All-Star Salvador Perez not in Kansas City Royals’ lineup for first time this season
This won’t be the season Kansas City Royals All-Star catcher and fan favorite Salvador Perez plays all 162 games.
The Royals scratched Perez from the starting lineup on Friday prior to the opening game of their I-70 interleague series with the cross state rival St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Perez, who’d been in the initial lineup posted on social media, will miss the game because of illness.
Royals manager Mike Matheny said Perez, who served as the designated hitter on Thursday night in Chicago, woke up feeling sick on Friday.
Perez tested negative for the coronavirus, but the club is being careful because of health and safety protocols.
Cam Gallagher will make his second consecutive start behind the plate on Friday night. Left-hander Mike Minor will start on the mound for the Royals.
Without the designated hitter in the National League ballpark, shortstop Nicky Lopez has been moved up from his customary No. 9 hole in the batting order to the No. 2 spot behind his double play partner Whit Merrifield.
Perez has a slash line of .276/.304/.512 and a team-high 68 RBIs this season. He matched his single-season career high for home runs in a season with his 27th on Wednesday night.
Perez joined slugger Steve Balboni as the only Royals with three seasons of 27 home runs or more.
A three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, he entered the day tied for the fifth-most home runs in the majors. He’d played in all 107 Royals games this season, starting 84 at catcher (second-most in the AL) and 23 as the DH.
