Salvador

Perez

Perez, who homered in his lone plate appearance, was playing first base before leaving with an apparent thumb injury. He posted a video of himself working out today, so it doesn’t seem to be a significant problem. Perez is 6-for-29 with two homers in nine games for Caracas.

The new deal ostensibly replaces Pérez’s $13.5 million club option for next season and keeps him in Kansas City through at least 2027, increasing the likelihood that he finishes his career with the Royals. The 35-year-old ironman eclipsed the 30-homer mark for the second time in his 14-year career last season and remains one of the game’s most durable backstops. He’ll head into next year as a surefire top-10 fantasy catcher.

Salvador Perez is already there, but Langeliers could become just the 12th catcher in major league history with 30 doubles and 30 homers. Perez has done it for the first time this year, collecting 34 homers and 30 doubles. Before that, the last to do it was Mike Lieberthal in 1999 (33 2B, 31 HR). Mike Piazza did it twice in 1997 and ’98, while Johnny Bench did it three times in the 1970s.

Perez’ home run was his 30th of the year. The 35-year-old catcher hit a three-run home run off Max Scherzer to put the Royals up 5-0 with nobody out in the first inning. Perez has hit at least 30 home runs in a season for the second time, though he’s had at least 27 home runs in a season five times. He’s hitting .240 with a .743 OPS and 95 RBI on the year.

Perez demolished a first inning homer off Mariners’ starter Bryce Miller that traveled an estimated 435 feet, his second-longest of the season. Also and possibly more importantly, he started a critical four-run, game-winning rally in the eighth inning with a lead-off walk. Walks are not exactly a big part of Perez’s skill set. Before this game, his last walk came on August 21st and the only other time this season he’s drawn two walks in the same game was on June 27th. September baseball is really a treat, you never know what’s going to happen.

Perez, who hit two homers last night, served as a DH today, with the Royals finally giving Carter Jensen his first start behind the plate. The two-run single today gave Perez his first ribbies not to come on a homer since August 24. Fortunately, he does have six homers since then.

The second homer also gave him 1,000 career RBI, so he knocked out both milestones tonight. Perez is now just 17 homers behind George Brett for the Royals franchise record. Catching Brett in RBI will be much more difficult — the Hall of Famer had 1,596 — but he’ll soon move into second place there; he’s currently 12 behind Hal McRae.

Perez absolutely clobbered a Joe Ryan pitch in the first inning with a pair of runners on to give the Royals a 4-0 lead. The 35-year-old also singled while picking up his 25th homer and bumping his RBI total to 81. He’s no longer the best catcher in fantasy baseball, but Perez has shown enough power production to remain relevant.

Perez ends August with five homers and 13 RBI, but he hit just .186 with a .239 OBP. His average is sitting at .241 right now, which would be the second lowest mark of his career. He hit .235 in 2018.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fifth, Perez began an eight-run onslaught with a home run to lead-off the inning. He’d chip in a two-run double in the same frame as the Royals sent 12 total men to the plate. He has 11 RBI in his last 15 games as he tries to get hot and bring his squad back into the Wild Card race.