Division rival suffering untimely injury could help propel Tigers in playoff race

The margins in the American League Wild Card race are razor-thin as September arrives, and the Detroit Tigers may have just gained a slight edge.

The Kansas City Royals announced Friday that first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino has a broken right thumb after a collision with the Houston Astros' Yainer Diaz during Thursday's game. Pasquantino is scheduled for further testing, but the club says he won’t be able to return for 6-8 weeks. Given that timeline, he will miss the remainder of the regular season and would only be a factor in October if the Royals put together a deep postseason run.

Pasquantino's injury is a devastating blow for the Royals. He has been a key bat in Kansas City's lineup this year, hitting 19 home runs while limiting his strikeout rate to just 12.8%. His .262/.315/.446 batting line translates to a wRC+ of 106. The Royals, who are currently 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central while holding the second Wild Card spot, have a top-heavy batting order that now looks far less intimidating without Pasquantino in it.

Royals' Pasquantino suffering untimely injury could help propel Tigers in playoff race

The Royals being without their slugging first baseman down the final stretch of the season may not not only cause them to tumble out of playoff contention; it could also help the Tigers.

Kansas City currently sits six games ahead of Detroit in the AL Wild Card standings and just one game ahead of the Minnesota Twins. According to FanGraphs, the Tigers' 4.5% playoff odds pale in comparison to the Royals' 80.3%. But the Tigers have had a remarkably hot second half that has seen them skyrocket above the .500 mark for the first time since June.

Tigers fans will be wise to remain cautious in their optimism about their team's chances to make the playoffs this year, but sometimes all it takes is one broken thumb to change the entire narrative. After all, the Royals are pulling off one of the greatest turnarounds in baseball history after a 106-loss season last year.

Who's to say the Tigers won't do the same?

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