KC Royals: Alex Gordon Passes Concussion Protocol

KC Royals outfielder Alex Gordon passed concussion protocol tests after slamming into a tarp in Sunday’s 3-2 loss in Chicago, according to Kansas City Star beat writer Rustin Dodd:

While the injury to Gordon’s wrist isn’t great, it could have been much worse after Gordon collided with third baseman Mike Moustakas while chasing a pop fly and banging his head on a tarp in foul territory.

You can see video of the play here.

A concussion can lead to well-known problems. Notice that Twins first baseman Joe Mauer has never been the same since his concussion problems began three years ago. Gordon could have also broken his wrist. In the end, missing some time with soreness is about as good as KC Royals fans could have hoped after watching the nasty spill on Sunday.

Who knows? Maybe a few days of rest will help Gordon break out of his season-long slump. When he’s hitting .211/.319/.331, even Gordon’s defense doesn’t overcome the drag on the offense.

With a day-to-day injury, I doubt the Kansas City Royals will make a roster move. Instead, they’ll just mix and match corner outfield playing time among Jarrod Dyson, Whit Merrifield and Paulo Orlando. Given the way Orlando has been crushing the ball of late, (.377 BA) I suspect Gordon’s injury means that he’ll get full time reps with Merrifield and Dyson platooning in right.

However, things might get interesting on the trade front if Gordon’s wrist is worse than trainers believe. Last year, Gordon’s hamstring injury spurred general manager Dayton Moore to trade for Ben Zobrist. Something similar could happen after Sunday’s events.

Next: Four Things About Royals Tough Loss In Chicago

Stay tuned, Kansas City Royals fans. The season is getting interesting.