Salvador Perez Set for Thumb Surgery, Royals Place on 10-Day IL
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After aggravating his left hand injury earlier in the week and getting an MRI on that hand on Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals have bad news regarding catcher Salvador Perez.
On Friday morning, the club announced that its star catcher is being placed on the 10-day Injured List and will have surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament. The tweet added that Perez is expected to return at some point later this season.
May 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) blows a bubble in the dugout during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
The 2022 season has been a rough one for Perez, as he's struggled to remain healthy but has also played through injuries and discomfort during the year. Despite his toughness displayed, his production at the plate has fallen off in a major way from his elite 2021 campaign.
In 57 games this year, the 32-year-old is slashing .211/.254/.426 with a wRC+ of 88 — all numbers that have been on the rise over the past few weeks since his initial return from the 10-day IL back in May. Perez's first six games back saw him log just one hit but after that, he caught fire before exiting Tuesday night's win over the Los Angeles Angels with the aforementioned re-aggravation.
In Perez's place, the Royals are promoting outfielder Edward Olivares from Triple-A Omaha. After being on the IL with a quad injury, Olivares returned to the Storm Chasers for a rehab assignment on June 10. Since then, in nine games, he's hit just .212 but is walking at a 15.4% clip. In 15 games with the Royals before his injury, Olivares was hitting .371 with a 163 wRC+, serving as one of the most productive hitters on the team.
Friday's moves signal a shift in the infield and outfield dynamics in Kansas City. MJ Melendez likely log even more innings behind the plate now, and the addition of Olivares crowds what is already an uneasy outfield picture for the Royals. It remains to be seen whether the latter will return in starting fashion or if his role will be relegated to more of a bench one, but manager Mike Matheny has his work cut out for him when it comes to crafting a lineup. Losing Perez hurts, although getting Olivares back may help.
