Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez has been placed on the 10-day injured list, with the team announcing that the perennial All-Star will undergo surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament on his left thumb. He is expected to return to action later this season.
Perez originally injured his thumb during a swing in May, but returned after a brief trip to the IL, serving as Kansas City’s main catcher for the past month before reaggravating the injury on Tuesday night in Anaheim. He is hitting only .211 this year with a team-leading 11 home runs.
Perez’s trip to the IL will mean injured playing time behind the plate for rookie M.J. Melendez, with Cam Gallagher elevated to the back-up position.
