Royals' Pasquantino makes wild-card roster in early return from broken thumb

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is on the Kansas City Royals' wild-card roster for their series against the Baltimore Orioles after making an early return from a broken thumb sustained Aug. 29, the club announced Tuesday.

Pasquantino was originally expected to be out six-to-eight weeks.

The 26-year-old should give the Royals a major offensive boost, as he recorded 19 homers with 97 RBIs and a .760 OPS over 131 games this season.