Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez provided an encouraging update after leaving Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers with a right elbow injury.
Perez exited before the bottom of the sixth inning after taking a 90.4 mph cutter off his elbow guard in the first inning. Although he initially remained in the game, the Royals removed the veteran catcher because of right elbow aggravation. Afterward, Perez told reporters he felt fine and did not believe the injury would require an injured list stint.
The Royals will continue evaluating Perez, but the early outlook suggests he is day-to-day heading into Kansas City's upcoming series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Perez's exit came during another difficult night for Kansas City, which was swept by the Dodgers and fell to 49-73 on the season. The Royals now sit last in the American League Central, 14.5 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox.
The 36-year-old has appeared in 113 games this season, batting .216 with 94 hits, 16 home runs and 52 RBIs. While his offensive numbers have dipped from previous years, Perez remains the leader of Kansas City's young clubhouse and a key presence behind the plate.
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
If Perez needs additional recovery time, Freddy Fermin is expected to take over the bulk of the catching duties. The Royals have leaned on Fermin before, including earlier this season when Perez missed three consecutive games with elbow soreness in July.
Kansas City has an off day Thursday before opening a road series against the Angels, giving Perez extra time to recover. His optimistic postgame comments offer hope that the Royals avoided a more significant setback despite another frustrating loss.
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