Caglianone more – With Vinnie Pasquantino sidelined by a hamate bone fracture and surgery until at least July, the Royals expect Jac Caglianone to take on most first-base reps. The move puts him back on the dirt—where he says the position still feels like muscle memory—while al
Washington — Jac Caglianone has already been a weapon in the Royals’ corner outfield this season. roaming. tracking down balls. and making enough plays with his arm to keep games from slipping away. Now the team wants him to do something different: step out of the outfield rhythm and anchor the infield at first.
The change comes because Vinnie Pasquantino’s hamate bone fracture and surgery will sideline him until at least July. That leaves the Royals with a first-base void, and Caglianone is expected to get the majority of reps there.
It’s not an unfamiliar place for him. Caglianone played first base in college when he wasn’t pitching, and he returned to it during his brief time in the Minor Leagues before the Royals moved him to right field ahead of his big league debut.
“I’ve been playing first base for so long that it feels like muscle memory,” Caglianone said. “It doesn’t really go away, and it hasn’t really been that long since I’ve played there consistently.”
Still, it won’t be a full-time, every-day plan. On Monday against the Nationals, Caglianone was in right field and Salvador Perez was at first base. Nick Loftin can also be part of the first-base mix.
What happens behind the plate is likely to shape the lineup. The catching rotation between Perez and Carter Jensen will have a direct impact on where Perez plays—when Perez isn’t catching. he’ll play first or be the designated hitter. Giving players days off at DH or by sitting out the full game will also factor into how the Royals align their defense.
For now, though, the emphasis is clear: they will rely heavily on Caglianone anchoring first.
“He’s comfortable there,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He’s been doing work there. Watching him take ground balls and stuff, he’s very athletic. He moves his feet well. Those are the prerequisites for being a good infielder. He hasn’t been over there that much [this year] … so there might be some adjustment. But he feels comfortable there.”.
The numbers hint at how big the switch is. Entering Wednesday, Caglianone has logged 26 1/3 innings at first base this year, compared to 455 innings in right field. Even if the position is familiar, the work he has been putting into the outfield has meant he’s had to refocus back on the dirt.
The arm angle is one of the biggest differences. Caglianone has been working on an over-the-top angle from the outfield to get as much carry on the long throws he has to make. On the infield side, throws have to come from different angles and happen quickly after the ball is fielded.
Pasquantino has been especially sharp on double plays, becoming very good at the low-slot throw to second base. Caglianone has taken notice.
“I’ve gotten so many more reps throwing over the top, just being in the outfield,” Caglianone said. “At school. it was always like. ‘Take your time. throw from the top because your arm will make up for it.’ But here. guys are faster. got to get rid of it quicker. So working on that is the biggest difference. Being comfortable throwing to second, feeling like you have enough time. Not freaking out that you have to get rid of it now. That’s the biggest thing.”.
Pasquantino’s injury hasn’t only changed where Caglianone will play—it has changed how the Royals use him at the plate. The 23-year-old has been moved up to the No. 3 spot in the lineup, partly out of need and partly because he’s been producing.
Caglianone is hitting .269/.344/.436 this season, and he has been especially hot lately with an .878 OPS over the past month.
For a Royals team that has struggled to build wins this season, there’s still an opening to learn something in the middle of the noise: what Caglianone can do with everyday at-bats in a prominent role, and how he might fit into their future.
They’ll be able to evaluate him in two places at once now—on the field at first base, and at the plate every day.
“I love first base,” Caglianone said. “I enjoyed it at school, enjoyed it in the Minor Leagues. You get to be more involved. You get to talk to people. I’m excited to bounce back and forth. But through it all, still just going to lean on Vinnie a lot.”
Jac Caglianone Vinnie Pasquantino Royals first base hamate bone fracture surgery Matt Quatraro Salvador Perez Nick Loftin Carter Jensen