Salvy gets much-needed break from lineup

KANSAS CITY -- Catcher Salvador Perez got his first break from the Royals' starting lineup on Sunday after playing all 18 games since his return from bereavement leave.

"It's just something you have to do," manager Ned Yost said. "You can't run 'em into the ground. He's played every day since he's been back. I wanted to give him an off-day the last day in Cleveland and after we lost the middle game, I wasn't going to do it. It just gets to the point where you've got to do it and you take advantage of the off-day tomorrow. I like him with [James] Shields because it's a great pair, but it's a Sunday, we've got an off-day tomorrow and you've just gotta do what you've gotta do."

A hint that Perez needed a rest is his 2-for-24 (.083) falloff since his 11-game hitting streak ended last Sunday. Backup George Kottaras caught Shields against the White Sox.