Royals' Salvador Perez: Swats eighth homer in loss
Perez went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Red Sox.
Perez got the scoring started by taking lefty Connelly Early deep on a 94 mph fastball in the bottom of the first inning. He later singled in the sixth and eighth innings, giving Perez his third three-hit game of the season. After seeing his average dip below the Mendoza Line with an 0-for-5 start to the series against the Red Sox, Perez is now slashing .211/.259/.368 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, 18 runs scored and a 9:42 BB:K across 201 plate appearances this season. After being in the 91st percentile with a 14.8 percent barrel rate last season, Perez is barreling just 8.5 percent of his batted balls in 2026. He's also experienced sharp declines in his hard-hit rate and bat speed at 36 years old.
