The Royals fell 2-1 to the Mets on Sunday afternoon, though the most significant development from the game was an apparent injury to star catcher Salvador Perez.
Kansas City's heart and soul was hurt on a inning-ending play at the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning, still getting the out thanks to a tremendous throw from M.J. Melendez. Perez left the game and did not return, struggling to walk back to the dugout.
With the Royals off to their best start in years, it's a brutal time for such an important player to go down.
Royals News: Salvador Perez Exits Game With Injury
Salvador Perez on the receiving end of an MJ Melendez throw and double play to end a Mets rally. Needed some help walking off. Walking gingerly on his own in dugout before heading up tunnel. Will update pic.twitter.com/NZ1ZchEuL1
— Joel Goldberg (@goldbergkc) April 14, 2024
Perez, who is hitting .333 with four home runs and 15 RBI, has been enjoying an incredible first month of the season. Alongside Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, M.J. Melendez, and Nelson Velasquez, Kansas City's lineup has the ingredients to be an effective offense all year long.
However, Perez is obviously a big part of that. The Royals announced that he had a left groin/hip strain and he'll be further evaluated on Monday.
Salvador Perez left today's game with a left groin/hip strain; he will be evaluated further tomorrow.
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 14, 2024
Hip and groin strains can vary in severity, though can typically sideline a player for two to eight weeks. If Perez does miss extended time, the Royals will rely on Freddy Fermín to carry the load and may make a minor league move as well.
We'll keep you updated on Perez's status as more information becomes available. The Royals travel to Chicago to take on the White Sox on Monday at 6:40 PM CT and we should have an update by then.
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