Royals place Maikel Garcia on the injured list

The Royals placed Maikel Garcia on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a left hand muscle strain and recalled Josh Rojas from Triple-A Omaha.

Garcia had been dealing with hand soreness since a series against the Cardinals in mid-May, and the injury was aggravated when he exited a game in Washington. He also missed time earlier this month with a hamstring strain before briefly returning to action.

Roster move

Rojas gives Kansas City an immediate infield depth option after the move. He has been viewed as a versatile bench piece, with the ability to cover second base, third base and some outfield work.

Royals Review reported that Rojas was hitting .251/.313/.445 with eight home runs in 58 games for Omaha and had already appeared briefly for Kansas City earlier this season.

What it means for Kansas City

The IL stint creates more pressure on a Royals infield that has already been tested by injuries, including Bobby Witt Jr.'s knee issue. Garcia had been playing regularly for Kansas City, and his absence leaves the club with less certainty in the lineup and on the dirt.

Royals Review reported Garcia had appeared in 69 games this season and was batting .261/.320/.373 with three home runs at the time of the move.

The minimum stay on the injured list means Garcia can return after 10 days, but the team has not said how long he is expected to be out beyond that. Further roster movement could follow if Kansas City needs to keep its infield functional through the injury stretch.