Kansas City Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez damaged

the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow Willson Contreras Jersey , 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 an 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 call-up last season and has appeared in 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.AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUETWINS 4, RED SOX 3Michael Pineda made his first start for the Twins as he comes back from Tommy John surgery, allowing one hit in two innings, striking out one and walking none.The 30-year-old right-hander hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since July 2017.He signed with the Twins in December 2017 and as he neared a return late last season, he tore the meniscus in his right knee.Marwin Gonzalez, who agreed to a $21 million, two-year contract with Minnesota, was 0 for 2 in his first spring training game. Byron Buxton hit his third home run and Trevor May, competing for the closer’s job, pitched a scoreless fifth inning.Rafael Devers doubled and Sandy Leon hit his first home run, a two-run drive.PHILLIES 7, PIRATES (SS) 3J.T. Realmuto, among Philadelphia’s offseason acquisitions, had his first home run and triple of spring training.Pittsburgh cleanup hitter Jose Osuna went 0 for 3 and is batting .077.METS 7, TIGERS 1Jacob deGrom made his second start for New York, allowing just one hit in three shutout innings while striking out four. Amed Rosario and Devin Mesoraco hit solo home runs. Tim Tebow started in left field for the Mets and went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts, reaching base when he was hit by a pitch.Detroit starter Tyson Ross gave up three runs, three hits and three walks in two innings.NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 4Stephen Strasburg made his first spring training start and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings while striking out two. Brian Dozier, Yan Gomes, Michael A. Taylor and Victor Robles hit solo home runs for the Nationals.Miami’s Trevor Richards made his second start, giving up one run http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , one hit and two walks in three innings.PIRATES (SS) 1, BLUE JAYS (SS) 1Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez made his first start and allowed only a walk in two scoreless innings. Newcomer Clayton Richard followed with two shutout inningsBRAVES 4, BLUE JAYS (SS) 3Brian McCann singled for his first hit of the exhibition season in his return to Atlanta after stints with the Yankees and Astros.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for the first time this spring training for Toronto.RAYS 10, ORIOLES (SS) 5Newcomer Guillermo Heredia had a two-run home run and an RBI single for Tampa Bay. Austin Meadows hit a solo home run.Charlie Morton made his first start for the Rays and retired all four batters he faced.Alex Cobb, just 5-15 in his first season with Baltimore, made his first start and gave up four runs, three hits and a walk while retiring just two batters. Chance Sisco homered for the fourth time.ORIOLES (SS) 2, YANKEES 2Yankees newcomer James Paxton gave up one run and two hits in two innings, striking out three. Gary Sanchez, coming back from left shoulder surgery in November, played four innings at catcher and went 0 for 2 in his spring debut.Andrew Susac and Austin Hays homered for Baltimore.CARDINALS 4, ASTROS 4Carlos Correa hit an RBI double for Houston, and Max Stassi had a two-run single. Astros closer Roberto Osuna worked a hitless inning.Tyler O’Neill and Scott Hurst homered for St. Louis.AROUND THE CACTUS LEAGUEANGELS 10, ROYALS 7Mike Trout hit his first double walked twice for Los Angeles. Kole Calhoun had a two-run triple and newcomer Jonathan Lucroy doubled and scored.Jorge Soler hit a three-run home run and added a run-scoring single for Kansas City. Adalberto Mondesi hit his first homer and singled. Royals closer Wily Peralta made his second appearance, striking out two in a scoreless inning.MARINERS 7, BREWERS 3Jay Bruce had three hits and drove in two runs. Mitch Haniger and Domingo Santana each homered for the second time for Seattle. Top prospect Justus Sheffield, acquired by the Mariners from the Yankees in the trade that sent left-hander James Paxton to New York, made his second start and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings.Hernan Perez and Cory Spangenberg hit solo home runs for Milwaukee.ATHLETICS 6, ROCKIES 3Newcomer Jurickson Profar hit a two-run homer for Oakland, Chad Pinder had a two-run double and Matt Olson added a two-run single. Aaron Brooks pitched four shutout innings in his second start, allowing three hits and two walks.Raimel Tapia had two hits for Colorado. Nolan Arenado went 0 for 3 and is batting .100. Jon Gray made his second start for the Rockies, pitching three perfect innings and striking out three. Tyler Anderson followed and allowed four runs and four hits in two innings.WHITE SOX 8, RANGERS 5Newcomer Ivan Nova made his first start for Chicago, allowing one run and one hit in 2 2/3 innings. Leury Garcia had a double and a tripleNewcomer Shelby Miller made his first start for Texas, giving up two runs, two hits in one inning. Shin-Soo Choo doubled.CUBS 10, DIAMONDBACKS 2Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell had run-scoring singles for Chicago. Jose Quintana made his first spring start for the Cubs, yielding one hit in two scoreless innings.Robbie Ray started for the second time for Arizona, giving up one run and three hits in 2 2/3 innings. Alex Avila had two hits.INDIANS 8, DODGERS (SS) 4Leadoff man Leonys Martin went 3 for 3 for Cleveland, and Roberto Perez hit a two-run single. Carlos Santana had two hits, including an RBI single.Los Angeles starter Ross Stripling struck out three in two scoreless innings.PADRES 5 Kyle Hendricks Jersey , DODGERS (SS) 4Ty France homered and doubled for San Diego, and 21-year-old second baseman Luis Urias was 3 for 3. Manuel Margot hit a two-run double.Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu threw two shutout innings, but A.J. Pollock went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.GIANTS 5, REDS 3San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner fanned five in three innings, allowing one run and three hits. Buster Posey, Evan Longoria and Joe Panik each had a hit. Giants prospect Chris Shaw broke an eighth-inning tie with a long, two-run homer.Cincinnati starter Tyler Mahle struck out four in two shutout innings. Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin homered for the Reds. After adjusting his mechanics and putting in a ton of hard work, the catcher ended 2018 as the hottest of the White Sox’s young backstops"WhiteFanposts FanpostsFanshotsSections AnalysisGame RecapsGamethreadsMinorsOffbeatFull ArchiveExclusives South Side Sox Hall of FameCard of the MonthDeep DiveDigitsFlashbackFranchise FactsKnow Your EnemyMost Essential White SoxRace to the BottomSix Pack of StatsSouth Side SnapSouth Side StumperSSS Literary SupplementSuper Stats PackThe Game I’ll Never ForgetTwitterpatingUnder the RadarView From the Other SideWhite Sox on SB Nation HomeStoriesScheduleRosterStatsWhite Sox on Yahoo! HomeDepth ChartTransactionsMasthead MastheadMeet the Players!Links White Sox Web LinksSouth Side Sox standardsCommunity GuidelinesOdds Shop StubHub 鉁昗hite Sox MinorsKannapolis IntimidatorsTaking a swing with Michael HickmanNew,11commentsAfter adjusting his mechanics and putting in a ton of hard work, the catcher ended 2018 as the hottest of the White Sox’s young backstops CSTShareTweetShareShareTaking a swing with Michael HickmanRight note: Hickman ended 2018 on a hot streak, fueling optimism for the coming season.Kim Contreras (@As_Cu)/South Side SoxAt this year’s SoxFest, Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn summed up the development path for catchers.“Catchers develop weird, you know, you see that throughout baseball,” he said. “Some years [as a group] they are outstanding offensively and the defense lacks, and other years it’s the reverse of that 鈥?#8221; Keeping Hahn’s thought in mind, Kannapolis Intimidators catcher Michael Hickman is primed for a breakout in 2019. Hickman was on the White Sox radar in 2015 as a high school player in Katy, Texas. His perfectgame.org player page displays a grade of 10 on their scale, which suggests “potential very high draft pick and/or elite level college prospect.” Along with other very favorable commentary attached to his profile, a blurb touts, “Huge bat-speed and power potential.” After being selected by the White Sox in the 36th round of the 2015 draft (1,072nd overall) Hickman did not sign, opting instead for Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Fla. rather than follow-through on his verbal commitment to attend Oklahoma.Why the JUCO route? Well, enrolling in junior college is preferable for some players, as they are draft eligible after their freshman year, rather than having to wait until finishing their junior season when attending an NCAA school. Some high-profile major league players who chose a JUCO route to the big leagues include Bryce Harper, Albert Pujols and Mike Piazza. Chipola historically has been a great school for developing major league talent, and some of their luminaries include Patrick Corbin, Jose Bautista, and Russell Martin.Hickman’s performance at Chipola did not disappoint, as he hit .345 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs during his one-and-done collegiate career. “Going to Chipola was a huge benefit for me Mike Montgomery Jersey ,” Hickman told South Side Sox. “The program is filled with great players each year. Being around them made me a better player — as well as learning from the experienced coaching staff.”The White Sox called Hickman’s name again in 2016, but this time they were successful in inking him to a $100,000 signing bonus as their 13th round pick (No. 386 overall). Hickman reported to the Arizona Rookie League and hit respectably in very limited playing time (.285 average, .386 on-base in 49 at-bats). His workload increased in 2017, repeating at the level and again producing respectable but unspectacular numbers (.270 average, .362 on-base in 189 at-bats).In 2018, Hickman took his talents to the South Atlantic League as a member of the Low-A Kannapolis Intimidators. Hickman’s playing time was sporadic, as he was sidelined for a month and was on the catching depth chart below Evan Skoug and Carlos Perez, but he acquired some much-needed experience by playing in 80 games while alternating among catcher, first base, and designated hitter.It was in 2018 that Hickman encountered his first taste of adversity, going through a brutal two-month stretch of hitting .187 (14-for-84, with only three extra-base hits). On a more positive note, this cold-streak led to an epiphany, as Hickman explains: “I fell into a slump in the middle of the season, the first time in my career where I was in a real struggle hitting. I was pressing and trying to hit the ball 500 yards. “Toward the end of the season, I worked in the cage, just taking smooth, easy swings, and letting the ball come to me. I brought that same approach into the game [and] started piecing up balls left and right. I was able to relax and make solid contact, not trying to go out and attack everything I saw. Going through that struggle was good for me, because now I know I just need to stay calm and let my natural swing do the work.”The cage work and new swing approach resonated, as Hickman finished the season on an absolute tear, hitting .412 (21-for-51, with six doubles and two homers) in his last 13 games. Hickman also carries an eight-game hitting streak into 2019. The 6麓0麓麓, 205-pound Hickman should be the recipient of additional at-bats, given the way he closed the season and probability that Skoug receives a promotion to Winston-Salem. The fact that Hickman also plays first base should lay the foundation for ample playing time, again rotating among catcher, first base, and designated hitter.Although Hickman has earned a reputation as an offense-minded backstop, he expresses an admiration for Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart. “He stands out to me because he takes major pride in his defense,” Hickman says. “I am on track to mold myself like him.”Defensively http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , the standout tools for Hickman are a very strong throwing arm and the ability to consistently register pop times between 1.8 and 1.9 seconds (putting him solidly within the major league average range). “Other than the fact that it is a draining position, the most important part of catching is defense,” Hickman says. “There is a lot that goes into it: Studying up on the opponent’s hitters, how to pitch to them, what pitchers do they hit well and who they struggle with. As a catcher, you need to know your pitching staff and all the pitches they throw, along with how to calm them down when they are in a struggle during the game. Each pitcher’s personality is different, and you find ways to amp them up to get locked in.” Hickman also recognizes the need to continue to develop his receiving skills, working on strengthening his lower body and increasing his flexibility during the offseason, along with catching bullpens and working on throw downs and blocking drills. He’s found great value in working with roving White Sox roving instructor John Orton, specifically applauding Orton’s ability to recognize each catcher’s individual skill set. Rather than trying to develop them in the same mold, Orton tries to tune each one to maximize their potential. Hickman says the coach also encourages innovation from the players, telling them not to be afraid to try something new, because the game is always evolving.Although Hickman’s name is currently unlikely to be seen on any White Sox top prospect lists, his amateur resume, offensive profile, age and work ethic indicate that the 2019 season could be his coming-out party. Hickman’s manager at Kannapolis, Justin Jirschele, may well agree, telling South Side Sox, “Michael is a young man who is continuing to grow. Each year he’s been in the organization he has made strides, both offensively and defensively. He’s a great teammate as well.” The great teammate sentiment is echoed by a teammate and friend, shortstop Luis Curbelo, who joined the organization during the same draft as Hickman. “He’s a great guy, very laid back, doesn’t let anything bother him,” Curbelo says. “He’s a hard worker, too, and when he relaxes in the box he barrels everything.”Hickman is focused on a relatively straightforward goal for 2019: Finish the season in High-A. Based on the way he finished the 2018 season, don’t bet against him. White Sox fans will want to check the Kannapolis box scores and continue to monitor Hickman’s growth, as he works toward his major league dream.