Salvador

Perez

Perez hasn’t caught since Friday, but he’s started every game since, and he’s likely to stay in the lineup this weekend. The Royals are already carrying a third catcher in Elias Diaz, and he’ll probably get one start over Carter Jensen in the series against the Tigers.

Pasquantino will get some additional time to rest and recover following an early departure from Tuesday’s game in West Sacramento with lower back tightness. Royals president JJ Picollo said earlier Wednesday that he doesn’t anticipate Pasquantino requiring a trip to the injured list. Salvador Perez takes over at the cold corner with rookie Carter Jensen handling the catching duties. Fantasy managers should consider Pasquantino day-to-day heading into Thursday’s series finale.

Perez nearly hit one out in the fourth inning, instead lacing a 106 mph single off the left field wall. He got the next one over, taking Hogan Harris deep for a solo homer in the sixth. The 35-year-old catcher is up to five homers and 10 RBI while hitting .196/.229/.357 across 118 plate appearances.

Two of Perez’s hits were soft liners, but the homer was cranked, leaving his bat at 111.2 mph. That’s nearly three mph higher than his previous season best of 108.5 mph. He now has four homers but just eight RBI and eight runs scored through 26 games.

It’s a well-deserved break for Perez on Saturday afternoon in New York following 20 consecutive starts between catcher and DH to open the season. The 35-year-old has gotten off to a rocky start at the dish, hitting .160 with three homers and six RBI during that span. Carter Jensen will handle the catching duties with Isaac Collins (knee) back in the lineup at DH after a three-game absence.

After falling behind early 6-1, the Royals came all the way back on the heels of a six-run seventh inning, with Perez’s 379-foot (97.9 mph EV) three-run shot off of Tyler Holton giving them an 8-6 advantage. It wouldn’t be enough though. Even with his two-hit effort, the 35-year-old backstop is slashing a miserable .169/.221/.324 with three homers and six RBI through his first 77 plate appearances on the season.

Perez was a DH in the second game after going 0-for-4 as a catcher in the afternoon defeat. His homer off Brandon Sproat was his second of the year. He also scored after one of the walks, which is more of a rarity for him than the homer.

Jensen remains out of Kansas City’s lineup for the second consecutive contest after a highly-publicized incident Thursday where he overslept and was scratched from the lineup. The 22-year-old rookie backstop figures to be behind the dish for the second game of Saturday’s twin bill after veteran Salvador Perez handles the catching duties in the opening contest.

The 35-year-old backstop victimized Giants’ right-hander Adrian Houser in the first inning of this one, swatting a two-run shot (105.1 mph EV) that gave the Royals an early 2-0 edge. That would be his only hit in three at-bats and the Royals’ only scoring in the ballgame. Perez is now hitting .235 (4-for-17) with a pair of homers and four RBI in his limited Cactus League action this spring.

Suárez was one of Venezuela’s heroes during Monday’s comeback win over Italy to reach the WBC final, launching a solo homer off starter Aaron Nola to jump-start a four-run outburst. He’ll get the nod at DH after appearing in just four of the six games for Venezuela to this point in the tournament. Here’s the full lineup: Ronald Acuña Jr. (RF), Maikel Garcia (3B), Luis Arraez (1B), Suárez (DH), Gleyber Torres (2B), Ezequiel Tovar (SS), Wilyer Abreu (LF), Salvador Perez (C) and Jackson Chourio (CF).