Kansas City Royals all-star catcher Salvador Perez will take a swing at this year’s Home Run Derby in Denver.
The Royals announced Thursday that Perez has committed to taking part in the competition, which will take place on July 12 as part of the All-Star Week festivities at Coors Field.
This will be Perez’s first Derby appearance, and the veteran will become just the eighth catcher in history to participate in the event. The 31-year-old Venezuela native has 19 home runs and a .814 OPS this season.
Perez received his eighth all-star selection earlier this week, when he was announced as the starter for the AL team in the Midsummer Classic on July 13.
The Royals catcher joins two-way star Shohei Ohtani, current Derby champ Pete Alonso, home-team representative Trevor Story and breakout slugger Trey Mancini in the event. Three spots remain to be filled.
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