HOUSTON – Down to the last two weeks of their season, the Royals welcomed back a pair of familiar faces on Tuesday, hoping to end 2026 on a high note.
Third baseman Maikel Garcia, fresh off a three-game rehab assignment that followed his second IL stint of the year, was in the cleanup spot for the opener of a three-game series against the Houston Astros.
“It’s been a hard year for me. I like to play baseball every single day,” said Garcia, who went 0-for-3 with a walk in the Royals’ 4-2 loss.
Garcia has been limited to 74 games in 2026 and seen his slash numbers fall from .286/.351/.449 a year ago to .266/.323/.381. His recent IL stint, which ran from Aug. 21 to Sept. 13 and kept him out of 21 games, was necessitated by a left hamstring strain. He missed 46 games from June 23 to Aug. 16 because of a muscle strain in his left hand.
“I feel great,” said Garcia, who reported no issues with his hand but said he’d be careful with the hamstring. “I don’t know if I’m 100 percent or not, but last game I stole a base and scored from second [on a single], so that’s good news for me and the team.”
Garcia played only four games between his IL stints, and when he hit the injured list with the h...