During the Royals’ 8-7 loss to the Astros, Vinnie Pasquantino clutched his right hand and showed clear pain during the fifth inning on Saturday, right as he was finally fighting his way out of a career-worst .224 batting slump. Instead of taking his normal place on the field, he walked straight past the dugout and went down the clubhouse tunnel without waiting for a trainer.

That painful moment was a huge blow for the Kansas City Royals. The team later announced that their veteran first baseman broke his hamate bone and will miss several weeks.

“Matt Quatraro says Vinnie Pasquantino underwent hamate surgery this morning. Timeline is roughly 4-6 weeks,” wrote Goldberg on X.

Pasquantino had surgery on Sunday morning to fix the broken bone. Doctors expect him to miss about four to six weeks of play. Broken hamate bones have become a common problem in baseball this year. Stars like Francisco Lindor, Corbin Carroll, and Jackson Holliday all suffered the same hand injury earlier this spring. Luckily, they all managed to return within four to six weeks.

Pasquantino’s injury comes at an unfortunate time. After navigating through a slump, with his career-worst hitting average (.224) so far, Pasquantino had just started getting back on track. He was on a hitting streak for the last eight games. Before his exit against the Astros, Pasquantino was 1-for-3 with an RBI single.

This injury is also a painful reminder of his recent health struggles; he missed the majority of the 2023 season after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

“I just told him I was frustrated for him. Especially as he’s got himself going, you never want to lose any of the guys to injury,” manager Matt Quatraro told the Kansas City Star. “For him, it stinks because I know how hard he’s worked to get back and be productive.”

Following his injury, Jac Caglianone moved from right field to first base to take over Pasquantino’s role. Thomas moved to the right, while Isaac Collins shifted to left field. The Royals have placed him on the 10-day IL.

However, Vinnie Pasquantino was not the only player who broke his hamate bone on Saturday. A Cleveland Guardians player also suffered the same fate.

Jose Ramirez’s injury

The Cleveland Guardians vs Detroit Tigers game on Saturday unfolded similarly to the Royals-Astros game.

In the fifth inning, the Guardians’ third baseman, Jose Ramirez, popped out to catcher Dillon Dingler after hitting a pitch from Tarik Skubal. Ramirez exited the game with a broken hamate bone in his left hand. The Guardians have placed Ramirez on the IL following the injury. Ramirez, a seven-time All-Star, is currently hitting .239 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs.

After the game, Ramirez told the media, per Chron, “I felt something out of the norm after I finished the swing. I heard something pop, and obviously, my hands started hurting, so I knew something was off there.”

The All-Star has also broken his hamate bone in his right hand in 2019. Ramirez returned to the lineup within a month of surgery. The Guardians would also hope Ramirez makes a speedy recovery.