Vinnie Pasquantino -- Fantasy Value

Vinnie Pasquantino made a successful return to the Kansas City Royals' starting lineup on Friday, going 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in a 7-6 victory over the Mariners. The first baseman had missed multiple games earlier in the week due to lower-back tightness, an issue that has persisted for some time.

Pasquantino's season performance has been modest overall, with a .176 batting average and .631 OPS across 129 plate appearances, accumulating 16 RBI and 13 runs scored along with three doubles and two triples. However, there are signs of recent improvement. His four home runs this season have all occurred within his last 12 games, during which he has gone 9-for-42 (.214), slightly better than his season-long average. The homer on Friday continues this recent power uptick despite the modest overall statistics from that 12-game stretch.