Salvy exits game with right elbow aggravation, hopes to play Friday

LOS ANGELES – A rough start to the Royals’ Southern California road trip turned worse as Salvador Perez left Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Dodgers early due to right elbow aggravation.

Perez said the aggravation occurred when he threw down to second base to catch Andy Pages trying to steal the base in the third inning. After that, he said it was “kind of hard to grip the bat like that.” He added that his elbow felt worse throughout the evening.

The Royals took him out of the game after the fifth inning.

Perez said he got an injection after he was taken out of the game and was told by doctors that it should feel better after 24 hours.

“He just has some right elbow soreness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It's very similar to what he had when we started not catching him as much, probably six weeks, two months ago, whatever it was. Just flared up on him a little bit today.”

It’s the same elbow that has been giving Perez trouble at various points this summer. He missed a few games in early July with the same injury.

“One day they get worse, some days like two or three days good, four days good,” Perez said. “It's been six weeks that I've been playing like that.”

With an off-day Thursday, Perez will rest his elbow and see how he feels on Friday for the series opener vs. the Angels in Anaheim.