Royals' Jac Caglianone leaves win over Giants early due to shoulder injury after awkward dive
Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone left Tuesday's 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants early due to a shoulder injury sustained when he tried to make a diving catch.
Caglianone was sprinting after a short fly ball hit by Giants catcher Jesus Rodriguez in the top of the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Caglianone dove and tried to make a backhanded grab near the foul line, but he couldn't quite control the ball as he slammed awkwardly into the ground. He immediately popped up and threw the ball into the infield, but Rodriguez was safe at second.
Here is the play where #Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone got injured in Tuesday's game against the Giants.
— Jaylon T. Thompson (@jaylonthompson) July 22, 2026
Caglianone exited with right-shoulder soreness. pic.twitter.com/OA9L7OPwtt
Caglianone remained in the game the rest of the inning and actually waved the Royals' training staff off when they tried to check on him.
But the team then pulled him from the game in the sixth inning due to what they called right shoulder soreness. Specifics of the injury are not yet known.
The Giants ended up scoring twice in the frame. Drew Gilbert drove Rodriguez in with a single after Caglianone's injury, and they ended the inning up 2-1 after trailing early in the night. But the Royals scored twice in the sixth inning after RBI singles from Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Loftin to secure the one-run win.
Caglianone entered Tuesday's contest with a .260 batting average with 16 home runs and 37 RBI on the season, his second with the Royals.
Kansas City holds a 42-60 record and sits last in the AL Central, though the Royals have won four of their past five games out of the All-Star break — the lone exception being a 19-2 blowout loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday. They opened a three-game series with the Giants with a 4-3 win on Monday, thanks to a bunt from Loftin in the ninth inning.
The two teams will wrap up their series on Wednesday afternoon.