Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez spoke to the media prior to Wednesday’s home game against the Chicago Cubs, primarily discussing his recent right ring finger injury and surgery.
“It’s frustrating, especially this year, I put a lot of work in the offseason to be in great shape, and I felt really good coming from Spring Training.” Perez detailed in the teleconference. “But at the same time, I gotta use that as a motivation. I’ve been there before, and I just want to heal quick and have a speedy recovery and be back as soon as I can.”
Perez, who sustained the injury making an awkward catch to a pitch from James Karinchak during Cleveland’s April 13 matchup with the Chicago White Sox, talked about dealing with the latest of a run of injuries over his last few seasons.
“What can I say? I just cannot get a break. 2019, I have the bone spurs. 2020, I have the shoulder injury, and this year, my finger, but…all I can say is I’m going to work as hard as I can to come back as soon as possible and keep helping my team win in any way I can.”
Perez, whose last appearance came May 3 in Kansas City, said he did not initially realize his finger was fractured.
“I knew it was swelling up a bit. I didn’t know it was cracked, but I kept playing through it. I’d been getting hit by foul tips, and sometimes you know how it is as a catcher, you get banged [up] a little bit back there. I’m a warrior, and I always find ways to stay on the field and being back there for these guys.”
“It was more swinging the bat than it was throwing,” Perez added in how he discovered the increased pain. “And that’s when we find out probably, a week or two later, that it was cracked.”
Indians manager Terry Francona initially told reporters on May 7 that Perez’s timetable for return would be “not weeks, it’s months.”
Following Francona’s Zoom call, the club announced an 8-10 week timetable for Perez’s potential return.
When asked if he was surprised the injury would require surgery, Perez answered: “I really didn’t think I would need surgery, but when we got the second X-ray, that’s when we figured surgery was the best option…I went and got surgery, I think that was the best option available, and hopefully [will] come back in eight weeks.”
In 19 games played this season, Perez sports a .131/.274/.295 slash line with three home runs and nine runs batted in, although he had been batting .222 before the injury.
Perez also said he will not be with the Indians when they make their upcoming West Coast trip, beginning on Thursday in Seattle and ending next Wednesday in Anaheim.
The Sam Hentges Project – For today, the Indians will close out a two-game series against the Cubs on Wednesday after Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over the North Siders.
Indians left-hander Sam Hentges (1-0, 5.00) is expected to make his first career start after four appearances from the bullpen this season, against Chicago right-hander Zach Davies (2-2, 6.30 ERA), with the first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
“He’s not the finished product, and we know that. He knows that.” Francona said prior to Wednesday’s home game against the Chicago Cubs, which Hentges is slated to start. “The hope is that while he’s developing…one, we can win, and two, he develops into something that can be pretty special.”
In Hentges’ nine innings of play this season, the 24-year-old has allowed 14 total hits, 6 runs (5 earned) and two walks, and has recorded eight strikeouts.
Save, Clase – A key point in Cleveland’s Tuesday night win was the return of close Emmanuel Clase, who shut the door on the Cubs with his fourth save of the season (T-5th most in AL). Clase made his first appearance since struggling in last Friday’s 3-0 loss to Cincinnati (in which Wade Miley handed the Tribe their second no-hit performance of the season).
With a 0-0 game going into the top of the 9th, Clase took the loss after giving up three runs on three hits, a botched double play, and a balk.
However, Clase recovered from two Cubs singles on Tuesday with a game-ending double play, capping it off with an energized cheer after the final putout.
When asked after the game on seeing the flamethrower cement the victory, Francona answered: “That was good to see. I think we felt like he bounced right back, but it was still nice to watch it.”
Baez, sans Bryant - The Cubs lineup for Wednesday's game will include Javy Baez, who will start at shortstop and bat in the cleanup spot. Baez had been dealing with back tightness, missing Tuesday's game against the Tribe.
Kris Bryant, meanwhile, was out of the lineup after going 1-for-3 with a strikeout on Tuesday. Bryant is batting .308 with 9 home runs and 22 RBIs for the season heading into Wednesday.