Royals catcher Perez
could miss season
Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez damaged the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, raising the possibility the 2015 World Series MVP may need Tommy John surgery and miss the season.
Perez was hurt during a workout Wednesday, and the team announced Friday that an MRI a day earlier revealed the damage. Perez will travel next week to California for a second opinion from Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
The 28-year-old has been an All-Star for six straight seasons and won Gold Gloves in five of the last six years. He hit .235 last year and had 27 home runs and 80 RBIs for the second straight season.
Perez has a $10 million salary this year and is owed $13 million in each of the following two seasons.
Cam Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria are the other catchers on the Royals’ 40-man roster.
Gallagher, who appeared in 35 games during the last two years, has a .218 career average with two home runs and 12 RBIs.
Viloria, 22, a September callup last season, has appeared in only three major league games, his only experience above Class A.
Drew Butera, the Royals’ primary backup the last three years, was traded to the Rockies on Aug. 31 and signed a minor league contract with the Phillies last month.
Martin Maldonado, a 2017 Gold Glove winner with the Angels who played last season with the Angels and Astros, is available as a free agent.
Baer’s wife, Pam, was seated in a chair when the video shows he reached over her to grab for a cellphone in her right hand and she toppled sideways to the ground in the chair screaming “Oh my God!” and kicking a leg.
Witnesses saw the ordeal in the public plaza. Baer, holding the phone, says “Stop, Pam, stop,” then walks away alone.
“Regrettably today we had a heated argument in public over a family matter,” the couple said in a statement issued Friday afternoon through the team. “We are deeply embarrassed by the situation and have resolved the issue.”
Officer Joseph Tomlinson of the San Francisco Police Department said officers didn’t respond at the time, but police are aware of the incident and are investigating.
Major League Baseball said in a statement that it “is aware of the incident and, just like any other situation like this, will immediately begin to gather the facts. We will have no further comment until this process is completed.”
Baer was part of the ownership group that bought the Giants in 1992 to keep them in San Francisco, where the club won the World Series in 2010, ’12 and ’14. He took over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2012.
He earlier this week traveled to Las Vegas for a second time to meet with Bryce Harper, who wound up agreeing to a record contract with the Phillies.