KC Royals: Five players to watch in second series vs Yankees

SALVADOR PEREZ

Salvador Perez continued to own Target Field this past weekend and is having a great season for the Kansas City Royals to this point. Perez is posting a slash line of .280/.321/.547 in 40 games and 150 at bats.

At this point, it’s tough to give Perez an entire day off when his bat is so important.

Perez has proven to be one of the better offensive catchers during his career and he’s proving that even more so in 2017. While Drew Butera is a great backup, his stats are as high as they are because he doesn’t get as many opportunities at the plate.

The Royals have a reputation for not giving Perez a lot of time off in seasons past, but they have tried slotting him in as a designated hitter more this year. Before Sunday’s doubleheaders, Perez had been the DH for the Royals in six games.

At this point, it’s tough to give Perez an entire day off when his bat is so important in the Royals lineup. He doesn’t have to be behind the dish, but he at least needs to be swinging the bat during a game.