Vinnie Pasquantino has hand surgery, faces up to 6 weeks out in the latest injury blow to the Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino had surgery Sunday on a fractured hamate bone in his right hand and could miss up to six weeks, the latest injury misfortune to befall a club that has struggled to live up to expectations this season.

The Royals recalled outfielder John Rave from Triple-A Omaha to replace Pasquantino on the roster ahead of their series finale against the Astros. Jac Caglianone, who has been their regular right fielder, likely will play the majority of games at first base.

Pasquantino left the Royals' rain-delayed 8-7 loss to Houston on Saturday night after making contact with the ball in the fifth inning.

“I’m frustrated for him, especially as he’s gotten himself going,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “You never want to lose any of these guys to injury, and it stinks because I know how hard he’s worked to get back to being productive.”

Pasquantino hit .264 with a career-high 32 homers and 113 RBIs last season, and the Royals hoped that he could build on that breakout performance this season. But much like the club, which began the day 10 1/2 games out of first in the AL Central, the 28-year-old left-handed hitter has gotten off to a slow start, batting just .224 with six homers and 32 RBIs.

“He's gone through injuries before,” Quatraro said, “and it can be a real grind.”

In other injury news, left-hander Cole Ragans is scheduled for an MRI on Monday after experiencing a setback playing catch this week. The former All-Star has been on the injured list since May 8 with a left elbow impingement. Ragans appeared to be close to a return after a 23-pitch bullpen session last Wednesday before the latest pain popped up.

He's not the only Royals starter missing these days.

Seth Lugo is on the seven-day concussion list after he was hit in the head by a 106.6 mph liner during a game against Texas last week. He underwent a CT scan that came back clear, but Lugo developed headaches afterward, and his return date is unclear.

Left-hander Kris Bubic, who has been on the injured list since mid-May because of elbow soreness, sustained a setback when a shoulder issue surfaced during a rough rehab assignment for Triple-A Omaha last week. He allowed five earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings.

In the bullpen, regular closer Carlos Estevez is working his way back from a right rotator cuff strain that landed him on the injured list at the end of March, and reliever Nick Mears is playing catch after dealing with a right shoulder impingement.

All of those injuries have put pressure on Quatraro to piece together a lineup that can compete on a daily basis.

“It's certainly not a fun part of the job,” he said. “These guys work exceptionally hard, and injuries are a part of the game. But you feel for the player. Where they want to be is out here competing. But then you immediately shift to: ‘How do we put this together? What is our next-best option? What matchup gives us our best chance to win?’ That's your thought process.”

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Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino reacts after injuring a hand during an at-bat in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

CAIRO (AP) — A daredevil adventurer known as “The Spider-Man of Yemen” has died after falling into a volcano crater while attempting to climb vertical rock faces without safety equipment, authorities said.

Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, 30, was climbing the steep walls of the Hardah Dam volcanic crater in the southern province of Dhale on Friday when he lost his grip and fell into the 120 meter (393 feet) crater, according to the Civil Defense Authority, which posted a short video capturing the moment of his fall.

The 10-second video shows Antar climbing a rocky cliff without any safety equipment. On the cliff he is scaling names in Arabic have been written in white across the rocky wall. He is then seen holding the cliff with his right hand, with his left hand in the air, before he appears to lose his right grip and falls.

Rescue teams, including diving and water specialists, were sent to retrieve Antar’s body, which was found by divers at a depth of 30 meters (100 feet) below the water surface. The four-hour search and rescue operation was described by the authority as “complex” due to the steep and rocky location which made access difficult.

The Hardah Dam — known also as the Haradhat Damt — is a unique volcanic crater located near the city of Damt, in Yemen 's southern Dahle province. A landmark of the region, the crater has steep rocky walls with a hot sulfurous lake at its base.

Antar had gained fame on social media platforms where he posted videos showing him performing high-risk ascents of some of Yemen’s most rugged terrain. His videos often went viral. In one of them he was seen hanging from the edge of a rocky cliff using his bare hands, his legs dangling toward a steep slope in a risky performance without safety equipment.

The Civil Defense Authority has urged those who climb and engage in adventure sports to observe safety procedures and issued a warning to use “appropriate protective gear to avert similar incidents.”

This screengrab from video, released by Yemeni Civil Defense Authority, shows rescuers removing the body of daredevil adventurer Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar on Saturday, June 13, 2026, after he had fallen into a volcanic crater in southern Yemen while climbing without safety equipment on Friday. (Yemeni Civil Defense Authority via AP)

This screengrab from video, released by Yemeni Civil Defense Authority, shows rescuers removing the body of daredevil adventurer Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar on Saturday, June 13, 2026, after he had fallen into a volcanic crater in southern Yemen while climbing without safety equipment on Friday. (Yemeni Civil Defense Authority via AP)