Royals’ Salvador Perez out 4-6 weeks after MCL tear

Royals’ catcher Salvador Perez has suffered a Grade 2 MCL tear, reports Rustin Dodd of The Athletic. The injury was apparently sustained when Perez slipped while carrying a heavy amount of luggage. The 28-year old will miss the first 4-6 weeks of the season.

This devastating and horrifically happenstance injury comes just one year after Perez was grappling with both soreness near his rib cage and an intercostal strain in the right side of his chest. The five-time All-Star slashed a decent .268/.297/.495 and send 27 balls yard, despite dealing with this issue. His following trip to the DL was his first since 2012.

For now, the Royals will turn to backup catcher, Drew Butera. The 34-year old slashed .227/.284/.319 in 171 plate appearances last season.

No catcher over the last five seasons has started more Major League Baseball games then Perez. There’s no doubt that he is what every team is looking for when they set out to find a reliable and consistent player. The perfect combination of power behind and in front of the plate, Perez is the owner of four Golden Gloves and a Silver Slugger.

Perez signed a five-year, $52.5M contract with the Royals in 2016. There’s a long time between now and 2021. The last seven years have proved that Perez has an immeasurable work ethic, and that while he may be sidelined for a bit while regular season baseball gets underway, there’s no way he’ll let this injury get the best of him long-term. At the moment, the veteran backstop’s injury does not appear to require surgery.