Salvador Perez -- Injury Report
Injury Report sources for Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals
Salvador Perez returned to his catching duties for the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday against the White Sox, marking his first game behind the plate since May 1. Perez has been dealing with hip soreness and served primarily as designated hitter during the interim period, though he played in all but one game. Manager Matt Quatraro emphasized Perez's defensive value, particularly his leadership and 15 years of game-planning experience that cannot be quickly replicated.
The Royals plan to take a cautious, day-to-day approach to Perez's catching workload. Quatraro stated the team hopes to gradually increase his defensive time, potentially to a two-out-of-three game distribution or similar arrangement, but emphasized decisions will be made based on how Perez responds. Backup catcher Carter Jensen has struggled defensively in 20 games with 4 passed balls and 9 wild pitches thrown by Royals pitchers, compared to Perez's 0 passed balls and 5 wild pitches in 17 games this season.
The 36-year-old Perez is batting .191 with 5 home runs, 5 doubles, and 17 RBIs across 39 games this season. His return to catching represents an effort by the organization to balance protecting him from further injury while leveraging his defensive expertise and veteran presence.