KANSAS CITY – Saturday marked the second consecutive game that Salvador Perez was out of the lineup due to right elbow soreness, but manager Matt Quatraro said that Perez was feeling “a lot better” ahead of the series-opener against the Phillies at Kauffman Stadium.
“He’s got a lot more range of motion, a lot less discomfort,” Quatraro said. “He hit in the cage. We just decided to give him today to hopefully get that much more progress going into tomorrow.”
Perez was first out of the lineup on Thursday, and the Royals selected catcher Luke Maile to the 40-man roster, offering a reinforcement behind the plate if something were to happen to Carter Jensen and the Royals needed another catcher during the game. The corresponding moves for bringing Maile up on Thursday were optioning outfielder John Rave to Triple-A and designating reliever Eric Cerantola for assignment.
The Royals were hoping that Friday’s team off-day and a Saturday night game against the Phillies would help with Perez’s progress, and now they’re being cautious getting him back into games.
It sounded like Quatraro would be more comfortable having Perez hit than catch and throw right now, so he could get back in the lineup soon as the designated hitter.
“It’s not pain, it’s just discomfort,” Quatraro said. “Because it was reduced range of motion, and he’s got a lot more of it back. If you were just going in there to watch him hit, you wouldn’t know anything was going on. He just feels a little something today.”
Add this to the growing list of injuries the Royals are dealing with right now – and one they hope doesn’t turn into something more severe for their captain. Kansas City already has 11 players on the IL, including hitters Vinnie Pasquantino (right hamate bone fracture), Maikel Garcia (left hand muscle strain) and Kyle Isbel (left plantar fasciitis). Pasquantino and Isbel are both expected to begin a rehab assignment next week, but Garcia has still not started to swing again as he lets his hand heal.
The Royals revealed Thursday that starter Cole Ragans underwent a UCL repair on his left elbow, an operation that will have him sidelined until midseason next year. Starter Kris Bubic is also still on the 60-day IL and working through another shoulder setback. He received a cortisone injection on Thursday and will be shut down for seven to 10 days, but his timeline for a return is still to be determined based on how he feels when he starts to ramp up again.
With Perez unable to catch right now, Jensen will receive the majority of playing time behind the plate. The Royals brought back Maile this spring on a Minor League deal after he appeared in 25 games with them in 2025, handling third-string catcher duties admirably and turning into a clubhouse favorite. In 28 Triple-A games this season, he has a .202/.324/.303 slash line.