Jac

Caglianone

Caglianone had three hits in Monday’s win over the Athletics and followed it up with another two knocks on Tuesday. He’s 27-for-63 (.428) with five home runs, 11 runs scored and 20 RBI in 16 games in August so far. Caglianone is hitting .278 with an .823 OPS and 60 RBI this year.

Caglianone smacked a two-run single in the third inning that increased the Royals’ edge to 3-0. He then clobbered a 393-foot (104.0-mph EV) go-ahead two-run homer off of Sammy Peralta in the fifth inning. The 23-year-old slugger then delivered an RBI single in the seventh that tied the score at six runs apiece. He finished the night 3-for-4 and is now hitting .273/.325/.495 with 22 long balls and 58 RBI on the season.

Both hits came off Tarik Skubal, who Caglianone had never faced previously. The 23-year-old is now 15-for-36 with four homers and 12 RBI in nine games this month, raising his OPS from .760 to .806.

It’s Caglianone’s fifth career two-homer game and second with two doubles and, obviously, his first with two of both. Rather surprisingly, he’s the first player this year with four extra-base hits in a game. 13 players did it last year, with Nick Kurtz even managing five in his four-homer game. Caglianone, though, is the first Royal with four extra-base hits in a game since Kendrys Morales in 2015. Caglianone’s hits ranged from 104.9 mph to 111.9 mph. He now has 20 homers and 21 doubles in the season.

The 23-year-old slugger got the scoring started in the ballgame with a two-run single off of Bailey Ober in the third inning. That would be his only hit in three at-bats on the night. For the season, Caglianone is now slashing .255/.310/.454 to go along with 18 homers, 45 RBI and four stolen bases in 413 plate appearances.

Caglianone jerked a Bailey Ober slider a mere 438 feet into Target Field’s right field stands and that stood up for most of the game with Noah Cameron firing eight scoreless innings. Caglianone had been in a bit of a slump since hurting his shoulder -- this is his first homer in his last seven games -- but it was a very loud sign that he may be back on track.

Caglianone was held out of Kansas City’s lineup for the third consecutive contest on Friday, but was feeling well enough to come off the bench as a pinch-hitter. The power-hitting 23-year-old is back in right field and hitting third for Saturday’s early-afternoon matinee in Detroit. He’s hit .242 (16-for-66) with two homers and seven RBI in 17 games since the start of July.

He didn’t start, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be sidelined too much longer given the pinch-hit appearance. Caglianone missed the last two games and didn’t start this one. Perhaps he’ll be fully available on Saturday or Sunday.

It’s his third-straight day missed with the injury. Last night he did take swings pre-game per MLB.com’s Anne Rogers, but it sounds like the Royals will let him get healthy rather than risking anything. Starling Marte is hitting cleanup against LHP Tarik Skubal.

It’s the second game in a row he’s missed since leaving Tuesday’s game with shoulder soreness. Nick Loftin is getting some run in right field for the Royals on Thursday after Starling Marte played there yesterday.