Salvador Perez injured, will have MRI

After a tough loss to the Seattle Mariners Friday, the Royals got more bad news.

The Kansas City Royals are currently in sole possession of the second Wild Card spot. They remain a half game up on the Tampa Bay Rays, but their lead shrunk to a game and a half over the Mariners on Friday.

The Royals now might have another problem to worry about.

Salvador Perez was seemingly injured after a swing-and-miss on a pitch in the sixth inning. Perez is now getting an MRI and might possibly land on the DL. This isn’t the first time Perez has injured his right side, and it not even the second time he’s been hurt this year.

Perez suffered a knee injury in the World Baseball Classic after getting run over, coincidentally by his own teammate, Drew Butera. He dealt with soreness in his left side back in mid-June but never had to go on the DL. He might not be so lucky this time around.

If Perez were to go on the DL, it would spell bad news for the Royals. He’s easily one of the best catchers in baseball. He’s thrown out 15 of 37 runners this season after leading baseball in caught stealing percentage last season. Not to mention he’s also one of the best at calling a game behind the plate.

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Along with his defense, the Royals will definitely miss his bat. With guys like Brandon Moss and Alex Gordon severely underperforming, guys needed to step up. Perez is hitting a comfy .278 with 21 home runs, the most among catchers.

The Royals are very much alive for a playoff spot, but they need all hands on deck if they want to make it. If Perez were to be out of the lineup for an extended period of time the Royals will have to ride with Butera and rookie Cam Gallagher until Perez gets back.