It has been a disappointing season for the Kansas City Royals, who currently hold one of the worst records in MLB. The entire roster has underperformed, and the club has already fallen into a deep hole in the American League Central.
However, Maikel Garcia has kept the ship from fully sinking thanks to his all-around impact. Through 24 games, Garcia has posted a .274 batting average, .346 on-base percentage, .746 OPS, two home runs and 10 RBIs. He has continued to play elite defense at the hot corner while also excelling as a baserunner.
None of this is a surprise for Royals fans who watched Garcia reach his full potential in 2025, when he finished 14th in AL MVP voting and earned his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove Award.
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The Royals cannot afford to lose him from the lineup, especially with the struggles around him. That is why concern quickly spread on Wednesday during Kansas City’s series finale at home against the Baltimore Orioles, when Garcia unexpectedly left the game in the sixth inning.
He was replaced by Nick Loftin, and there were no obvious signs of discomfort when he exited. Garcia finished the afternoon 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Hours later, the Royals released an update.
“Maikel Garcia left today's game with right elbow soreness,” the team wrote on X.
It is unclear when Garcia suffered the injury, but any elbow issue is concerning given how heavily he relies on his arm strength to play elite defense at third base. The hope is that this does not lead to a stint on the injured list, because the Royals cannot afford to lose Garcia for an extended stretch.
He is a central part of Kansas City’s future, and the organization invested in him this past offseason by signing him to a five-year, $57.5 million extension that runs through the 2030 season.
The Royals need Garcia healthy if they hope to stabilize their season and avoid falling even deeper in the standings.
