Salvador Perez exits Kansas City Royals game after being hit in mask by foul ball

The Kansas City Royals rallied to take the lead in the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s game against the New York Yankees without the presence of their All-Star catcher and top slugger Salvador Perez.

The Royals eventually lost 6-5 on Luke Voit’s walk-off single at Yankee Stadium. Perez came out of the game in the fourth inning following what the club called a “non-concussive event” earlier in the game on a foul ball.

Perez, who entered the day batting .287 with 18 home runs and 47 RBIs, took a ball off the facemask during the first at-bat of the bottom of the first inning when D.J. LeMahieu fouled a pitch from Danny Duffy straight back.

Royals head athletic trainer Nick Kenney paid a visit to Perez, but Perez remained in the game through the third inning.

Perez doubled and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s first-inning two-run home run.

“He passed everything,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “It really was the chin that took the brunt of that. He had some headache going because of the mask jamming his chin back. We just need to be careful in those situations.”

Sebastian Rivero, recalled on Sunday when Cam Gallagher went on the injured list (shoulder impingement syndrome), entered the game to catch in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Rivero drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning against Yankees closer and six-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman to force in the tying run.

The Royals and Yankees play the rubber match of their three-game series on Thursday afternoon. It’s unclear whether Perez will be available to play.