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KC Royals: What’s The Plan When Alex Gordon Returns

By Leigh Oleszczak

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It’s been six weeks since Alex Gordon injured himself trying to catch a fly ball at Kauffman Stadium when the KC Royals took on the Tampa Bay Rays.

Alex Gordon is now set to begin his rehab stint in Omaha this weekend, according to Ned Yost. Gordon was originally on pace to be out anywhere from six to eight weeks, but there were a lot of lingering questions surrounding the situation.

Would he immediately be thrown back into the lineup? Would he be the same defender he was? How many days would he play? Will he be decent enough in the playoffs?

These questions are still unanswered as of now, but Kansas City Royals fans will slowly receive the answers to these questions in the next few weeks.

One of the most intriguing questions is what will happen with Ben Zobrist upon Gordon’s return? Zobrist was brought in to help fill the void in left field, but as of lately, has been starting at second base due to Omar Infante‘s struggles and recent injuries.

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The need for Zobrist to fill in at left field wasn’t really necessary, as Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando have been filling in just fine there in Gordon’s absence. Dyson has made some pretty sick catches in the outfield, and Orlando is an average defender.

The need for Ben Zobrist during the trade deadline wasn’t as prominent, but it was still a good call for Dayton Moore. Zobrist has been on fire during his stint with the Royals and it’s been nice having a utility guy that can literally play almost every position.

For instance, Infante has struggled all season long, and Yost has finally given Zobrist some playing time at second base as a result. I get that the Royals have Infante for two more years, but they only have Zobrist until the end of the season. Use him now, and if it means putting Infante on the bench, by all means leave him on the bench.

Another area that’s concerning is in right field. Alex Rios has not had a good season with the KC Royals, and it’s entirely possible that Zobrist could slide over to right field once Gordon makes his return to the team. The easier solution though would be to stick Dyson or Orlando in right field, put Zobrist at second base, and kaboom. You have a decent playoff roster on your hands.

Hopefully Alex Gordon does indeed have a speedy recovery and can be the same ol’ Gordo we know and love when he returns. Otherwise, we might have to keep rolling with Infante and Rios in their respective positions. Despite the fact that the KC Royals have proved they can win with those two starting, it’d be nice to have the best possible lineup heading into the postseason.

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