Report: Salvador Perez likely to undergo Tommy John surgery

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is likely to miss the entire 2019 season after receiving a recommendation to undergo Tommy John surgery.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Perez is likely to undergo the procedure next week, and will not be back until 2020.

Breaking: Tommy John surgery has been recommended for Royals star catcher Salvador Perez. He is expected to have the surgery next week, and would be back for the 2020 season.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 2, 2019

This was the worst-case scenario when it was discovered that Perez had a damaged UCL in his right elbow. While the Royals weren’t expected to be contenders, it’s still a massive blow, as Perez is consistently ranked as one of the sport’s top catchers. They’re in for a very long season without him.