In what might lead to nightmarish news for the Royals, catcher Salvador Perez departed Saturday’s World Baseball Classic matchup between Venezuela and Italy with a potentially major injury to his left knee. Italy’s catcher, Drew Butera, collided with Perez on a play at the plate, and Perez was then unable to put any weight on his leg. He had to be carried into the clubhouse as a result, reports Marly Rivera of ESPN (Twitter link).
Although Perez and Butera were on opposite sides Saturday, they’re teammates in Kansas City.