Royals quickly act to replace lost offense from Vinnie Pasquantino injury

The Kansas City Royals are just 2.5 games back from the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. They have a real chance to close the gap and take the division for the first time in almost a decade. Mind you, this Royals team lost over 100 games last season.

Baseball Reference currently gives the Royals an 88 percent chance to make the postseason and an 18 percent chance to steal the division from the Guardians. But they won't get there without adversity.

The Royals recently found out that they'll be without starting first baseman, Vinnie Pasquantino, for the next six to eight weeks as he recovers from a broken thumb.

This devastating injury really comes at the worst possible time for Kansas City. However, they clearly recognized this with how they responded.

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Royals lose Vinnie Pasquantino but quickly replace him with Tommy Pham

The Royals wasted little time with Pasquantino going down, however, quickly moving and claiming veteran Tommy Pham off of waivers after he was designated for assigment by the St. Louis Cardinals, per Katie Woo of The Athletic.

Pasquantino has been one of the best hitters in the Royals lineup all season. On the year, he's slashing .262/.315/.446 with an OPS+ of 109 and 30 doubles. He ranks first on the team with 97 RBIs and third on the team with 19 home runs.

This injury halts any chance that Pasquantino had at slugging 20 home runs and recording 100 RBIs. He was truly having a career season in 2024, now he may not be back on the field until 2025.

The loss of Pasquantino is much bigger than anybody wants to mention. Obviously, Bobby Witt is the team's star, but Witt couldn't do it alone. Pasquantino was one of the team's best run producers.

But Pham, though he won't line up at first base to be a 1-for-1 replacement for Pasquantino, can help keep the offense afloat as Kansas City fights for their postseason lives. The veteran posted a .710 OPS with the White Sox earlier in the season though he struggled a bit, hitting .206 with a .653 OPS, after being traded to the Cardinals at the deadline.

As of the writing of this, the Royals are 3.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox and 4.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the AL Wild Card race. Both of these teams are incredibly dangerous in this race, especially considering how daunting the upcoming Royals schedule looks.

Kansas City is already down 2-0 in a four-game set with the Houston Astros. At the conclusion of that series, they come home and host a three-game set against the Guardians and a three-game set against the Twins. Then, they go to the Bronx to battle the Yankees in another three-game set.

It's quite literally the worst possible time for the Royals to lose one of their biggest run producers. But perhaps Pham can help them weather the storm.