He's back! RBI 1B for Salvy in 1st intrasquad

KANSAS CITY -- Salvy is back.

The Royals received some good news on Tuesday when six-time All-Star and five-time American League Gold Glove Award-winning catcher Salvador Perez was activated from the injured list. Perez had revealed during the first day of Summer Camp that he had tested positive for COVID-19. To be reinstated, players must produce two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Perez immediately suited up in Tuesday night’s intrasquad game and delivered a line-drive RBI single up the middle off Jakob Junis in his first at-bat.

Royals manager Mike Matheny had hinted earlier in the day that Perez was very close to coming back.

“There’s a reason I’m smiling today,” Matheny said. “... We’ve had some kicks in the gut lately, but the timing of this is perfect. Just to see his smiling face again is exactly what we needed.”

Perez’s return is just in time in terms of the roster, too. The Royals are still missing catchers Cam Gallagher (COVID-19) and Meibrys Viloria (IL) -- the only two other catchers on the 40-man roster.

Left-hander Danny Duffy, the Opening Day starter, was part of the welcome-back committee --, socially distanced, of course.

“Never a doubt in my mind that he’d be back,” Duffy said. “I’m just really, really happy to get him back.”

Matheny said he expects Perez to get his first action behind the plate in Summer Camp on Wednesday.

Gutierrez has UCL sprain
Third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez, the Royals’ No. 21 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is back in Arizona recovering from a Grade 2 UCL sprain on his right arm.

Matheny said Gutierrez is now hitting and throwing, however, and likely will be re-evaluated in two weeks or so.

Intrasquad highlights
• First baseman Ryan McBroom, the likely starter as Ryan O’Hearn remains in isolation, blasted a two-run homer to left-center off right-hander Junis.

• First baseman Nick Pratto, the Royals’ No. 12 prospect, hit a long home run to right off right-hander Tyler Zuber, the team’s No. 28 prospect who has a strong chance of cracking the 30-man roster. Zuber came back and struck out the next three hitters.

• Maikel Franco, the free-agent third baseman whom the Royals signed last offseason, ripped a grand slam off Glenn Sparkman, who inherited two runners when he came on as part of a situational practice.

Royals on national TV
The Royals and FOX Sports Kansas City continue to inch toward announcing a finalized television contract, but MLB.com has learned that FSKC will air 59 of the 60 games in 2020.

There will be one FOX game, on Aug. 6 at Kauffman Stadium against the Cubs.

The Royals also will have three games on FS1 that will “co-exist” with FSKC -- these games will be aired on both channels.

• Aug. 22 vs. Twins at Kauffman Stadium

• Aug. 29 vs. White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field

• Sept. 24 vs. Tigers at Kauffman Stadium