KANSAS CITY — Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone exited Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Guardians with left hamstring tightness, the Royals announced.
Caglianone was out of the game an inning after he grounded into a double play in the bottom of the second inning. Manager Matt Quatraro said after the Royals’ 5-3 walk-off win that Caglianone first felt tightness when he was running after Kyle Manzardo’s double in the right-center gap in the top of the second inning.
Then he felt it again running up the line on the double play in the bottom of the second inning.
“The initial one was the play on defense,” Quatraro said. “And then it was just the one at-bat. … We’re going to get some more testing and see what we have.”
Nothing appeared off as Caglianone made a right turn back into the Royals’ dugout, but MJ Melendez ran out to left field for the top of the third inning moments later, with John Rave moving to take over right field for Caglianone.
Caglianone is undergoing further examination to determine the severity of the tightness and is considered day to day. He wasn’t in the lineup for Game 2. Saturday was a particularly humid day in Kansas City — it was 86 degrees at first pitch of Game 1, but the humidity was at 74% — so players were taking extra precautions to stay hydrated and ahead of the mugginess that might lead to cramping or other injuries.
Caglianone, 22, has been a mainstay in the Royals’ lineup since he made his Major League debut on June 3. A Top 10 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, before he graduated from prospect status, Caglianone has yet to find the consistent power up with Kansas City that led to his quick ascension from the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 Draft to the Major Leagues in less than a year. He entered Saturday’s twin bill slashing .148/.206/.282 with five homers and 10 RBIs.
