DETROIT — In Friday night’s matchup against the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg suffered an injury after being struck on the left foot by a hard-hit ball. The injury occurred in the seventh inning when Detroit’s Riley Greene sent a fierce 109.1 mph ground ball that deflected off Erceg’s foot. The ball ricocheted towards Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, but Greene managed to reach first base before Pasquantino could make a play.
Erceg, who is 29 years old, remained on the ground for several minutes following the incident. Eventually, with assistance from an athletic trainer and manager Matt Quatraro, Erceg limped off the field. The Royals later informed the press that Erceg had sustained a foot contusion.
Prior to this game, Erceg had been performing admirably, throwing 6 2/3 scoreless innings across eight appearances this season. However, the injury added to a string of challenges for the Royals, as the team has now endured five consecutive losses.