The Royals are taking the cautious route with Salvador Perez, holding their catcher out of Friday’s lineup as he nurses a sore right elbow.
Perez had already been trending in a better direction by the time Kansas City opened its series against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. He got a lubricant injection after leaving Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers early, and the off-day Thursday helped him feel much improved. Still, manager Matt Quatraro said the club isn’t rushing him back.
“He’s got some inflammation in there,” Quatraro said. “It’s a little bit sore from the other day.
He feels way better than he did in L.A. the other day. So we’re encouraged by that.
But just trying to get it as good as we can before we have him back out there.”
Perez has been dealing with soreness in the elbow for about six weeks, and the Royals have been managing it while he’s continued to play. The issue flared up again Wednesday after he threw out Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages at second base. By the sixth inning, the discomfort had gotten bad enough that Perez came out of the game.
“When I threw to second base, you know, when Pages tried to steal, that’s when I felt the worst,” Perez said after that game. “It was kind of hard to grab the bat and things like that.
It was getting worse during the inning. And I just told (Royals manager Matt Quatraro), ‘I don’t think I’m going to finish the game.’”
Kansas City will go with rookie Carter Jensen behind the plate against Angels starter Seth Lugo, with Jensen also listed to hit leadoff. Jensen has caught 69 games this season.
Perez may still be an option off the bench as a pinch-hitter. He’s batting .216 with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs, and he recently became the Royals’ all-time home run leader.
Veteran Luke Maile is also available to catch. He took over for Perez in Wednesday’s game at Dodger Stadium.
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