Jul 12, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; American League catcher Salvador Perez (13) of the Kansas City Royals celebrates with American League outfielder Mookie Betts (50) of the Boston Red Sox after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning in the 2016 MLB All Star Game at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez apparently avoided a serious injury to his left knee when an MRI exam performed Sunday displayed no structural damage.
Perez, a four-time All-Star, was injured on Saturday night while playing for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. Ironically, he was hurt on a play in which his backup with the Royals, Drew Butera of Team Italy, collided with him in a play at the plate.
Perez was helped off the field and couldn’t put weight on his left leg. Sunday’s exam displayed inflammation in his knee. The Royals plan to examine Perez on Monday when he returns to spring training at Surprise, Ariz.
The 26-year-old Perez belted a career-best 22 homers last season while winning his fourth consecutive Gold Glove award.
–Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis most likely will miss the season opener on April 3 because of a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
Manager Terry Francona told reporters that the two-time All-Star was scheduled to be the designated hitter on Sunday against the San Diego Padres but the team’s medical staff decided to shut him down for two weeks.
Kipnis had a cortisone shot in his shoulder on Feb. 25 and was told to avoid throwing for four to five days. He played his first two games of the spring at DH on Thursday and Friday.
Kipnis hit a career-best 23 home runs last season while batting .275 with 82 RBIs in 156 games. He slugged four more homers during the postseason as Cleveland reached the World Series before losing to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.
–Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson said he expects to begin playing in spring training games later this week.
Donaldson has been sidelined with a right calf injury suffered the day before the Blue Jays opened camp three weeks ago.
The 2015 American League MVP went through his full pregame routing prior to Saturday’s game. His running needs to improve before he can be cleared to play.
Donaldson batted .284 with 37 homers and 99 RBIs last season while finishing fourth in the MVP balloting. The previous season, he hit .297 and established career bests with 41 homers and 123 RBIs while winning the award.
–The Philadelphia Phillies acquired switch-handed pitcher Pat Venditte from the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners received minor league outfielder Joey Curletta, who will report to Seattle’s minor league camp.
The ambidextrous Venditte, 31, has a 6.00 ERA over three innings with five strikeouts in three Cactus League appearances with the Mariners this spring training. Venditte went 0-0 with a 5.73 ERA over 22 innings with 19 strikeouts in 15 relief appearances with Toronto and Seattle in 2016.
Curletta, 23, split last season between high-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system. He began the season with Rancho Cucamonga and hit safely in 21 of his final 24 games before being promoted to Tulsa on July 28.
–The Washington Nationals placed catcher Derek Norris on waivers, according to multiple reports.
The team will move on from Norris to dwindle their glut at the catching position, the Washington Post reported. Norris lost his starting job with the Nationals due to the signing last month of Matt Wieters to a two-year contract worth $21 million.
Norris, acquired in an offseason trade from the San Diego Padres, batted just .186 with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs in 2016.
Norris, 28, signed a one-year, $4.2 million deal in January with Washington. He is entering his sixth season in the major leagues.
