Kansas City Royals’ Sal Perez sits, while Vinnie Pasquantino begins rehab assignment
Kansas City Royals rookie slugger Vinnie Pasquantino will start his road to rejoining the club on Saturday night, while veteran star Salvador Perez is not in the starting lineup for the club’s game in Detroit.
Perez, a seven-time All-Star catcher, is tied for the team in home runs along with Bobby Witt Jr. and ranks second on the team in RBIs (63) despite having mid-season thumb surgery and playing in just 90 games this season.
Perez came out of Friday night’s loss to the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park after Drew Hutchison hit him on the right hand with a 93-mph pitch in the sixth inning.
The hand injury occurred to the opposite hand from Perez’s thumb issues. Perez’s thumb surgery earlier this summer was on his left hand.
Following the game, Royals manager Mike Matheny told reporters in Detroit that Perez’s X-rays came back negative and that his status would be considered day-to-day.
Perez did not appear in the starting lineup posted in advance of Saturday’s game against the Tigers. Rookie catcher MJ Melendez was slated to start at catcher.
The Royals announced Pasquantino, who has been on the injured list since August 23 with right shoulder discomfort, will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.
A left-handed hitting rookie first baseman/designated hitter, Pasquantino had enjoyed an abundance of success at the plate in recent weeks prior to his injury.
In 20 games in August, he led the Royals with a .329 batting average, had as many walks as strikeouts (eight each) as he posted a .392 on-base percentage and a .600 slugging percentage in that stretch.
Pasquantino, 24, also earned American League Player of the Week for August 8-14. He slashed .455/.500/1.045 during that week, and he led the AL with four home runs and 23 total bases that week.
Since coming up from the minors, Pasquantino has slashed .263/.350/.434 with eight home runs and 15 RBIs in 49 games with the Royals.
