Caglianone (left hamstring strain) lands on 10-day IL

KANSAS CITY -- Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone first felt the tightness in his left hamstring as he was running down a double in the right-center gap during Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Guardians. Then he felt it again while he was running up the first-base line on his double-play groundout in the bottom of the frame.

By the conclusion of Game 2 on Saturday night, it was looking like an injured list stint was likely for the 22-year-old.

And by Sunday morning, the Royals officially placed Caglianone on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain. His IL placement was the corresponding move for outfielder Randal Grichuk, who made it to Kansas City on Sunday after the Royals acquired him from the D-backs on Saturday night.

Caglianone exited Game 1 following his second-inning groundout. Nothing appeared off as Caglianone made a right turn back into the Royals’ dugout, but MJ Melendez ran out to left field for the top of the third inning moments later, with John Rave moving to take over right field for Caglianone.

“That first step out of the gate on the [Kyle] Manzardo double [in the second inning], I felt it,” Caglianone said Saturday night. “And it lingered throughout that run. And then every foul ball and stuff, doing the drop step, I could feel it.

“And then grounding into the double play, running down the line, I was like, ‘This doesn’t feel right.’ That’s when I came back in and just sat down, made sure it was good. It was achey, I guess, and I had to talk to the trainer.”

It’s unclear how long Caglianone will be sidelined, but he’s hoping his recovery is “short and sweet,” he said.

Manager Matt Quatraro said Sunday morning that the Royals view Caglianone’s injury as “mild,” but they’ll have to see how he feels in the coming days to determine the timeline for his return.

“He’s never had to deal with something like this,” Quatraro said. “We see all kinds of ranges with hamstring issues and how guys bounce back, but we don’t anticipate it being long term.”

Caglianone has been a mainstay in the Royals’ lineup since he made his Major League debut on June 3. A Top 10 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, before he graduated from prospect status, Caglianone has yet to find the consistent power with Kansas City that led to his quick ascension from the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 Draft to the Major Leagues in less than a year. He entered Saturday’s twin bill slashing .148/.206/.282 with five homers and 10 RBIs.

Caglianone has been, for the most part, the Royals’ everyday right fielder since his debut. Now, Quatraro will turn to a mix of options based on the matchups each game. Grichuk figures to play against left-handed pitching, while the Royals also have lefties Rave and Melendez as options in the corner outfield spots.