Lane

Thomas

Caglianone was dealing with some soreness after running into the wall shoulder first during Friday’s game. “He’s just a little sore,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We don’t think it’s anything structural.” Lane Thomas will likely play right field if Caglianone can’t on Sunday.

Thomas set the tone for Monday’s eventual one-sided affair by crushing a 409-foot grand slam off Reds reliever Lyon Richardson in the opening frame. It was just his second big fly of the season. He matched a season high with three hits in the contest.

Thomas is still holding his own against lefties, hitting .244/.407/.356, but he’s been even weaker than usual versus righties this year, coming in at .173/.290/.192 thus far. His bat speed and his EV numbers aren’t what they used to be, so most of his value has come in the form of walks. It doesn’t really seem sustainable, so he might find himself out of work at some point.

Thomas returns to Kansas City’s lineup for the first time since May 19 after being limited by a relatively minor hamstring issue. The 30-year-old is in left field and hitting sixth on Tuesday night at Kauffmann Stadium.

Thomas remains on the bench for the third consecutive game due to an ongoing minor hamstring issue. The 30-year-old came off the bench during Wednesday’s series finale against the Red Sox, so it appears he’s healthy enough to play, if needed. The Royals are probably going to stay away from him as much as possible this weekend to give him extra time off to rest and recover.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters Thomas is available off the bench, but they’re going to try to give him some extra rest ahead of Thursday’s off-day. The 30-year-old suffered the minor ailment during Tuesday’s game against Boston. He’ll presumably be ready for Friday’s series opener against the Mariners.

Thomas is hitting just .212/.355/.271 on the season and has been relegated to playing mainly against left-handed pitchers. He was also caught stealing in this one. We’re not sure he’s going to find his way into any more playing time.

Working with a 9-8 lead, Lucchesi retired the first two batters in the bottom of the 10th, but he then walked Maikel Garcia and gave up the homer, which was the first for Thomas this season. Thomas is batting .226/.359/.302 in 64 plate appearances. As per usual, he’s been far more successful against lefties than righties. He should continue to be platooned accordingly.

Collins injured his knee when he went crashing into the crowd at Comerica Park on Tuesday while attempting to run down a foul fly. If this lingers much longer, the Royals may be forced to make a move and shift him to the injured list. Lane Thomas will start in his place in left field on Friday night and will bat ninth against Yankees’ right-hander Cam Schlittler.

LHP Chris Sale is on the mound, so the Royals have opted to bat righty Lane Thomas third and place Starling Marte in right field. Caglianone only started 12 games against a left-handed pitcher last year, so this isn’t a total surprise, but it’s disappointing that he’ll apparently have to earn his way into those situations. The full lineup for the Royals is: 3B Maikel Garcia, SS Bobby Witt, Thomas, C Salvador Perez, 1B Vinnie Pasquantino, Marte, 2B Jonathan India, LF Isaac Collins and DH Carter Jensen.