Salvador Perez—future Royals Hall of Famer, highest paid member of the 2022 Kansas City Royals team, and starting catcher—just had surgery on his thumb. Manager Mike Matheny told reporters that the club estimates an eight-week recovery time from the surgery and that, if all goes well, Perez will return later this season.
This is unfortunate for the Royals for multiple reasons. On and off the field, Perez is a vital member of the team. He is a legitimate power hitter and one of the best defensive catchers in the game if you don’t give credence to pitch framing data (which you should not, but we can all get into that another time).