The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Indians catcher Gomes may miss two months
Power hitter suffers knee ligament sprain Saturday.
Yan Gomes could be out of the Indians’ lineup for two months with a sprained right knee ligament, an injury that dealt an early blow to a team expected to contend this season.
Gomes sustained a moderate sprain of the medial collateral ligament on a play at the plate Saturday.
Cleveland expects him to miss at least six weeks, and possibly eight.
“Anytime you lose him for any amount of time it’s not good,” Indians manager Terry Francona said after the Indians lost 8-5 to Detroit, which completed a three-game sweep. “In the really big picture, it could have been worse. This is about what we thought after talking to the trainers last night.”
Gomes’ leg was jolted by Detroit’s Rajai Davis, who slid hard on a force play and clipped the catcher’s right leg as he was extended like a first baseman making a catch.
Last season, Gomes led AL catchers in average (.278) and extra-base hits (49). He was second in RBIs (74) and homers (21).
Diamondbacks: Catcher Gerald Laird was put on the 15-day dis- abled list with lower-back spasms, retroactive to April 9.
Rockies: Reliever John Axford was placed on the family medical emergency list so he can tend to his young son, who was bitten by a rattlesnake last month in Arizona. Axford said Jameson, 2, recently had surgery on his right foot to remove necrotic tissue and will be flown to Denver for more treatment.
Giants: Third baseman Casey McGehee said an MRI showed he has a bone bruise in his left knee. He had a cortisone shot and is expected to be out a few days. He said he suffered the injury Monday against Arizona and aggravated it during an at-bat in the first inning Saturday.
Marlins: Reserve infielder Don Kelly and backup catcher Jeff Mathis each broke the ring finger on his right hand in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay.
■ Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna was benched Sunday as punishment for being late to batting practice, and he apologized.
Pirates: Third baseman Jung Ho Kang got his first big league hit Sunday, a single in the seventh after starting the season 0-for-6. He is the first player to go directly from the South Korea pro league to the majors.
Reds: Raisel Iglesias allowed three runs in five innings Sunday in his major league debut but didn’t get a decision. Signed in July to a $27 million, seven-year contract, Iglesias became the first Red since Mike Leake in 2010 to reach the majors without playing a minor league game.
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera went 11-for-14 (.786) with six RBIs in the threegame sweep of the Indians, and raised his batting average to .520.
Brewers: Adam Lind walked Sunday to reach base in all six games. He is batting .450 with one home run, four RBIs and five walks.
Angels: Albert Pujols hit his 522nd home run, moving past Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas for sole possession of 18th on the career list.
Blue Jays: Jose Bautista’s homer Sunday was his 204th with Toronto, moving him past Joe Carter into sole possession of third place on the team’s career list.
Mariners: Ace Felix Hernandez was removed from his Sunday start at Oakland after five innings as a precaution because of tightness in his right quadriceps muscle.
Saturday’s Games Sunday’s Games ■ (At) Bucks 96, Nets 73: Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 as Milwaukee clinched a playoff spot. The Bucks also secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. ■ (At) Celtics 117, Cavaliers 78: Isaiah Thomas scored 17 points as Boston reduced its magic number for reaching the playoffs to one with a rout of Cleveland, which rested its star players. ■ (At) Pistons 116, Hornets 77: Andre Drummond had 15 points and 19 rebounds for Detroit, which turned its home finale into a rout. ■ (At) Nuggets 122, Kings 111: Kenneth Faried had a season-high 30 points as the Nuggets spoiled Sacramento coach George Karl’s return to Denver. ■ (At) Wizards 108, Hawks 99: John Wall had 24 points and nine assists to lead Washington to at least 46 wins for the first time since 1978-79. ■ (At) Pacers 116, Thunder 104: Russell Westbrook scored a career-high 54 points, but Indiana fended off his late charge to move into a tie with Brooklyn for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. ■ Pelicans at Rockets: Late ■ Suns at Spurs: Late
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