Kansas City Royals designated hitter Jac Caglianone returned to the starting lineup on Saturday after missing Friday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park due to disciplinary action. Caglianone was benched by manager Matt Quatraro for punching a dugout wall and cutting his left hand following a strikeout in Thursday’s loss to the Astros in Houston.
Return to the Lineup and Public Apology in Pittsburgh
A contrite Jac Caglianone was back in the Royals’ starting lineup as the designated hitter on Saturday afternoon. The 23-year-old addressed reporters before the game to express deep regret over the dugout incident that forced him out of Friday night’s defeat.
“It was a very selfish and immature move on my part.”
Jac Caglianone, via MLB
Caglianone went 2-for-3 with two runs scored upon his return, including an RBI single during Saturday’s 6-5 loss. Beyond the box score, he acknowledged that his conduct fell well short of team expectations.
“These guys hold me to a higher standard. I hold myself to a higher standard. It’s definitely a learning experience, something that I want to grow from.”
Jac Caglianone, via Royals Review
Manager Matt Quatraro’s Decision in Houston
The incident occurred in the dugout following an at-bat during Thursday’s loss to the Astros in Houston. Caglianone went 0-for-2 before being removed in the ninth inning for right-handed pinch hitter Nick Loftin to face Astros left-handed closer Josh Hader, according to reporting from Royals Review.
“It was in the dugout after one of the at-bats.”
Matt Quatraro, manager, via Royals Review
Frustrated by a recent slump that saw him go hitless across multiple plate appearances, Caglianone struck the wall in anger. Quatraro confirmed on Friday that the benching was strictly his call as manager.
“It was my decision to not play him.”
Matt Quatraro, manager, via Royals Review
It just kind of boiled over in Houston,
he said, noting that he cut his hand and fortunately it was nothing too serious. He added that he was very selfish and immature, putting the team in a bad spot and creating a situation he does not want to repeat.
Offensive Production and September Slump
Caglianone earned American League Player of the Month honors for a red-hot August, but September brought a difficult stretch.
Prior to his multi-hit game on Saturday, Caglianone had gone 0-for-10 with one hit in 15 at-bats over his previous seven games while striking out eight times, according to MLB reporting.
Despite the recent skid, the young slugger’s body of work remains impressive during his first full season in the Majors. Across 137 games, he is slashing .279/.332/.485 with 23 home runs and 71 RBIs, according to MLB statistics (with overall seasonal batting metrics also noted at .277/.328/.483). His 123 wRC+ ranks 17th-best among qualified hitters in the American League, while his home run and RBI totals rank second on the team behind rookie catcher Carter Jensen—who hit a franchise rookie-record-breaking 25th homer on Saturday for his 76th RBI. Caglianone is not the only young Royals hitter to apologize this season, as Jensen previously apologized for missing pregame after sleeping through an alarm.
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