Royals manager Matt Quatraro has left the team ahead of a crucial series to attend to a personal matter, the team announced Monday.
The team did not provide any further details on how long he may be absent.
Kansas City is 3 1/2 games out of the AL Central division lead and 4 1/2 games ahead of Boston for the final playoff spot with a three-game home set with the division-leading Guardians beginning Monday.
It is unclear why Quatraro has left the team, but bench coach Paul Hoover will attempt to rally the troops in his stead for a series that could determine the team’s divisional fate.
Quatraro, 50, is in his second season as manager after taking over for Mike Matheny.
In his first season, Quatraro endured a painful 56-106 record.
Thanks to Bobby Witt Jr.’s breakout campaign, in which he is in the thick of AL MVP voting, the team has vaulted to 75-63 entering Monday.
Kansas City has reinvigorated the careers of ex-Mets Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, the former having pulled together a borderline Cy Young-caliber season.
The Royals, though, are battling the injury with trade deadline acquisition Lucas Erceg and team RBIs leader Vinnie Pasquantino being lost to injury.
In an attempt to replace Pasquantino, the team claimed outfielder Tommy Pham, who has already had stints with the White Sox and Cardinals in 2024.
The Royals also acquired Robbie Grossman and Yuli Gurriel to help ease the injury burden.
“It’s guys that have been through this, guys that understand what September’s about in a playoff race, guys that are super competitive and really want to win,” Quatraro said after the acquisitions.
Hoover joined the team last season as the bench coach after he previously served on Rays manager Kevin Cash’s bench from 2019-22.
