Injury ends Whit Merrifield’s Kansas City Royals record games played streak

Despite sustaining a foot injury that forced him out of Sunday’s game and into a walking boot afterwards, Whit Merrifield still held onto hope he’d wake up and feel healthy enough to be in the lineup for Monday’s doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium.

That hope faded away when he climbed out of bed and his feet hit the floor.

The pain that went through his body let him know that treatment and pain medication wouldn’t be enough this time for his name to appear in the lineup the way it has for every Royals game since June 25, 2018.

Merrifield ended Major League Baseball’s longest active consecutive games played streak at a Royals franchise record 553 games, the longest streak in MLB since Miguel Tejada’s ended at 1,152 games in 2007.

“It’s going to be different,” Merrifield said. “It’s going to be unfortunate that it had to happen this way. But I’ve been … lucky is a good word for it in some instances. But I’ve put myself in a good position to play every day physically. Mentality-wise, I’ve shown up ready to play no matter the circumstance whether I was going good or bad.

“It’s been a long run. I’m proud of it. I’m not sure it will be touched anytime soon by someone that plays the way I play it. Maybe like a DH or a first baseman. But to bounce around, play multiple positions, run, steal bases, play in the weather that KC has to offer. I’m pretty proud of the number I put up.”

Merrifield, a two-time All-Star and two-time MLB hits leader who led the majors in stolen bases in 2018, described the injury as a bone bruise with a bit of ligament swelling at the joint of the big toe on his right foot. He compared the feeling to turf toe.

He said he felt a “pop” while breaking to his left on a foul ball off the bat of Cleveland Guardians hitter Owen Miller. Merrifield felt pain putting weight on that foot immediately after the play, and he knew he’d be hard pressed to finish the game.

The injury being on his right foot played a big factor in him coming out of the game on Sunday and not being able to play through the ailment as he’s done numerous times during his streak.

“If it was my left foot, it would be a little different,” Merrifield said. “I think I’d be able to manage it if it was my plant foot. But it’s my load foot. Hitting, you want a lot of weight on your backside. Try pushing off your backside while you’ve got a big toe that’s bothering you.

“I don’t see it being beneficial for anything that has to do with my swing. It’s going to take away bat speed. It’s going to make me fall and just put me in a bad position that, frankly, could create some bad habits. I’m finally getting good habits. I don’t want to go back to bad habits.”

Through 84 games this season, Merrifield has slashed .240/.292/.343 with five home runs, 36 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

He got off to a dreadfully slow start at the plate this season, but in 58 games since May 10, he has slashed .286/.342/.423 with five homers, 30 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

While speaking with reporters, Merrifield kept coming back to the thought that he’d undoubtedly be compromised at the plate if he attempted to play through the injury.

Merrifield said team physician Vincent Key told him he should wear the walking boot for a couple weeks and that he’d still feel discomfort for five to six weeks.

Merrifield expressed optimism he’d be back on the field by the first series after the All-Star break, though he’d be playing through pain.

The Royals did not place Merrifield on the injured list.

“Obviously, I feel for him because the game needs its best players on the field at all times,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told The Star. “Coming to Kansas City, Whit Merrifield is in the lineup and is leading off and he’s playing some position and he’s going to do it well.

“Even in his days where he’s not swing the bat particularly well, he’s a difference-maker on the bases. When he’s not on base, he’s playing incredible defense. The longevity of that needs to be respected because to do it here in Kansas City as long as he did, it’s sad to see it come to an end.”

Hinch, who played for the Royals in 2001 and 2002, said the weather and particularly the heat and humidity makes the challenge of playing every day without a mental or physical break “pretty unique” in places like Kansas City and St. Louis.

Royals All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi is one of the team’s 25 active players who have not played in a game where Merrifield wasn’t in the lineup.

“You’ve got to stay relatively healthy and you play through a lot of stuff people don’t know about,” Benintendi said. “Five hundred and 50 something games, that’s crazy. I mean I’ve only been here a year and a half. It will be different, but I won’t probably recognize it as much as other guys.

“It’s definitely something that’s a big accomplishment. I’m sure that day would come eventually. Maybe it will be a breath of fresh air for him to sit back and watch a game for a day.”

The only Royals on the current 40-man roster who’ve played in regular-season games for the Royals without Merrifield prior to Monday were Salvador Perez, Zack Greinke and Adalberto Mondesi.

Catcher Cam Gallagher and Merrifield both debuted during the 2017 season and appeared in games in 2017 and 2018 prior to Merrifield’s streak. However, Merrifield was in the lineup for each game Gallagher played.

Merrield’s streak had been going for more than a season and a half before current manager Mike Matheny took over at the helm prior to the 2020 season.

“It was one of those things that I was aware of, but it just wasn’t a forced issue because he’s just a guy that was able to help us win every single day,” Matheny said. “The versatility also plays into that where we know we can put him in different spots. DH ⁠— not very often ⁠— but that was helpful at times too when he’d feel (it) a little bit.

“But overall to be able to continue to answer the bell, that’s one of the things about this game that makes it very unique is that day-in, day-out nature of it. He’s taken a lot of pride in preparing himself and being able to go out there every day.”