Maikel Garcia (hand) to start rehab assignment

The Royals activated Garcia ahead of Monday’s game after he missed nearly two months with hand injury. The 26-year old third baseman didn’t miss a beat with two hits, a run scored and an RBI in his first game back. He’s hitting .264 with a .695 OPS and 31 RBI.

Garcia returns to Kansas City’s infield mix after missing nearly two months with a muscle strain in his left hand. It’s been a bit of a lost season in the wake of last year’s 16-homer, 23-steal breakout campaign as he’s hit just 261/.320/.373 with three homers, 30 RBI and five steals in 294 plate appearances so far. He’s an impact fantasy contributor when he’s healthy, which gives Garcia a shot at fantasy relevance over the final six weeks of the year.

Garcia, out since June 23 with a hand injury, went 4-for-10 with a double and three walks in three games for Double-A Northwest Arkansas from Thursday through Saturday. His return will likely push Nick Loftin back into a utility role and result in Josh Rojas losing his spot.

Garcia is slated to undergo further evaluation and testing after experiencing renewed hand pain during his first rehab contest with Double-A Arkansas on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old third baseman has been out with a muscle strain in his left hand since late June. It’s an unfortunate setback for fantasy managers hoping to have him back relatively soon. There should be an update on his status at some point later this week.

Garcia is ready to return to game action after hitting the injured list with a muscle strain in his left hand back on June 23. The 26-year-old third baseman hasn’t come close to replicating last year’s impressive 16-homer, 23-steal breakthrough campaign. However, he should make an impact for fantasy managers down the home stretch and he should be rostered in most leagues.

Garcia has been dealing with issues in his left hand for a while, and while he was able to play through them, it was clear that the 26-year-old was nowhere near 100 percent. He’ll miss at least a week-plus with the ailment, with a chance to return near the start of July. Josh Rojas will provide infield depth in Garcia’s place.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro delivered an encouraging update prior to Monday’s matchup in Tampa Bay, indicating the club is optimistic Witt could be available within the next couple of days after participating in baseball activities, including hitting, fielding and running the bases. The 26-year-old franchise cornerstone was diagnosed with a low-grade MCL sprain in his right knee last Friday. He’s out of the lineup for the third consecutive contest with Maikel Garcia drawing another start at shortstop in his place. It sounds like there’s a strong possibility he manages to avoid the injured list and returns later this week.

Maikel Garcia returns to Kansas City’s lineup at shortstop following a three-game absence due to left hand soreness. There’s optimism Witt will avoid a trip to the injured list after undergoing an MRI on his right knee that revealed a low-grade MCL sprain. Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters that Witt is feeling better and will continue receiving treatment before being reevaluated prior to Monday’s series opener against Tampa Bay. There should be a final decision regarding a potential injured list stint prior to that contest.

He has now missed three straight games since being diagnosed with left hand soreness. Nick Loftin again mans the hot corner against Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy.

As of now, the Royals are taking things day-to-day with Garcia, who was pulled from Tuesday’s game due to left hand soreness. There’s a chance that he winds up spending time on the injured list for this though. Nick Loftin will once again start in his place at the hot corner and will bat seventh for the Royals against Cardinals’ left-hander Matthew Liberatore.