Royals catcher Salvador Perez could play by the end of the weekend

Royals catcher Salvador Perez could be days away from returning from a left quadriceps contusion.

Royals manager Ned Yost said Thursday that Perez could be available to pinch hit — or log emergency duty — by the end of a four-game series here at Progressive Field.

Perez is recovering from a bruised left quadriceps muscle, sustained in an 8-7 victory over the Chicago White Sox last Saturday. As the Royals prepared to open a four-game series here in Cleveland, Perez tested his quad during a throwing workout with teammate Tony Cruz.

The latest rehab regimen came one day after Perez did some light jogging back in Kansas City. The Royals initially expected Perez to miss seven to 10 days. Friday will represent Perez’s sixth day of recovery since the injury. Yost said Perez is still having some issues squatting behind the plate.

“We’re hoping to have him available to pinch hit or at least be an emergency (catcher) by the end of this series,” Yost said. “We’ll see how it progresses.”

Mike Minor to have rehab clock reset

Left-hander Mike Minor joined the Royals in Cleveland after battling some rotator-cuff fatigue during a rehab assignment at Class AAA Omaha.

Minor was at Kauffman Stadium earlier this week to be checked out by the Royals’ medical staff. He was slated to make his next start for Class AAA Omaha on Saturday. That start will now be delayed, which will allow the Royals to push back his 30-day rehab clock.

Minor made his first rehab start on May 10, meaning the Royals would have had to make a roster decision on him by June 9. When Minor returns to his rehab assignment, he can remain on it for another 30 days.

“We’ll shut him down for a little bit and get him right back going again,” Yost said.

Minor, a former starter for the Atlanta Braves, is returning from a torn labrum in his shoulder, which required surgery last May. He signed a two-year deal with the Royals in February. He began the season in extended spring training before starting a rehab stint in early May. He looms as a possible reinforcement in the starting rotation if others should falter.

Minor allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings on Monday in a 12-0 loss to El Paso, the Class AAA affiliate of the San Diego Padres. He has posted a 9.20 ERA with 14 strikeouts and six walks in 14 2/3 innings for Omaha. His WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) is 1.84.

Merrifield and Orlando get days off

Outfielder Paulo Orlando and utility man Whit Merrifield, two of the club’s hottest hitters, were out of the starting lineup on Thursday.

The reason? Yost desired to give both players some rest. That was the extent of the reason, he said.

“You just have to give them days off,” Yost said. “It was a good spot to give Whit and Paulo (a day).”

Yost said he had tried to find a day to give Orlando a break during the last week, but Orlando kept prolonging his hitting streak. The career-best streak ended at 14 games on Wednesday.

“I didn’t want to do it in the middle of a streak,” Yost said. “He didn’t get a hit last night; it’d be a good night to take a day off, and Whit’s been in there every single day.”

Merrifield entered Thursday batting .360 (18 for 50) in 12 games; Orlando is batting .382 with an .857 OPS after hitting .429 (27 for 63) in May.

Moustakas has successful surgery on his torn ACL

The Royals reported Thursday that third baseman Mike Moustakas underwent “successful” surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament. The surgery, which was performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, took place on Thursday morning in Gulf Breeze, Fla.

A Royals official said the surgery revealed no other damage to Moustakas’ knee beyond the torn ACL. Moustakas is expected to remain in Gulf Breeze for the next week to rehab.

This story was originally published June 2, 2016 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Royals catcher Salvador Perez could play by the end of the weekend."