Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia leaves game with upper body discomfort: The latest

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia left Friday’s game at Kauffman Stadium — a 12-8 Royals win — against the St. Louis Cardinals with left upper body discomfort.

Garcia, 23, will undergo additional testing on Saturday. The Royals inserted veteran infielder Matt Duffy at third base in the third inning.

“We think it’s soreness and just didn’t want to take any chances with him,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We will re-evaluate him in the morning. He is already feeling better now.”

Garcia has been on a recent hot streak. He extended his hitting streak on Friday to 15 games with a leadoff single against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright. In the second inning, Garcia added another single and scored after Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hit a three-run homer.

Quatraro added that Garcia said he felt some discomfort earlier Friday morning. However, it didn’t keep him from swinging a bat or playing in the field.

“He said he felt a little something when he woke up this morning,” Quatraro said. “It had nothing to do with baseball. It didn’t bother him to swing. It’s just kind of some soreness.”

The Royals built an early 9-0 lead thanks in part to Garcia’s early efforts. He left the game prior to the third inning. KC later announced his upper body injury.

This season, Garcia is hitting .286 with four home runs, 38 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.

Garcia’s 15-game hitting streak is tied for the longest by a Royals rookie. He joined David DeJesus (twice) and Mike Moustakas on the list.