LOS ANGELES — Minnesota Twins center fielder Nick Gordon is heading to the injured list after he fractured his right shin during Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The injury occurred when Gordon fouled a pitch by Dylan Covey off his leg during the fifth inning. Gordon grimaced in pain and was looked at by trainers for five minutes before he decided to remain in the game. He struck out swinging on the next pitch and then was pulled.
Manager Rocco Baldelli said after the Twins’ 7-3 loss that Gordon would “be out for a bit, sadly.”
“I wish Nick didn’t have to take that last swing, knowing now that his leg was fractured,” Baldelli said. “Doesn’t look like it’s displaced, or he further hurt himself taking that extra swing, but I’ll bet it was painful.”
Gordon is batting .185 but had started to find his stride after having a .143 average at the end of April. He was 6-for-19 with two RBIs in his previous seven games going into Wednesday. He was hitless in two at-bats in the series finale.
Willi Castro and Michael Taylor saw time in center after Gordon left.
Gordon’s injury wasn’t the only one that happened to the Twins during the series finale between division leaders. Second baseman Jorge Polanco left in the seventh inning due to a mild strain of his left hamstring.
Right fielder Joey Gallo also fouled a pitch off his right leg with two outs in the ninth inning, but an X-ray showed only a contusion.
Baldelli said both players are day-to-day, but Polanco’s hamstring is the bigger concern.