Report: No structural damage in Sal Perez's knee, ruled out of WBC

Kansas City Royals fans can likely breathe a sigh of relief, as early results indicate that catcher Salvador Perez's knee injury - suffered while playing for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic on Saturday - isn't serious.

In a report from Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, Perez's MRI results showed no structural damage in his knee. However, he's been ruled out for the rest of the 2017 tournament.

A scary home-plate collision with Drew Butera during Venezuela's 11-10 win against Italy forced Perez to leave Saturday's game. Earlier, he'd hit a clutch, two-run homer in the ninth inning that gave Venezuela a 10-8 lead, though Italy later tied the game and forced extras.

Perez was initially helped to the clubhouse by teammates, and was unable to put any weight on his left leg. He was replaced by Robinson Chirinos, and his absence moving forward will create a sizable hole for Venezuela. Normally durable, Perez has averaged 142 games for the Royals since 2013.

Venezuela's next game will be played Sunday against Mexico.