KANSAS CITY, Mo. Talk about carrying some baggage into the season.
Kansas City will be without Salvador Perez for up to six weeks after the star catcher sprained the medial collateral in his left knee while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home.
The injury occurred Tuesday night, when the Royals returned to Kansas City from spring training. The five-time All-Star heard a pop and immediately called Royals trainer Nick Kenney, who advised Perez to ice the knee and come in for an MRI exam Wednesday.
The exam revealed a Grade 2 sprain with a minor tear of the ligament.
No surgery is required, and recovery can take as little as four weeks. But the freak injury leaves the Royals without one of their top hitters when they open against the White Sox on Thursday.
Hopefully, Royals manager Ned Yost said, its shorter than longer.
Perez was wearing a bulky black brace on his knee when he arrived at Kauffman Stadium for the clubs final preseason workout Wednesday. Later, he told reporters what irked him most about the injury is it happened at home, rather than in the midst of competition.
All the work I do, training in the offseason, I feel sad, he said.
Making it even more depressing was the fact that Perez, coming off one of the best seasons of his career, had been on a tear throughout the spring. He appeared in 16 games and hit .350 with six homers and 40 RBIs in only 40 at-bats during the Cactus League schedule.
He hit .268 with career bests of 27 homers and 80 RBIs last season.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI