Kansas City Royals: What Can Go Wrong In 2014
By Joel Wagler
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
SALVADOR PEREZ AND CONCUSSIONS
A few weeks ago, KC Kingdom’s Aaron Reese did an outstanding article on catchers and concussions, and it should be a major worry for Royals fans. Phenom catcher Salvador Perez missed timed last season with a concussion, and he took several blasts off his catcher’s mask that looked to be powerful blows to his head.
Perez very quickly has turned into a team leader on the field for the Royals. He handles the staff, youngsters and veterans alike, with aplomb, and he can hit is fair share too. The drop off from Perez to whomever is the back up is cavernous. It would be a disaster if Perez continued to take a cranial beating behind the plate.
The Royals have one of the best all around catchers in all of baseball, signed to a club friendly deal through 2019, and if he misses very much time to short term, or long term, concussion issues, the Royals would be without one of their cornerstones of the present and the future.
The Royals need Perez healthy and productive, and any significant time missed by him could spell doom for this promising season.