas might have done something unseen in the sport when he came through with a two-run pinch-hit single Thursday night in the Royals’ 8-6 win over the Twins.
It was a long day for Rojas, who got hits in two games in two states in two time zones.
Rojas went 1 for 3 with a double in Triple-A Omaha’s game in Columbus, Ohio. First pitch was at noon Eastern (11 a.m. Central) on Thursday. Rojas was pulled during the game after the Royals added him to the 40-man roster and recalled him.
Despite some travel issues, he made it to Target Field in the eighth inning of the Royals game. Rojas came on as a pinch-hitter and delivered a game-winning single in the ninth.
Researching players who appeared in a minor- and major-league game the same day has proven to be difficult, but the Twins’ Matt Wallner did it on May 23, 2023. After playing for the St. Paul Saints in the afternoon, he was promoted to the Twins but made an out in his pinch-hit appearance that night.
Curt Nelson, senior director of the Royals Hall of Fame, noted that former Royals outfielder Lane Adams played for the Braves and their minor-league affiliate in 2017.
Adams had two hits for Triple-A Gwinett in an afternoon game, then got the call to join the big-league Braves that night. He went 0 for 2 with Atlanta.
Minor-league history is spotty. But we know Rojas is the first player since at least 2017 to have a hit in a minor-league and major-league game on the same day. And he might have been the first to do it in baseball history.
However, Rojas wasn’t the first player with a hit for different teams in two time zones on one day.
Joel Youngblood famously did it for two major-league teams in 1982. He had a single for the Mets against the Cubs in Chicago, then got traded to the Expos during that afternoon game. He made it to Philadelphia in time to pinch-hit and singled for Montreal that night.
Rojas matched that crazy feat, but the only difference is he got a hit in two games on one day for teams that are in the same organization. I’m not sure anyone has ever done that before.
This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 11:01 AM.
