Royals C Perez to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss 2019 season - team

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez will have Tommy John surgery on his right (throwing) elbow Wednesday and miss the 2019 season, the team announced Tuesday. Perez was diagnosed with damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow after an MRI last Thursday, a day after hurting the elbow during a workout. He traveled to Los Angeles to visit specialist Neal ElAttrache, known for his experience with Tommy John surgeries, for a second opinion.

Perez appeared just once during spring training, as a designated hitter. He was also hurt to begin the 2018 campaign, missing several weeks after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his left knee while slipping with a suitcase on the stairs a day before Opening Day.

The 28-year-old batted a career-low .235 last season but matched his career highs of 27 homers and 80 RBIs while playing in 129 games. He earned his sixth straight All-Star nod. A five-time Gold Glove winner, Perez is owed $36 million over the next three seasons, including $10 million this season. Perez was MVP of the 2015 World Series when the Royals defeated the New York Mets in five games. He has a .266 career average with 141 homers and 503 RBIs in parts of eight seasons with Kansas City. 

(With inputs from agencies.)