Royals C Salvador Perez Set to Undergo Thumb Surgery
On Friday, the Kansas City Royals announced that catcher Salvador Perez would have surgery on his left thumb. Perez injured his thumb on Tuesday, and an MRI later revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament. There is currently no exact timetable for Perez, but the Royals expect him to be able to return this season.
This is a significant blow for the Royals as Perez is the heart and soul of this club. He had a massive 2021 campaign, hitting .273 with 48 homers and 121 RBI. Unfortunately, this season, he was not quite hitting at the same level as he’ll go on the shelf with a .211 average and 11 homers. In addition, Perez’s impact will be felt defensively as well. He is regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the majors.
Rookie MJ Melendez will likely take over the full-time catching duties for Kansas City. According to Fangraphs, Melendez was the organization’s No.2 ranked prospect and will bring a potent bat to fill the void left by Perez.
The post Royals C Salvador Perez Set to Undergo Thumb Surgery first appeared on SportsGrid.
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