The Kansas City Royals star makes a shocking return just in time for the playoffs

The Kansas City Royals made the playoffs this season for the first time since 2015 and open play on Tuesday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles.

Surprisingly, they can rely on the services of first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who has recovered from a broken thumb – and at historic speed.

The following is from fantasy baseball portal Rotowire:

ANALYSIS
Pasquantino was supposed to be sidelined six to eight weeks when he underwent surgery to repair a broken right thumb in early September, but he has far exceeded that schedule and will be part of the Royals' wild-card series roster. Pasquantino is expected to be used as the designated hitter, at least initially, which would free up at-bats for Yuli Gurriel and/or Salvador Perez at first base.

The 26-year-old is a key part of what the Royals did in this magical 2024 season, as he posted a .262 batting average with 19 home runs and a whopping 97 RBI before getting injured in late August. Getting him back is absolutely crucial to the lineup as he will partner with Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. in the middle of that order.

The first pitch of this series is scheduled for 4:08 p.m. ET. Cole Ragans will get the ball for Kansas City, while right-hander Corbin Burnes will pitch for Baltimore.

Ragans went 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA this season, while Burnes went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA. Burnes is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in the playoffs. He made two starts for the Milwaukee Brewers.

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