Jac Caglianone was back in Kansas City’s lineup at designated hitter Saturday at PNC Park, one night after manager Matt Quatraro sat the rookie for disciplinary reasons. The 23-year-old’s return came with an apology in the clubhouse after he injured his left hand punching a dugout wall following a strikeout in Thursday’s loss to Houston.
Key takeaways
- Caglianone did not play in Friday’s 8-5 defeat against Pittsburgh because of the team discipline.
- The left hand injury was described as minor, allowing him to return to the starting group Saturday.
- He entered Saturday batting .277 with a .328 on-base percentage, a .483 slugging mark, 23 homers and 70 RBIs in 136 games.
- Only rookie catcher Carter Jensen had more Royals home runs and RBIs, carrying 24 and 75, respectively, into Saturday.
- Caglianone had been pressing at the plate, going 1-for-15 over his previous seven games with eight strikeouts.
A hard lesson after Houston
The incident came Thursday night in Houston, when Caglianone struck out and let a difficult stretch spill into the dugout. He hit the wall, opening a cut on his left hand and creating a problem for a club that needed its regular designated hitter available.
Caglianone did not sidestep the mistake before Saturday’s game. He called his reaction selfish and immature, saying both he and his teammates expect better from him. The young slugger said the moment will serve as a lesson he intends to carry forward.
“It boiled over in Houston,” Caglianone said. “I cut my hand, and thankfully it wasn’t too serious. But I put the team in a bad position, and that’s not something I want to repeat.”
The production remains there
Even with the recent rough patch, Caglianone has put together a strong first full Major League season. His 23 home runs and 70 RBIs have made him one of the central bats in the Royals order, trailing only Jensen on the club in each category.
The seven-game skid offered a reminder of how quickly frustration can build during a long season. Caglianone had managed just one hit in 15 at-bats and struck out eight times before Saturday. Quatraro’s decision to sit him Friday, rather than let the episode pass without consequence, set a clear clubhouse standard.
Now Caglianone gets back to the work: taking his at-bats, keeping his emotions in check and helping Kansas City with the production that has defined most of his season.
