Royals place catcher Cam Gallagher on IL with left knee inflammation

The Royals have placed catcher Cam Gallagher on the injured list with left knee inflammation, per a team announcement. Right-handed pitcher Tyler Zuber has been recalled to take his place on the roster.

It’s been a tough season for Gallagher, after he seemed to have taken a step forward in 2020. In the shortened campaign last year, Gallagher got into 25 games and hit .283/.356/.434, good enough for a wRC+ of 116. This year, however, he’s been hampered by various injuries, getting into only 41 games and slashing .202/.262/.277 with a wRC+ of just 48. This stint on the injured list will be his fourth of the year, after twice going on the concussion IL and also being put on the shelf with shoulder impingement syndrome.

Salvador Perez will continue to take the bulk of the playing time behind the dish as he has been one of the best catchers in baseball since missing all of 2019 because of Tommy John surgery. Since the start of the 2020 campaign, Perez is slashing .289/.324/.565, for an outstanding wRC+ of 136. Sebastian Rivero, 22, is on the active roster to absorb whatever playing time isn’t taken by Salvy.