Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Wednesday, the team announced.
He's expected to miss the entire 2019 season.
"Unfortunately injuries are a part of the game," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "We fully expect Salvy to return to our club once healthy and continue to play with the passion and enjoyment that he has played with since joining our organization."
Perez damaged his UCL during a spring-training drill last week. A visit to Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery, confirmed the diagnosis.
The 28-year-old has been Kansas City's primary catcher for the last six seasons, and he was named World Series MVP in 2015. Last year, Perez made his sixth All-Star appearance, while also taking home his fifth Gold Glove and second Silver Slugger awards.
In Perez's absence, the Royals plan to use Cam Gallagher as their starting catcher, with rookie Meibrys Viloria serving as his backup.
Kansas City lacks depth behind the plate. The team was in touch with free-agent catcher Martin Maldonado following Perez's injury, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported last week. However, it's unclear if talks between the two sides have progressed.
