Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez would have been available off the bench Tuesday, but the Royals’ bid for a road series victory against the Chicago White Sox was postponed due to rain.
With a doubleheader now scheduled for Wednesday, additional rest only figures to benefit Perez, who injured his left groin and hip on Sunday afternoon. An MRI exam on Monday revealed a mild groin strain, meaning it’s unlikely the veteran slugger will require a trip to the injured list.
“We have to take it day to day, quite literally,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And then we have options of catching him, first base, DH, whatever we think is going to be sustainable for him to be back in there as often as possible.”
Regardless of Perez’s role in the lineup, the Royals will take aim against another White Sox starter making his major league debut.
After Seth Lugo outdueled Chicago rookie Nick Nastrini 2-0 in the series opener on Monday, the White Sox will turn to 6-foot-6 right-hander Jonathan Cannon.
Cannon, promoted from Triple-A, pitched to a 2.79 ERA for Charlotte in two starts covering 9 2/3 innings.
He will hope for better run support than his predecessors in the Chicago rotation. Monday marked the sixth time the White Sox were shut out in their first 16 games, joining the 1907 Brooklyn Superbas as the only clubs in major league history to be so limited.
“Some of these guys are pressing, but it’s not something we can talk about every single day and use a crutch,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said. “We’ve got to make adjustments.
“One thing I do know is this won’t stay like this, because it can’t. Eventually when it doesn’t and it breaks, they’ll realize whatever emotions they were feeling through this streak is kind of a waste of time.”
Kansas City right-hander Brady Singer (2-0, 0.98 ERA) will oppose Cannon as he faces Chicago for the second time this season. Singer wound up with a no-decision against the visiting White Sox on April 5 after yielding one run and two hits, including a solo home run from Gavin Sheets, in 6 1/3 innings.
Singer, who walked one and struck out four, is 3-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 13 career appearances against Chicago, including 12 starts. He is coming off a Thursday victory against Houston that capped a 7-0 homestand. Singer threw five-innings of one-run ball vs. the Astros.
“It’s a really fun environment,” Singer said of the Kansas City clubhouse. “A lot of really good players and good people, too. They all expect to win when they walk in the door.”
In Game 2 on Wednesday, which will begin approximately 30 to 40 minutes after the conclusion of the opener, Kansas City’s Michael Wacha (1-1, 4.00 ERA) will try to recapture the stuff that steered him to seven shutout innings against the White Sox on April 6. Wacha lost his Friday start to the New York Mets, allowing five runs and 10 hits in six innings.
Wacha is 3-0 with a 4.05 ERA in six career starts against Chicago.
Erick Fedde (0-0, 4.30 ERA) is set to get the call for the White Sox in the nightcap. Fedde started against Singer on April 5 and wasn’t involved in the decision. He permitted one run and six hits in five-plus innings in his first career appearance vs. the Royals.
–Field Level Media