SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Kansas City Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez damaged the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, raising the possibility the 2015 World Series MVP may need Tommy John surgery and miss the season.Perez was hurt during a workout Wednesday, and the team said a MRI on Thursday revealed the damage. Perez will travel next week to California for a second opinion from Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.The 28-year-old has been an All-Star for six straight seasons and won Gold Gloves in five of the last six years. He hit .235 last year and had 27 home runs and 80 RBIs for the second straight season. He has a $10 million salary this year and is owed $13 million in each of the following two seasons.Cam Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria are the other catchers on Kansas City's 40-man roster. Gallagher, who appeared in 35 games during the past two years, has a .218 career average with two home runs and 12 RBIs.Viloria, 22, was a September callup last season and has appeared in only three major league games, his only experience above Class A.Drew Butera, the Royals' primary backup the past three years, was traded to Colorado on Aug. 31 and signed a minor league contract with Philadelphia last month.Martin Maldonado, a 2017 Gold Glove winner, is available as a free agent.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals general manager Dayton Moore had seen enough progress under Ned Yost, and his manager in turn had seen enough progress in some promising young players, that there was no reason to delay what had become inevitable.So, with a simple statement issued before the Royals closed their 50th season with an unsightly 58-104 record, Yost announced he had signed an extension to return next season.The biggest question surrounding the club heading into the offseason had been answered."We're at a point in time right now where we think continuity is even more crucial than it has been in the past," Moore said. "We've seen the improvement of a lot of the players that are on the field right now. We're really pleased with the coaching staff. Most importantly, Ned's been a huge part of the success of this organization and we feel it's important to keep that together. ... I'm excited about next year."Most times, there would be little reason to feel good about a season that ended... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Hendricks pitched six strong innings, Javier Baez notched his NL-leading 99th RBI and Kris Bryant doubled and had two hits in his return from the disabled list to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 on Saturday night.Ian Happ homered and Baez had three hits for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who have won nine of 11.Bryant had been sidelined since July 23 with left shoulder inflammation. The 2016 NL MVP doubled and scored in the third and singled in the eighth.Hendricks (11-10) allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.Nick Williams had two hits and an RBI for the Phillies, who fell three games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East.The Cubs, helped by another Phillies error, scored a pair of runs in the first off Zach Eflin (9-6).DODGERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matt Kemp slugged a go-ahead, two-strike, three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting Los Angeles over Arizona and into a tie atop the NL West.With... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Hendricks pitched six strong innings, Javier Baez notched his NL-leading 99th RBI and Kris Bryant doubled and had two hits in his return from the disabled list to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 on Saturday night.Ian Happ homered and Baez had three hits for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who have won nine of 11.Bryant had been sidelined since July 23 with left shoulder inflammation. The 2016 NL MVP doubled and scored in the third and singled in the eighth.Hendricks (11-10) allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.Nick Williams had two hits and an RBI for the Phillies, who fell three games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East.The Cubs, helped by another Phillies error, scored a pair of runs in the first off Zach Eflin (9-6).DODGERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matt Kemp slugged a go-ahead, two-strike, three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting Los Angeles over Arizona and into a tie atop the NL West.With... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Hendricks pitched six strong innings, Javier Baez notched his NL-leading 99th RBI and Kris Bryant doubled and had two hits in his return from the disabled list to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 on Saturday night.Ian Happ homered and Baez had three hits for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who have won nine of 11.Bryant had been sidelined since July 23 with left shoulder inflammation. The 2016 NL MVP doubled and scored in the third and singled in the eighth.Hendricks (11-10) allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.Nick Williams had two hits and an RBI for the Phillies, who fell three games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East.The Cubs, helped by another Phillies error, scored a pair of runs in the first off Zach Eflin (9-6).YANKEES 2, TIGERS 1NEW YORK (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka pitched seven strong innings for his first win since July, rookie Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer and New York beat Detroit.The Yankees got... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Turner homered on Zack Greinke's first pitch of the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Friday night.Los Angeles began the day two games behind Arizona in the NL West and 2 1/2 games back in the wild-card race.The Dodgers also announced they had acquired third baseman David Freese from the Pirates in exchange for minor league infielder Jesus Manuel Valdez.Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his 33rd save. Paul Goldschmidt doubled with one out, but Jansen struck out David Peralta and retired Eduardo Escobar on a grounder to shortstop.Enrique Hernandez also homered for Los Angeles, and Dylan Floro (5-3) got the win.Goldschmidt hit his 31st homer for Arizona, and Greinke (13-9) gave up six hits in 7 1/3 innings.WHITE SOX 6, RED SOX 1CHICAGO (AP) — Yoan Moncada and Matt Davidson homered for Chicago, and prized prospect Michael Kopech combined with three relievers on a five-hitter.Major league-leading Boston had won three in... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres drove in the go-ahead run one batter after a contested check swing loaded the bases for New York in the eighth inning, and the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Friday night as they await the arrival of 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen.Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks and Miguel Andujar homered in the sixth to end Jordan Zimmermann's bid for a second career no-hitter. Zimmermann carried a 3-0 lead and a no-hitter into the inning behind a solo homer from Niko Goodrum and a two-run triple by Jim Adduci.New York trailed 5-4 when it loaded the bases against Joe Jimenez (4-4) on a double by Gardner and walks by Hicks and Luke Voit. Voit was ruled to have checked his swing on a 3-2, two-out pitch. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected for arguing that Voit went around.Torres then lined an 0-1 pitch from Alex Wilson to left field for a single, and the ball ricocheted off the head of diving left fielder Mikie Mahtook, allowing two runs to score for a 6-5 Yankees lead.... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez carried his own suitcase up the stairs when he arrived home from a stint at Triple-A Omaha, never once thinking about how perilous the trek was the last time he tried it.The Royals' All-Star catcher was toting his bags up the stairs after returning from spring training last month when he slipped awkwardly on a step. He wound up straining ligaments in his left knee and has spent nearly a month on the disabled list.Perez was activated along with outfielder Alex Gordon before Tuesday night's game against the Brewers. Perez was behind the plate and batting cleanup while Gordon was in left field and hitting seventh."I'm excited to be back on the field. It's time to go," Perez said. "They asked how I was feeling. I'm feeling great. You know me. I like to play hard. I like to compete. I like to help my team win."The Royals have had a hard time with that lately. They were just 5-15 heading into their game against Milwaukee, all of those games with fill-ins... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals activated All-Star catcher Salvador Perez and outfielder Alex Gordon from the disabled list and put them in the lineup for Tuesday night's series opener against the Brewers.Perez has been out all season after straining a ligament in his left knee while carrying bags up a flight of stairs in his home. He was behind the plate and batting cleanup against Milwaukee.Gordon tore the labrum in his left hip on April 9. He was in left field and batting seventh.The Royals also recalled left-hander Eric Stout from Triple-A Omaha to provide bullpen help. They cleared roster space by putting right-hander Justin Grimm on the DL with lower back stiffness and sending catcher Cam Gallagher and outfielder Paulo Orlando to the Storm Chasers.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Opening day is supposed to be a time when smiles come easy, when managers and players look to the long and daunting grind ahead with a profound sense of hope and optimism.Royals skipper Ned Yost wasn't having any of it.He'd lost All-Star catcher Salvador Perez for up to six weeks because of a freak knee injury. One of the key pieces in his bullpen, Nate Karns, is headed to the disabled list with elbow inflammation. And two of the club's top prospects expected to help sooner than later, infielder Adalberto Mondesi and outfielder Bubba Starling, are likewise headed to the disabled list.The Royals were also forced to designate for assignment erstwhile top prospect Kyle Zimmer, a hard-throwing pitcher whose troubling injury history has prevented him from realizing his potential.Throw in the fact that Yost prefers to get into the day-to-day grind, rather than sit through the pomp and circumstance of opening day, and he was in a particular grim mood Thursday."You kind... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have placed All-Star catcher Salvador Perez, right-hander Nate Karns and two others on the disabled list in a series of roster moves ahead of their opener against the White Sox.Infielder Adalberto Mondesi and outfielder Bubba Starling also went on the DL on Thursday, while veteran pitcher Wily Peralta and top prospect Ryan Zimmer were designated for assignment.The moves created space for the Royals to select the contracts of right-hander Blaine Boyer and infielder Ryan Goins, and recall catcher Cam Gallagher from Triple-A Omaha.Perez is expected to miss up to six weeks after hurting his knee Tuesday night while carrying luggage in his house. Karns has elbow inflammation, Mondesi has a right shoulder impingement and Starling has a left oblique strain.