Over Before It Began

If there's one indispensable member of the Kansas City Royals, it's Salvador Perez. The six-time All Star plays the most physically demanding position among "the starting eight." Not to mention, he's the team leader, one of the last links to their 2015 champions.

So to learn on Friday that Perez needs Tommy John Surgery on his throwing arm borders on unfair. A young team, with a thin base of talent and no room for error -- and they lose their leader for the entire season.

At time of the year hope should spring eternal for baseball fans any and everywhere, the Royals' 2019 has already gone off the rails.

(My image of Perez is from July 26th, 2018 at Yankee Stadium as he threw out Neil Walker on a typically accurate throw.)

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