Thanks to heavy and steady rain in Cleveland, Kansas City Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez still hasn’t missed a game this season.
Sunday’s Royals-Cleveland Indians finale of a four-game series at Progressive Field was postponed because of rain and rescheduled as part of a traditional doubleheader on Monday, Sept. 20 starting at 4:10 p.m.
Perez, who has been selected to his seventh All-Star Game, left Saturday’s game with back tightness several innings after he made a diving catch in foul territory on a failed bunt attempt.
He hit his team-leading 21st home run of the season in the fourth inning of that game.
Voted the American League’s starting catcher for the All-Star Game, Perez had started in all 89 games for the Royals this season either as catcher (70 games) or designated hitter (19 games). This season, he has a slash line of .275/.300/.501 to go with 21 home runs, and 53 RBIs.
On Sunday, however, Perez was not in the starting lineup for the first time this season. Royals manager Mike Matheny said he was being “kind of protective” or Perez.
“He feels better, so it was good news since he came in today,” Matheny said. “... Salvy was good. He said he could have played.”
First baseman Carlos Santana, who hurt his left wrist on a collision at first base on Saturday but remained in the game, was also not in the lineup on Sunday for the first time this season.
Perez had also been selected to participate in the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night in Denver as part of the festivities leading up to Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Coors Field.
It’s not clear if the back issue will change Perez’s availability to take part in either of the events this week in Denver.
“That isn’t my question to answer,” Matheny said of Perez’s potential participation. “But the conversations we’ve had is, if he continues to improve and feel good, I know it’s something he has been excited about doing. So if he can, he will.”
When named to the field of participants in the Home Run Derby, Perez said it was something he’d wanted to do before his career ended.
He’d be the fourth Royals player to compete in the Derby, joining a group that includes Bo Jackson in 1989, Danny Tartabull in 1991 and Mike Moustakas in 2017.
