Despite Scare, Salvador Perez Avoided Major Injury vs. Mariners
Hand injuries are some of the most troublesome for baseball players. They can singlehandedly derail a season, especially if involved with a hit-by-pitch scenario. For the Kansas City Royals and catcher Salvador Perez, that scenario came into play on Saturday night. Fortunately, it appears that Perez will be just fine.
In the seventh inning of the Royals' eventual 13-7 loss to the Seattle Mariners, Perez was drilled by a 94.1 mph fastball from Yohan Ramirez. After hitting the deck and remaining on the ground momentarily, made his way to first base and remained in the game as a baserunner until Carlos Santana drove him in via a two-run home run during the next at-bat.
Apr 23, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) greets first baseman Carlos Santana (41) after Santana hit a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Lindsey Wasson-USA TODAY Sports
Perez's day was done after that. When the team trotted out to pitch and field in the bottom of the seventh, the Royals' All-Star backstop wasn't present. Instead, he was in the clubhouse having his left hand examined.
After the game, Royals manager Mike Matheny said that X-rays on Perez's hand came back negative. Per Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star, Matheny called it "great news." Perez was 1-for-2 with a walk and a pair of runs scored before he ultimately exited the game for good.
With a late game in Seattle and a relatively early contest on Sunday, it's probable that Perez gets a day off from both hitting and catching. He's always carried the ability to serve as Kansas City's designated hitter on "rest" days, but the nature of his injury could lead to a game away from taking the field at all. If that's the case, Cam Gallagher will be taking his place. Gallagher, who replaced Perez on Saturday night, is slashing .222/.300/.333 this season.
May 31, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) reacts after hitting an RBI single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
It's been an up-and-down season for Perez, who is hitting just .234 on the year but has posted a tremendous 156 wRC+ in 13 games. He's clobbered five home runs in his last nine games, including a pair of contests with two jacks. Over that span, Perez is slashing .290/.353/.806 — numbers that indicate he's well on his way to putting a rough opening series behind him.
Perez had one of the best seasons of his career last year, hitting a catcher record 48 home runs while posting a scorching .544 SLG. He also hit .273 and recorded a league-leading 121 RBIs. The 31-year-old finished seventh in voting for the American League's MVP award.
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Editor's note: In a mild surprise, Perez is indeed in the Royals' lineup for Sunday's game. He's listed as Kansas City's designated hitter.
