Fermin (finger) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 10-day IL on Monday.
The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for fellow catcher Tyler Cropley, whose contract was selected from Omaha. Fermin had already been ruled out for the season following surgery last week to repair a fractured left middle finger.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Season over after finger surgery
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Fermin underwent season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured left middle finger, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Fermin suffered the injury last Friday on a catcher's interference call. He is certainly done for the season, but the hope is that he will be fully healthy by the time spring training rolls around. It's an unfortunate ending to what has been a nice season for Fermin, who batted .281/.321/.461 with nine home runs over 235 plate appearances in 2023. The 28-year-old has positioned himself to open 2024 as Salvador Perez's backup again, or perhaps even take over as starter if the Royals decide to trade Perez over the winter.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Out with broken finger
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Fermin was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left middle finger Saturday.
The Royals haven't given a timeline for Fermin's return, but given the timing, the injury seemingly has a good chance of being season-ending. If that's the case, Fermin will end the year with a .281/.321/.461 line in 70 games, good for a 107 wRC+. Tyler Cropley was called up to take his place on the roster and provide additional catching depth.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Sits after four straight starts
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Fermin is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
Fermin appeared to be losing out on playing time as August came to a close, but he started each of the past four games behind the plate, going 5-for-15 with a double, a walk, two RBI and a run scored over that stretch. Salvador Perez will be behind the dish Sunday, but the Royals could continue to open up more starts at catcher for Fermin by deploying Perez at either first base or designated hitter.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Losing out on playing time
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Fermin is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.
Fermin seems to have moved into more of a part-time role of late, as he'll hit the bench for the third time in seven games while he's slashed a paltry .107/.129/.143 since Aug. 15. With Salvador Perez picking up more playing time behind the dish rather than at first base or designated hitter of late, Matt Beaty has been gaining more traction in the Royals' everyday lineup.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Hits bench Tuesday
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Fermin is not in the lineup Tuesday versus the Athletics.
Fermin will sit for the second time in the past three games. Prior to that, he had made four consecutive starts, going 3-for-10. With Nick Pratto still on the injured list, Salvador Perez will move back to catcher Tuesday and Matt Duffy will start at first base.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Receives Sunday off
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Fermin is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Cubs.
Fermin worked behind the plate the previous three games and will receive a day off after going 3-for-10 with a double, a walk and two RBI. Salvador Perez will move back to catcher while Matt Beaty starts at first base.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Goes to bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Fermin is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.
With Matt Beaty picking up more starts at first base of late, Salvador Perez has been playing more frequently behind the dish. Fermin has found himself getting squeezed out of the lineup of late as a result, as he'll now take a seat for the third time in five games. Fermin is still holding down an .847 OPS in August, so he shouldn't be completely phased out of the lineup while he remains one of the Royals' hotter hitters.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Homers in Wednesday's loss
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Fermin went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Red Sox.
Fermin is 9-for-28 (.321) with three homers, two doubles and five RBI over seven games in August. With Salvador Perez seeing more time at first base, Fermin has been able to carve out a larger role behind the plate. The catcher is slashing a strong .303/.339/.542 with nine long balls, 27 RBI, 22 runs scored, eight doubles and a triple over 166 plate appearances this season, suggesting his recent success is more than a flash in a pan. That said, Fermin has a .342 BABIP on the year, so he's also had a decent share of good luck.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Running hot at plate
Rotowire
Fermin went 2-for-4 with a double in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Phillies.
Fermin closed out the weekend with a fourth consecutive two-hit game, and he's now slashing a blistering .388/.404/.714 with four home runs, eight RBI and 11 runs in 13 games since the All-Star break. An injury to Nick Pratto (groin) along with his own hot bat has allowed Fermin to take hold of a regular spot in the lineup alongside veteran catcher Salvador Perez, who has been seeing more time at first base and designated hitter of late. Perez is out of the lineup Monday in Boston due to what appears to be a minor hand injury, so Matt Beaty will fill in at first base while Fermin bats sixth and settles in behind the plate for what will be his fifth consecutive start.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Smacks two homers Saturday
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Fermin went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in Saturday's 9-6 loss to the Phillies.
Fermin continues to sizzle in the second half of the season, with the pair of home runs giving him four since the All-Star break and bringing his OPS up to 1.107 in the second half. While Nick Pratto (groin) has been on the injured list, the Royals have made room for both Fermin and Salvador Perez in the lineup, with the latter usually occupying Pratto's spot at first base. However, Perez will get a turn behind the dish in Sunday's series finale while Fermin serves as the Royals' designated hitter.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Takes seat Wednesday
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Fermin is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
Fermin will head to the bench after he served as the Royals' starting catcher in four of the past five games. Salvador Perez, who started at first base and designated hitter in the last two contests, will move behind the plate Wednesday.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Goes deep in Sunday's win
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Fermin went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Twins.
Fermin blasted a 420 foot shot to left center field off Kenta Maeda in the second inning for his second home run in his last four games. The long ball also extended his hitting streak to a modest six games, a stretch during which he's recorded multi-hit efforts four times. Fermin is now up to a slash line of .299/.346/.504 with 13 extra-base hits, 22 RBI and 16 runs in 137 plate appearances and should continue to see the bulk of his starts behind the dish.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Playing time trending upward
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Fermin will start at catcher and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Twins.
With the Royals frequently deploying Salvador Perez at designated hitter of late and even handing him a start at first base Friday for the first time since 2020, Fermin has benefited with an uptick in opportunities behind the plate. The 28-year-old will pick up his third start at catcher in four games Sunday, and he's done his part thus far to justify the increased work. He'll take a five-game hitting streak into Sunday's contest and owns an .830 OPS over 134 plate appearances on the season.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Cranks fifth homer
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Fermin went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Yankees.
It's the third straight multi-hit game for Fermin, who's gone 7-for-11 (.636) with three extra-base hits in that span. The 28-year-old backstop certainly impressed while filling in for Salvador Perez behind the plate -- he's now slashing .293/.339/.491 with five home runs, 21 RBI and 14 runs scored through 125 plate appearances this season. If the Royals elect to move Perez at the trade deadline, Fermin could be a player to keep an eye on.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Tallies three hits
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Fermin went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Tigers.
Fermin tallied half of the Royals' six hits in the contest. It was his third three-hit effort since June 21, a span in which he's hitting .370 with one home run, 11 RBI, seven runs scored and four doubles. Fermin should have a chance to play more this week as Salvador Perez recovers from a low-grade hamstring strain. Through 117 plate appearances, Fermin is slashing .275/.319/.440 with four home runs, 19 RBI, 11 runs scored, four doubles and a triple.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Perfect from plate
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Fermin went 3-for-3 with a three-run homer and an additional run scored in Saturday's victory over the Rays.
Fermin took Yonny Chirinos deep for a three-run home run in the fourth inning, plating Edward Olivares and Drew Waters to give the Royals a two-run lead. The outing marked his second three-hit effort across his last three appearances, while the home run was Fermin's first since May 12 (16 games). With Salvador Perez battling a hand and hamstring issue over the last 10 days, Fermin has managed to see action in seven of the Royals' previous 10 contests but is expected to return to a reserve role with Perez at full health.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Doubles twice, drives in two
Rotowire
Fermin went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and one run scored in Wednesday's 9-4 loss to the Tigers.
After failing to record a double through his first 70 plate appearances in 2023, Fermin smacked two of them Wednesday and came around to score for the first time since May 12. The multi-hit effort was just his third of the campaign and his first since May 11. His performance snapped a cold spell -- he had collected just four hits over his prior 36 at-bats (.111).
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Provides lone run in loss
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Fermin went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Brewers.
Fermin has hit safely in five of his last six games in which he recorded a plate appearance, and he has three homers in that span. For the season, he's slashing .333/.379/.741 with five RBI and four runs scored over 29 plate appearances. The 27-year-old is serving as backup to Salvador Perez (blurred vision) at catcher, allowing MJ Melendez to focus on his hitting while playing in the outfield.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Hits another home run
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Fermin went 1-for-4 with a solo homer scored in Saturday's 5-4 loss against the Athletics.
Fermin took Ken Waldichuk yard for a solo home run in the fourth inning, marking his second consecutive game with a home run. However, Fermin was unable to make an impact outside of the solo shot, with a pair of strikeouts and a foul out in his other three plate appearances. Though the 27-year-old remains firmly behind Salvador Perez on the depth chart, he could push Kansas City to play Perez at DH if he continues to hit the ball well.
