Salvador Perez Makes Royals History With Start on Thursday

Salvador Perez has remained a key part of the Kansas City Royals' foundation during a tough season. The KC mainstay has provided a steady presence in the lineup and behind the plate since 2011 for this organization, allowing him to make plenty of history along the way.

On Thursday, Perez collected yet another Royals milestone.

Perez played his 1,246th game for Kansas City on Thursday, which helped him pass Alcides Escobar and Fred Patek for eighth in franchise history for appearances. The All-Star catcher is now within striking distance of Mike Sweeney, who's No. 7 at 1,282 games.

Perez continues to produce for the Royals even as he approaches his age-33 season. He's recorded 22 home runs and 74 RBIs in 2022 while slashing .255/.291/.468. The fact he's just one year removed from leading the majors in HRs (48) and RBIs (121) shows he's got plenty left in the tank.

Health is the only real threat to Perez moving up the Royals' games played leaderboard given his production. He's been bothered by a thumb issue this year, but he managed to partly play through it before needing surgery. The catcher has appeared in 106 contests for Kansas City so far.

It remains to be seen how long the Royals, who are eliminated from postseason contention, keep rolling Perez out as they turn their attention to the 2023 campaign.

Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.