Salvador Perez talks about injury

SURPRISE, Arizona – Royals receiver Salvador Perez, faced with a possible end-of-season opener for Tommy John, made a speech for the first time on Saturday since the club revealed that he had collateral ligament injuries ulnar to the elbow.
Perez spoke with reporters outside the team's spring training clubhouse, alongside

SURPRISE, Arizona – Royals receiver Salvador Perez, faced with a possible end-of-season opener for Tommy John, made a speech for the first time on Saturday since the club revealed that he had collateral ligament injuries ulnar to the elbow.

Perez spoke with reporters outside the team's spring training clubhouse alongside Royals coach Nick Kenney.

Perez, who often smiled during the short interview and seemed optimistic, said that he was trying to prepare for the worst possible scenario, namely a surgical operation ending the season. On Tuesday, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, renowned specialist, will give his second opinion in Los Angeles.

"It is difficult to prepare for this [surgery]Perez said, "It will be the worst thing, but I have to be ready too, we'll get the second opinion and we'll see."

Kenney said that contrary to what was reported on Sunday, the Royals made no recommendation as to surgery.

"At this point, it's a possibility," said Kenney, "but this has not been recommended – it has been raised and it's a possibility."

In fact, Perez still seems to be hoping that ligament damage is not serious enough to require surgery and that he can still play this season.

"If I can play through I'll do it," said Perez. "That's what I think, yes, it's my hope to play this year, we'll see."

Kenney added, "We obviously have a serious enough injury to worry about. We want to weigh our options. We will seek a second opinion from another surgeon in order to dispel our thoughts or to follow them. This is where we are.

Perez began to feel discomfort in his forearm in early January during his off-season shot program. An MRI return to Kansas City revealed a flexor muscle tension (which can sometimes be a forerunner of UCL damage), and Perez was suspended for four weeks.

Perez felt good when arriving at the camp in February, until Wednesday.

"I shot about 75 feet Wednesday and felt something," said Perez. "I have finished shooting that day and I am still waiting to see if the pain gets worse or worse or stays the same for the next day. If that does not change, I say nothing and I am not checked. But the next morning I [really] felt the pain, that's what happened when I talked to Nick. "

Kenney's attention certainly caught Kenney's attention and another MRI was performed on Thursday, revealing ligament damage.

"During a career, guys are hurting," said Kenney. "If you go around the locker room, everyone here who has played baseball all his life has some [UCL] pity. But in terms of pain related to the type of injury, this gentleman had a pain-type injury with flexor tension in January. "

That's why the Royals kept a close watch on Perez throughout the camp and that's why they want a second opinion.

"We want to be complete," said Kenney. "We have thoughts. We just want to confirm.