Royals All-Star Alex Gordon could miss eight weeks with groin strain

Kansas City Royals leftfielder Alex Gordon was carted off the field at Kauffman Stadium with a left groin strain during Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Kansas City Royals placed leftfielder Alex Gordon on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin muscle, the team announced.

In a corresponding roster move, the team optioned right-hander Aaron Brooks to Triple A Omaha and announced that Yordano Ventura will be reinstated from the disabled list to start Thursday's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Royals manager Ned Yost said that Gordon has a grade 2 strain of his groin and is expected to miss up to eight weeks.

Gordon was injured during Wednesday’s game against the Rays after chasing down a ball hit to left centerfield by Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe. Gordon’s left knee appeared to buckle just before he reached the wall, and he remained down in pain. Forsythe rounded the bases for an inside-the-park home run to tie the game at 2–2. Kansas City went on to win the game 9–7.

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​Gordon, 31, is hitting .279 with 11 home runs, 39 RBIs and an .852 OPS for Kansas City. Their 49-33 record is the best in the American League.

​The injury puts Gordon out of next week's All-Star Game. He would have joined catcher Salvador Perez, shortstop Alcides Escobar and centerfielder Lorenzo Cain as one of the four Royals’ starters selected to play for the AL.

​He also missed last year's All-Star Game because of an injured right wrist.

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