Injuries & Moves: Salvy day to day with right knee inflammation
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June 15: C Salvador Perez day to day with right knee inflammation
Perez was not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, but manager Matt Quatraro said the veteran catcher could be available off the bench to hit in a big spot if needed. He wouldn't be available to catch, which is why the Royals called up catcher Austin Nola on Saturday, too, for extra depth behind the plate.
The hope is Perez is back catching in a few days -- there's a team off-day on Monday, too -- but the Royals will see how he progresses and if his soreness subsides. The MRI taken Saturday was favorable and showed nothing was structurally wrong with Perez's knee.
"I didn't know what to think," manager Matt Quatraro said. "He's so tough, you never know. But the fact that he's day to day and not going on the [injured list] is a big help for us."
With a runner on second base in the bottom of the fourth inning on Friday night, Cole Ragans threw a fastball to Dodgers catcher Will Smith that might have gone to the backstop if not for Perez’s quickness getting up and snagging the ball to prevent the runner from advancing a base. Unfortunately, Perez also felt a tweak in his right knee during that sequence. The Royals' backstop tried to play through it for a few more innings, but the soreness wasn’t subsiding, and the inflammation was getting worse, leading to Perez’s exit in the eighth inning.
“Maybe my spike got stuck a little bit,” Perez said after Friday's game. “I went to the next couple of innings and tried to feel better, but it got worse after three or four more innings. So I decided to talk to [head athletic trainer Kyle Turner]. Sometimes you feel something, you keep going for a couple more innings and it goes away.”
June 15: C Austin Nola recalled from Triple-A Omaha; LHP Anthony Veneziano optioned to Triple-A Omaha
To protect them behind the plate while Perez recovers from his right knee inflammation, the Royals had Nola join them in Los Angeles and serve as their backup catcher. Freddy Fermin will take over the majority of appearances behind the plate until Perez is ready to go, which the Royals hope will only take a couple of days.
The Royals signed Nola, 34, to a Major League contract in Spring Training for this exact reason -- experienced catching depth. Nola is hitting just .100 in 20 games with Omaha this year. He missed about five weeks with an oblique strain at the beginning of the season but is completely healthy now, he said.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
OF Hunter Renfroe (bone bruise in left big toe)
Expected return: TBD
After fouling two balls off his left foot during a 12-pitch at-bat on June 10 against the Yankees, Renfroe was placed on the 10-day IL on June 11, still in pain. The 32-year-old outfielder had been a big part of the Royals' offense recently, slashing .302/.371/.556 with seven doubles, three homers and 13 RBIs since May 12. On June 12, the Royals received good news about Renfroe’s injury and recovery -- his toe isn’t fractured. Instead, he’s dealing with a bone bruise with a stress reaction. That significantly alters his timeline for a return, as he won’t need surgery to repair a fracture. Depending on his pain threshold and length of a potential rehab assignment, Renfroe could return in a two-to-three-week timeframe. He was already playing light catch on June 12 and began taking some swings while in Los Angeles with the team. (Last updated: June 15)
RHP Michael Wacha (left foot fracture)
Expected return: End of June
Wacha was hit in the middle of his foot by a comebacker in the first inning of his May 31 start against the Padres, but he stayed in the game and pitched 5 1/3 innings, saying he didn't feel any pain while on the mound because of adrenaline. But it settled in postgame, and imaging taken the next day showed a non-displaced fracture, leading to his placement on the IL retroactive to June 1.
Wacha has been progressing well, and he threw a three-inning simulated game at Kauffman Stadium on June 13, facing hitters for the first time. He said everything felt good with his arm and his foot -- the fracture is in his landing foot -- and Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney said Wacha "looked strong." The club will see how Wacha recovers on Friday, but a rehab outing could be the next step soon. (Last updated: June 13)
2B Michael Massey (low back ligament sprain)
Expected return: July
Massey, who was removed from the game on May 24 after hitting a three-run homer, was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 26 with a lower back ligament sprain. He dealt with a similar issue at the end of Spring Training, which delayed his season debut until April 19.
Massey saw a back specialist and received an injection on May 31. He has had a slower recovery but participated in light baseball activity for the first time on June 10. He has ramped up from there, playing catch, running and increasing the amount and intensity of his swings. (Last updated: June 12)
3B Cayden Wallace, Royals No. 2 prospect (right oblique strain)
Expected return: July
Wallace was placed on the 7-day Minor League injured list on May 22 after exiting his Double-A game in the first inning. He was replaced by a pinch-runner after hitting a single in his first plate appearance on May 21 as he dealt with what the Royals described as right side tightness.
Further testing revealed an oblique strain for the Royals' second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. The recovery timeframe was six weeks from the time of injury, which puts his return sometime in July. Wallace is slashing .282/.350/.427 with three homers and 16 RBIs through 34 games with Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season. (Last updated: June 4)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
LHP Kris Bubic (left elbow surgery)
Expected return: July
Bubic opted for full ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery in April 2023 and has had a smooth recovery so far, targeting the middle of 2024 for a potential return. He began his rehab assignment on May 7, first pitching in the Arizona Complex League, then Double-A Northwest Arkansas before being transferred to Triple-A Omaha on May 27.
On June 14, Bubic allowed two runs in four innings for the Storm Chasers, walking three and striking out three. He needed 84 pitches (52 strikes), which means he's fully built up now as a starter.
Bubic's rehab was extended another 10 days on June 15, a rule that allows pitchers recovering from Tommy John to spend more than the maximum of 30 days on a rehab assignment if approved by the player and union. They can extend the rehab assignment by 10 days up to three times but must revisit and approve it after each 10-day window. Bubic's rehab assignment has been extended twice now. He could pitch out of Kansas City's bullpen or rotation at some point this year, but the team doesn't want to rush him back as he gets more reps. (Last updated: June 15)
LHP Josh Taylor (left arm/biceps nerve injury)
Expected return: Second half of the season
Taylor felt soreness when he was warming up for his March 17 Cactus League outing and was shut down afterward with left biceps soreness. The lefty reliever was diagnosed with a musculocutaneous nerve injury, and his timeline to return is unknown, as he'll be shut down from throwing until he regains strength.
Taylor was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 7 to make room for Colin Selby on the 40-man roster. (Last updated: April 7)
RHP Kyle Wright (right shoulder surgery)
Expected return: 2025
The Royals traded for Wright in November in exchange for Jackson Kowar knowing Wright was coming off shoulder surgery after the 2023 season. They made the move thinking ahead a year, foreseeing how Wright, who will be 29 in '25, could help after he led the Majors with 21 wins and posted a 3.19 ERA in '22.
Pitchers who have this procedure typically take a year to return, and Wright is rehabbing in Kansas City with the goal of having a normal, non-rehabbing offseason later this year. Wright was placed on the 60-day IL on Feb. 17 to make room for reliever John Schreiber on the 40-man roster. (Last updated: March 28)
INACTIVE LIST
RHP Jordan Lyles (personal matter)
Expected return: TBD
The Royals placed Lyles on the inactive list on April 20. The team is not disclosing the reason for Lyles’ absence other than describing it as a “personal matter.” There’s no timeline for his return.
Because of the type of inactive list Lyles was placed on, it opened a 40-man roster spot for the Royals, which they utilized on April 22 by promoting righty reliever Tyler Duffey. (Last updated: April 22)