Royals’ Salvator Perez, manager clear air about ‘mental breather’

NEW YORK — Royals captain Salvador Perez and manager Matt Quatraro said they were back on the same page Sunday after the catcher’s social media post late Saturday caused drama between the team and one of its most beloved players.

The disconnect began after Perez was given the day off Saturday by Quatraro, who told reporters that “Salvy’s been struggling a little bit. Just trying to give him a little mental breather.”

Perez took exception to the comment after the Royals’ 13-4 loss to the New York Yankees, posting, “I don’t need a mental breather” on X. He also went to Instagram to post a link to a Spanish-language version of a story on the subject, labeling it with the word “fake” in English.

“Little confused, you know. Not the right communication,” a smiling Perez said before Sunday’s game at Yankee Stadium. “I’m good. Family’s good. Everybody’s good.”

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Quatraro said that he and Perez speak daily, and he said that he informed Perez on Friday night that the 16-year veteran would be getting a rest Saturday. Perez, 36, is hitting .160 this season, with three homers and six RBIs.

Even after resting Saturday, Perez has started 14 of Kansas City’s 21 games behind the plate.

“We’re in a good spot,” Quatraro said. “What stands out to me is the mental breather was, from my perspective, telling him the night before he wasn’t playing so we can take something off his plate, of preparing for our starting pitcher and the game plan, the opposing starting pitcher.

“There’s a tremendous amount that goes into that for a guy like him, and so I think that’s where that became a little bit misconstrued.”

Perez, who has been the Royals’ starting catcher since 2011, is famously reluctant to miss games, even given the physical toll associated with being a major league catcher.

“[It’s] the wording,” Quatraro said. “Salvy and I have talked multiple times about it and we’re in a good spot. And I think some of it comes from, it’s a story when Salvy doesn’t play, right? … So, it was just me trying to provide a little color to the answer that didn’t go the way it was intended and that’s really all there was to it.”

Perez concurred.

“People were surprised I didn’t play yesterday, but everybody has an off day in the big leagues,” he said. “It’s hard to play 162 games, especially behind home plate.”

Perez said he has been dealing with a sore hip — a problem that he joked began “about seven years ago” — and expects to log some DH duty on occasion to lighten the load.

The Royals called up veteran Elias Diaz from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday to serve as the third catcher along with Perez and Carter Jensen. Diaz started at catcher in Sunday’s 7-0 loss to the Yankees, with lefty Cole Ragans on the mound, and Perez at DH.

Both Perez and Quatraro said they were done discussing the social media post and that all is well.

“We don’t have any problem,” Perez said. “Q and I, we talked and we’re good. We’ll get ready to win today.”

The Royals optioned infielder Tyler Tolbert to Omaha to make room for Diaz. Kansas City also optioned righty Mitch Spence to Omaha after he logged four relief innings during Saturday’s blowout. Righty Mason Black was recalled to replace Spence in Kansas City’s bullpen.