Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino will miss the rest of the regular season after breaking his right thumb in a collision during a game against the Houston Astros. The injury occurred when reliever Lucas Erceg made an errant throw which led to Pasquantino colliding with Astros' Yainer Diaz. Pasquantino, who has been a critical player for the Royals with 97 RBIs, is expected to be out for six to eight weeks but could potentially return if the team advances far in the playoffs. Erceg also sustained a hand injury on the same play and is listed as day-to-day. The Royals are 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central and hold a strong position in the wild card race.