Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is ahead of schedule in recovery from the knee surgery he had in Spring Training this season. Originally, Perez was expected to be out until the All-Star Game in Kansas City on July 10, but the teams says he could return as early as late June.
Perez is likely to leave for the Royals' camp at Surprise, Ariz., next week, maybe as soon as Monday.
"He's two weeks ahead of schedule," manager NedYost said. "He's going to go to Arizona and get in a Spring Training mode and be there two weeks or so. Then move to a Double-A or Triple-A team."
The 22-year-old Perez was signed to a five-year contract through the 2016 season worth a guaranteed $7 million. Due to his injury, though, the Royals made the move of adding depth at catcher when they traded for Humberto Quintero from the Houston Astros.
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