Matt Quatraro looking to move forward after being called out by Salvador Perez
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s been an extremely rough start for the Kansas City Royals , on and off the diamond.
The latest incident occurred between Royals manager Matt Quatraro and Salvador Perez , when Quatraro decided to give Perez the day off against the Yankees on Saturday.
What have the Royals shown fans so far? Breaking down a rough start
“Just looking at the way things have gone, he’s played in every game. Day game after night game, Carter [Jensen] was going to catch today, and Salvy’s been struggling a little bit. Just try to go give him a little mental breather,” Qutraro said before the game.
Despite Quatraro’s pregame comments, it became apparent that the decision to sit Perez wasn’t a mutual one.
“I don’t need a mental breather,” Perez tweeted out on X Saturday night in response to Quatraro.
The Royals also called up 35-year-old catcher Elias Diaz from AAA Omaha on Saturday, creating even more questions.
But Quatraro and Perez both spoke on Sunday, and seem to be moving forward following the spat.
“We’re in a good spot. The mental breather was, from my perspective, telling him the night before he wasn’t playing so he can take some off his plate of preparing for our starting pitcher and the game plan,” Quatraro said.
Quatraro also said the two have talked since last night and they’re in a good spot. He is back in the lineup for Sunday at DH against the Yankees.
“A little confused, you know, not the right communication,” Perez said. “I’m good, my family’s good, everybody’s good,” Perez said. “I got reached out to by a lot of people yesterday after the game, and they sent me what [Quatraro] said. I don’t have any problem with Q. We talked today.”
Welcome to the City: More Kansas City Royals news on FOX4
The Royals captain, along with a majority of the offense, has struggled immensely to start the year, playing a large part in their 7-14 start.
Perez currently has three home runs and six RBI’s, with a slash line of .158/.207/.303. The Royals are also last in the league in total runs and are on a six-game losing streak.
There’s still plenty of season ahead, but the Royals have to figure out a way to turn things around soon.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
