Part of Kansas City Royals star and fan favorite Salvador Perez's larger-than-life personality comes from his physical stature. An athletic 6-foot-4, 240-pound catcher, he's built to be able to take on almost anything.
But neither his strong, sturdy frame nor his seemingly perpetual jovial demeanor protected from the heart-wrenching blow Major League Baseball delivered when it announced spring training was halted immediately and the baseball season put on hold indefinitely due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The news rocked Perez, who'd missed the entire 2019 season after having Tommy John surgery on his throwing (right) elbow. He hadn't played in a big-league game since September of 2018. He spent the last year rehabbing one of the game's elite throwing arms, relegated to a high-profile spectator when he was at the ballpark.
After trekking the long road from surgery to recovery and rehab to the point where he'd been a full participant in spring training again, the carpet got ripped out from underneath him.
It hurt at first.
Now, as baseball seemingly inches closer to potentially starting its 2020 season, Perez has been able to see a silver lining in what had been a very cloudy outlook.
"Terrible." That was the first word out of Perez's mouth when asked during a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday about hearing the baseball season had been suspended.
"I kind of felt like when they told me I was going to have Tommy John," Perez said.
As soon as he'd healed, baseball was halted.
"I think it's kind of a little bit (harder) for me because I missed last year, but at the same time I've got to stay focused, try to keep (my body) in shape, try to prepare myself and be ready when they call me."
Perez turned his attention to staying ready for a season he hopes, but is not sure, he'll have. He returned to his home in Miami, where he's been training Monday through Friday. He's typically up and at it by 8 a.m. and training until 2 p.m.
He said he's grown thankful for this time and thinks it's helped him get better.
Similar to his offseason routine, he works on hitting with the Royals' Miami-based special assignment hitting coach, Mike Tosar, and drills his catching fundamentals with Royals bench and catching coach Pedro Grifol, who also lives in Miami.
With so much of society shut down, Perez goes directly to Tosar's home and Grifol's place to work with them.
Then he returns to his own home, where he does workouts he's gotten from Royals strength and conditioning coaches Ryan Stoneberg and Luis Perez. He bought a FITBENCH and has regularly appeared in Instagram videos running along neighborhood streets, or doing exercises on a back porch with dumbbells, kettlebells and resistance bands.
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