Royals’ Salvador Perez returns to starting lineup after IL stint for blurred vision
For the first time in more than three weeks, the Kansas City Royals will have star catcher Salvador Perez back in the starting lineup Friday night.
The Royals activated Perez, the five-time Gold Glove Award winner and six-time All-Star, before their series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Kauffman Stadium. Perez will bat third and catch starting pitcher Kris Bubic’s eighth big-league start.
“I’m excited to be back guys,” a smiling Perez said in a pre-game video call with reporters. “I feel a lot better. We’re going to see tonight.”
Catcher Meibrys Viloria was optioned to the alternate training site to make room for Perez.
Perez had been on the injured list with central serous choriorentinopathy, a fluid buildup over his left eye that blurred his vision. He tried to play through it, but the club ultimately placed him on the IL on Aug. 21 (retroactive to Aug. 18). He missed 20 games.
Perez began working out and taking batting practice, live at-bats and playing in intrasquad scrimmages at the Royals’ alternate training site, T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kan,, earlier this week.
Perez said he caught five innings in a scrimmage this week and served as designated hitter one day.
“That was my big concern (seeing the spin),” Perez said. “When I got to the T-Bones four days ago, (M.J.) Melendez was catching, (Sebastian) Rivero was catching. I told them, throw everything.
“Throw a curveball, throw a slider, throw a changeup. I want to see spin. If you want to go up and in, just go. Don’t be afraid. And they did it. They threw me everything, and I saw everything good. That was my big concern, to see spin, but I saw it pretty good.”
Perez was able to hit off of a pitching machine while he was on the IL and with the team before going to the alternate site, so he thinks that helped him keep his timing.
In 22 games this season, Perez batted .307 with a .326 OBP and a .511 slugging percentage. He had four home runs, six doubles, 10 runs scored and 12 RBIs.
Perez has seen multiple eye specialists since experiencing the blurred vision. He tried returning to the lineup after a visit several weeks ago. He said he was told in his most recent appointment on Wednesday that the fluid was 70 percent gone.
Perez missed all of the 2019 season after having Tommy John surgery in March. After baseball season was put on hold due to the pandemic, he had a COVID-19 infection that delayed his start to spring training 2.0. Then his comeback season got interrupted again by his eye condition.
“You know, the good thing is I’m back,” Perez said. “Whatever happened in the past is over. I just need to forget about that and concentrate on the future and be positive and have fun tonight.”
Perez said he watched Brady Singer’s no-hit bid on Thursday night with fingers crossed, hoping he’d finish it. Perez said he was “super excited” and praised Singer for how he pitched to both sides of the plate and kept the ball down.
As for Danny Duffy and Jakob Junis dumping Gatorade buckets of ice water on Singer during his television interview with Fox Sports Kansas City, the namesake of the Salvy Splash laughed deeply after he quipped, “They’ve got to work a little bit more. I’m going to teach the guys how to do it. OK? That’s my fault for not being in Cleveland. I got it, guys. I got it. That’s my fault. They’ve got to do it better.”
