The Kansas City Royals placed left fielder Alex Gordon on the disabled list with a wrist injury, per Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City.
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Cheslor Cuthbert to Replace Gordon on 25-Man Roster
Monday, May 23
The Kansas City Star‘s Rustin Dodd reported Sunday that Gordon sprained his wrist in Kansas City’s 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Gordon collided with teammate Mike Moustakas while attempting to catch a foul ball off the bat of Melky Cabrera:
It’s not exactly what the Royals wanted out of the face of their franchise, who managed to stay with the team by signing a four-year, $72 million deal in the offseason as a free agent, via Spotrac.com.
He struggled to start the season, much like the rest of his team. He was batting well under .250 as his Royals struggled to play .500 ball.
What’s more frustrating is that the trend of injuries continues for Gordon, who missed over 50 games after straining his groin during the 2015 season while tracking a fly ball in left field.
He was able to come back and finish the regular season batting .271 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI, but it was his postseason contributions that made him so invaluable, as the Royals won their first World Series in 30 years.
Gordon has been an All-Star in each of the past three years and has led the team in on-base percentage in the last two. His ability to get on base fit so well in a Royals lineup that didn’t necessarily boast a ton of superstar talent or power.
Instead, it was a perfectly balanced group of players who found ways to win games.
And according to manager Ned Yost, who spoke with Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, Gordon is just as valuable to the team off the field.
“Everybody in that locker room looks up to him,” Yost said. “Everything he does is to be ready to play a baseball game, from the food he eats to the exercises that he does early in the weight room to the preparation before the game. His routine is impeccable, and guys see this.”
Now the Royals will have to rely on the likes of Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando to complement Lorenzo Cain in the outfield. While they don’t hold the same kind of offensive prowess as Gordon, Dyson can motor on the basepaths, which could make him a solid choice at the top of Kansas City’s lineup.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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