MJ Melendez comes through for Kansas City Royals after Sal Perez goes down with injury

MJ Melendez had already played in nine games for the Kansas City Royals prior to Tuesday, but the day certainly seemed like a “welcome to the big leagues” moment because of the swirl of circumstances and the way he was thrust into a prominent role.

Melendez caught all 18 innings of the doubleheader split against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. It wasn’t the plan, but it became the only good option after Salvador Perez got hurt in the first game and was on the injured list by the time of the second game.

So Melendez responded by working with starting pitcher Brady Singer to produce one of the best outings of Singer’s major-league career, and Melendez also hit the first home run of his career in the majors. That homer provided the margin of victory in the Royals’ 2-1 win in second game.

“It was a great feeling,” Melendez said of the homer. “The biggest thing going through my head is just putting us up by two. Brady pitched a heck of a game, so I just really wanted to protect that lead for him.”

With just hours between the two games, reinforcements couldn’t arrive in time to take the burden of catching the second game off of Melendez’s plate.

Melendez became the third Royals player in the last 40 years to start at catcher in both games of a doubleheader. He joined Henry Mercedes (Aug. 21, 1995) and Don Slaught (Sept. 24, 1984).

Melendez smacked a two-out, two-strike slider from left-hander Tanner Banks 425 feet in the sixth inning for his first homer. He has now hit safely in seven of his nine career starts. The home run was his second career extra-base hit.

“Just trying to extend the inning, trying to find a way to get on base,” Melendez said of his approach. “I got down 0-2 pretty quickly, but I just wanted to battle. See if I could walk. Hit the ball the other way. Get on base somehow, someway.”

If that wasn’t enough, Melendez also was on the receiving end of a throw to the plate from left fielder Andrew Benintendi in the eighth inning that stopped the White Sox from scoring the tying run.

On the play, the runner Josh Harrison made contact with Melendez as the throw carried Melendez into his path. Melendez’s mask came flying off and Melendez spun to the ground, but he made the tag and held on for the inning-ending out.

“A little display of the power when he didn’t even really get into it,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of Melendez’s homer. “That’s amazing in this ballpark and where he went to watch the ball carry for him.

“Then the play at the plate, that’s a throwback play. A good play by Benny and MJ just toughening up and staying in there. I mean, that’s stuff you talk about playing wiffle ball in the backyard. A one-run game and that’s the tying run late and you’ve got to make the play.”

Filling big shoes

Melendez has praised Perez for helping him adjust to every aspect of the big leagues both as a catcher and a hitter.

Perez is a five-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star behind the plate. He started last year’s All-Star Game for the American League.

“He’s a smart kid,” Perez said of Melendez. “He always asks me questions. I’m going to be here to help him. I’m going to travel with the team. I know it’s only 10 days. They’ll give me a chance to go with the team and be in the meetings and try to help. He’s a great kid, a great player. He’s going to be fine.”

Melendez, who was added to the 40-man roster this winter, moved up to the No. 42 overall prospect in the minors per the preseason Baseball America rankings. Last season, he slashed .288/.386/.625 and launched 41 home runs in 123 games between Double-A and Triple-A.

“It’s really sad to see Sal go down, but it’s encouraging to hear that he’s not going to be out long,” Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor said. “Obviously, he’s a big part of our team. MJ stepped up big. Catching two games in a row like that is not easy. Then to do what he did at the plate was great. Then also the way he handled Singer. He called a good game, caught a good game and then came up with a big home run. That was an all-around great game for him.”

Melendez has also been highly regarded for his defensive ability behind the plate, and he’s got a tremendous throwing arm.

“Obviously, everybody knows what he can do with the bat,” Benintendi said of Melendez. “And he can catch too, so it’s a big role to fill. He obviously knows that we’re all behind him. We’ll see what happens. We trust him back there and he has shown he can do it.”