Royals Provide Salvador Perez Injury Update In Between Tuesday Games

With the bases loaded in the seventh inning of their eventual 3-0 loss to Chicago, Perez was pulled from the game in favor of Carlos Santana. The Royals clearly knew something was going on then and despite manager Mike Matheny not having much of an injury update initially, Perez's evaluations with an on-site hand specialist and subsequent imagining conducted were enough to determine a left thumb sprain. 

In Perez's place, the Royals will likely rely on rookie MJ Melendez for the most part. Sebastian Rivero, who was recently optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, has also been recalled in a corresponding move to Perez's shift to the IL. Cam Gallagher, Kansas City's primary backup catcher, is still rehabbing a hamstring strain and may not be able to return until some time next month. 

Prior to exiting Tuesday's outing, Perez was 1-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. It's been a rough year for the reigning home run king, as he's slashing just .206/.239/.397 thus far for the Royals. His on-base ability has been severely diminished when he's behind the plate and even on days in which he's served as the team's designated hitter, he hasn't been up to snuff. Now, with him on the shelf for at least the next 10 days, the club will look for production elsewhere as it tries to move forward.

Melendez, who also played in the first game of the day-night doubleheader and is active for game two, went 1-for-4 on Tuesday afternoon. He's hitting .222 on the year, but his .323 OBP is a testament to his ability to work lengthy at-bats with patience and consistency. Finding frequent innings for him has been a challenge this year, and now he'll almost surely be getting them until Perez is able to return from the sprained thumb.

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