Mon 13/04/2015 - 19:52 EDT

Indians' AL Central Hopes Could Be Dashed With Yan Gomes Injury

Injuries are a part of baseball with such a long, grueling season and the biggest one to hit a team thus far -- not counting spring training injuries that cost Mets pitcher Zach Wheeler and Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman their 2015 season -- happened to the Cleveland Indians on Saturday when catcher Yan Gomes, perhaps the best at his position in the American League, was lost for  up two months with a sprained MCL in  his right knee. It's a significant enough injury that it could cost Cleveland a shot to win the very deep AL Central. The Indians are currently +300 third favorites at Sportsbook.ag behind Detroit (+150) and Kansas City (+250).

In the ninth inning of Saturday's 9-6 loss to the Tigers, Rajai Davis slid through home plate, striking Gomes' right foot and jarring the catcher's knee. With the bases loaded, Detroit's J.D. Martinez chopped a pitch to first baseman Carlos Santana, who gloved the ball and quickly fired it to Gomes at home. The catcher had his right foot positioned in the middle of the plate and was stretched out in a similar manner as a first baseman. Davis had little choice but to slide through the plate. The Indians said an MRI performed at the Cleveland Clinic revealed Gomes suffered a "moderate'' sprain to his MCL.

The loss of Gomes is a tough one since he's the club's top right-handed power hitter and a solid defensive player. Last season, Gomes led all AL catchers in average (.278) and extra-base hits (49). He was second in RBIs (74) and homers (21) and handled one of baseball's youngest starting staffs.

"Losing Gomes, man, that can be a season-killer," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Anytime you lose him for any amount of time it's not good. In the really big picture, it could have been worse."

Roberto Perez and Brett Hayes will man the position until Gomes returns. Perez is lauded for his defensive prowess, but he has never played regularly at the big league level. Throughout his minor league career, Perez was heralded as Cleveland's top defensive catcher. In his 29-game taste of the majors last year, Perez helped the pitchers post a 2.60 ERA with him behind the plate (232 1/3 innings) and the catcher threw out 36 percent (8-for-21) would-be basestealers. Both in the minors and majors, Perez has been rated as an above-average pitch framer as well.

Gomes' bat will be especially missed. He accepted his Silver Slugger award while sporting crutches on the field prior to first pitch on Sunday. Gomes wasn't the only hobbled Tribe hitter to receive the hardware. Michael Brantley, who has missed four of the club's first six games, remains bothered by a back strain. Brantley is batting just .125 and has driven in one run. Francona does not expect Brantley, who finished third in MVP voting last season, to go on the disabled list. He will take batting practice before Tuesday's game with the White Sox to determine whether or not he can play.

Zach McAllister, who won the Indians' fifth-starter job out of Spring Training, will be available out of the bullpen starting Tuesday. Due to off-days on Monday and Thursday, the Indians don't need a full five-man rotation for the time being. Carlos Carrasco is scheduled to pitch Tuesday.

The Indians are -135 favorites Tuesday against White Sox starter  Carlos Carrasco.

Category : News

More articles...
News - 12/06/25
Florida is Now the Overwhelming Favorite to Win the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals 

What: 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Who: Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers When: Game 4 is Thursday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET Where: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida How to watch: TNT and Max It's funny how things can change in the span of a week or so. Before the final series of […]

News - 04/06/25
Belmont Stakes 2025: Baeza is in line for classic glory 

The third and final leg of the Triple Crown happens Saturday, June 7: the Belmont Stakes. Like last year, it will be a little different than the traditional Belmont: it will be run at 1 ΒΌ miles at Saratoga Race Course, since Belmont Park is still under construction. The race offers a $2 million purse, […]

News - 02/06/25
Oklahoma City is a Big Favorite to Win the 2025 NBA Finals Over Indiana 

What: 2025 NBA Finals Who: Oklahoma City vs. Indiana Pacers When: Game 1 is set for June 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma How to watch: ABC After a thrilling postseason leading up to this stage, only two teams are left in the hunt to take home the Larry […]

News - 02/06/25
Best UFC 316 Bets: Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O'Malley Picks 

What: UFC 316 Who: Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O'Malley in the main event When: Saturday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET Where: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey How to watch: ESPN+ There's a title on the line at UFC 316 and there's a main event that people can't wait for. That's right, it's that […]