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: 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
Rotowire
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: Running hot at plate
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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: Takes seat Wednesday
Rotowire
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: 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: 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: 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.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Clubs first big-league homer
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Fermin went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, a walk, two total runs and two total RBI in a loss to the Orioles on Thursday.
Fermin was called up to the big club Tuesday and got the start behind the plate. The 27-year-old enjoyed by far his best performance as a major-leaguer, as he had just one hit over 14 career plate appearances entering the contest. Fermin fell a double short of the cycle, hitting a solo homer to left field in the third inning, knocking a triple and scoring a run in the fourth, and finishing his day with an RBI single in the ninth. Fermin isn't going to supplant primary catcher Salvador Perez (who was the team's DH on Thursday) on a regular basis, but he appears lined up to be KC's backup backstop and could earn more opportunities to have his bat worked into the lineup. He was excellent at the Triple-A level prior to his promotion, slashing .304/.448/.674 with five homers and 14 RBI across 58 plate appearances.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Back in big leagues
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The Royals recalled Fermin from Triple-A Omaha ahead of Tuesday's 11-7 loss to Baltimore.
Fermin entered the contest in the top of the eighth inning and caught the final two frames after Salvador Perez exited with a finger contusion. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, the Royals plan to deploy MJ Melendez exclusively in the outfield moving forward, so Fermin will serve as the No. 2 catcher behind Perez. However, those plans could change if Perez's injury proves to be more serious than expected and he requires a stint on the injured list.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Fermin was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Friday.
After being called up one week ago, Fermin went 1-for-7 at the plate with two strikeouts while making two starts at catcher for the Royals. With Salvador Perez (back) expected to be available Friday, there is no longer a need for Fermin on the big-league roster. Nick Pratto was called up from Omaha to replace him.
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Royals' Freddy Fermin: Strong week at Triple-A
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Fermin was named the International League Player of the Week on Monday.
Fermin was a force for Triple-A Omaha. In six games versus Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the catcher delivered six home runs, 12 RBI and nine runs scored, batting .368 (7-for-19). The impressive week nearly doubled his power output for the year -- he's up to 13 homers, 47 RBI, 34 runs scored and a .274/.376/.511 slash line through 68 contests at the Triple-A level. He's still no higher than fourth on the Royals' organizational catching depth chart.
