Nick

Loftin

As goes Loftin, so go the Royals. This makes seven times this season that the Royals have scored 10 runs with him in the starting lineup, and he’s 17-for-33 with three homers and 14 RBI in those games. He’s hit .177 with one homer and 15 RBI in his remaining 49 appearances.

Loftin had been 1-for-27 since going 4-for-6 with a homer the last time the Royals scored 10 runs on June 23. Six times this year, he’s started a game in which the Royals have gone on to score in double figures. He’s 14-for-27 with two homers and 12 RBI in those games, and he’s hitting .177 in 130 at-bats the rest of the time.

Loftin was playing third when Daniel Lynch IV fielded a bunt and went to try to cut down the lead runner by firing a bullet right at Loftin from about 20 feet away. The throw handcuffed Loftin and missed his glove entirely, instead hitting him in the worst possible area. He couldn’t continue but was able to walk gingerly off the field after a few minutes. Kameron Misner replaced him in the game.

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.

Loftin doubled in the third inning and was left stranded there. He then smacked a two-run double in the fourth that extended the Royals’ lead to 11-3. He’s seeing increased action at third base while Maikel Garcia is shelved. For the season, he’s hitting .245/.348/.400 with one homer and 20 RBI across 133 plate appearances.

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.

He had played four days in a row before sitting here, so this is probably just some load management for a player that we know is dealing with an injury. Nick Loftin is playing third base and batting eighth in Garcia’s stead.

It’s the sixth straight game that Garcia has missed due to his hamstring strain, though he did appear as a pinch hitter during the ninth inning of Friday’s contest. The expectation remains that he’ll be able to return to the lineup at some point over the weekend. Nick Loftin is once again starting in his place at the hot corner on Friday night.

This is now the third straight game that Garcia has missed. While it’s an encouraging sign that the Royals haven’t put him on the injured list, it’s worth remembering that he felt a pop when he was first hurt and the club hasn’t commented on the results of an MRI over the weekend. There’s optimism he’ll will return to the lineup on Wednesday, but it’s hard to say for sure. Nick Loftin will start at third base and bat sixth in his place on Tuesday night.

Garcia was removed from Saturday’s contest after suffering a strained right hamstring. The Royals did make a roster move on Sunday morning, but didn’t place Garcia on the injured list, so it’s possible that he was fortunate and may not require an extended absence. Nick Loftin will start at the hot corner in his place on Sunday and will bat eighth against Rangers’ right-hander Jack Leiter.