Salvador Perez, the Kansas City Royals’ invaluable catcher, lost his 2018 season to a damaged ulnar collateral ligament, the career-threatening malady that preys primarily on pitchers and the arms with which they earn their living. The injury forced the Royals to rely on catchers serviceable in their own right but simply not Perez’s equal.
Perez, his recovery from Tommy John surgery apparently on schedule, is set to return to the Royals for Spring Training and presumably will be behind the plate Opening Day. Beyond that, however, Perez poses one of the biggest questions facing the club as they seek to avoid a third straight 100-plus loss season.