BALTIMORE -- With catcher Salvador Perez mending quickly from his quad contusion, the Royals no longer needed a third catcher, thus catcher Tony Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday and infielder Christian Colon was recalled from Omaha.
"Salvy is good," manager Ned Yost said. "Cruz was here to protect him, now we need infield protection. We got enough outfielders.
"This gives us another infielder in case we get a weird deal like what happened with [Cheslor] Cuthbert the other night. Something else happens and then boom, you're out of infielders."
Cuthbert was hit in the elbow with a spiked throw sliding into second base on Monday against the Orioles, though he was back in the lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Colon had been optioned on May 18 after hitting .250 in 16 games with the Royals. While at Omaha, Colon hit .266 with four doubles, a homer and eight runs scored.
Hoz gets half-day off
Yost said he made Eric Hosmer the designated hitter on Wednesday just to give Hosmer some rest. Kendrys Morales started at first.
"Half-day with the off-day tomorrow gives him a day and a half," Yost said. "Him and Esky [Alcides Escobar] haven't had any breaks. With Colon up here, we can possibly give Esky a break in certain games."
Gordon throws
Outfielder Alex Gordon, on the disabled list with a fractured bone near his right wrist, threw on the side on Wednesday and reported that the swelling in the wrist was gone. He hopes to take some dry swings this weekend in Chicago.