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Opinion

Drew Butera gets start at catcher in second day as a Royal

By ANDY McCULLOUGH

rmccullough@kcstar.com
The Rangers' Shin-Soo Choo gets out of the way of a pitch as Angels catcher Drew Butera catches the ball during an April 15 baseball game in Anaheim, Calif.
The Rangers' Shin-Soo Choo gets out of the way of a pitch as Angels catcher Drew Butera catches the ball during an April 15 baseball game in Anaheim, Calif. Chris Carlson AP

DETROIT – Erik Kratz spent a month with the Royals and only started one game. Drew Butera had to wait just one day. On his second afternoon as a Royal, Butera will start behind the plate on Saturday against Detroit.

Manager Ned Yost chose Saturday to rest catcher Salvador Perez. He mentioned the buildup of debris absorbed by Perez in recent days.

"He’s been getting beat up lately," Yost said. "A lot of foul balls. Just a chance to give him a day off. Plus it gives us a chance to evaluate Butera a little bit, too."

The Royals traded minor-league infielder Ryan Jackson to the Angels on Thursday for Butera. With Kratz on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis, the organization viewed Butera as a defensive upgrade over Class AAA backstop Francisco Pena.

To reach Andy McCullough, call 816-234-4370 or send email to rmccullough@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @McCulloughStar.

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