Salvador Perez rebuts Royals manager Matt Quatraro over ‘mental breather’ line

Kansas City Royals captain Salvador Perez got a day off on Saturday, apparently against his will.

The fun began when the Royals posted a lineup without Perez. Royals manager Matt Quatraro then told reporters he was giving Perez a “mental breather” after some recent struggles, with Carter Jensen getting the start behind the plate instead.

That seemed simple enough… until about nine hours later, when Perez bluntly posted “I don’t need a mental breather” on social media.

So it might not be the most harmonious state of play in Kansas City right now. The Royals also lost 13-4 to the New York Yankees on Saturday, worsening their record to 7-14, tied with the New York Mets for the worst in MLB.

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Jensen homered in that game, bringing his season total up to five (video above).

What’s particularly awkward is that the 35-year-old Perez has barely been playable so far this season, after a down 2025. He’s slashed .160/.210/.307 in 20 games so far this season, with 17 strikeouts and 4 walks in 81 plate appearances. Jensen hasn’t been much better at .214/.274/.446, but he has been better (except when it comes to waking up).

Similar to what just happened on the Toronto Blue Jays with Eric Lauer, there’s probably a conversation to be had behind closed doors. Perez commands immense respect in Kansas City as a nine-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, five-time Gold Glove and World Series MVP of the Royals’ 2015 title, but he’s simply a different player now.

Quatraro has been the manager in Kansas City since 2023 and entered this season with a 224-262 record, with a playoff berth in 2024.