Mariners’ Dee Gordon not expected to miss much time with fractured toe
May 22, 2018, 5:10 PM | Updated: 7:32 pm
The Mariners don't expect Dee Gordon to be out more than the required 10 days. (AP)
(AP)
OAKLAND, Calif. – The words “fractured right great toe” in the press release issued by the Mariners Tuesday morning were certainly ominous, if not a bit odd – it’s a big toe. But manager Scott Servais indicated that the injury to Dee Gordon was not serious.
Listen: Shannon Drayer on Dee Gordon’s injury
“With speed being such a big part of his game, I think the best thing to do is let that thing calm down,” Servais said in his afternoon meeting with the media. “I don’t think it is gong to completely heal in nine or 10 games, but certainly calm down enough to the point where hopefully we can get him back sooner than later, and as soon as the 10 days are up I hope to have him out there with us.”
Gordon injured the toe May 9 in Toronto when he fouled a pitch off his right foot. X-rays revealed a small crack in the bone, but Gordon was determined to play through it.
“Dee wants to be out there in the worst way, but speed is his game,” Servais pointed out. “We want to make sure he is 100 percent. We’re going to need him. I just thought the best way was to calm this thing down now.”
Gordon had been trying to manage the injury after being given a day off in Toronto, but Servais said that in recent days you could see it was bothering him. When Gordon dove for a ball in the 11th inning of the Mariners’ win Sunday, he re-aggravated it, and while he was able to steal a base and score the winning run shortly after, he was limping badly in the clubhouse after the game.
“It is something that should heal over time, but the more stress, jumping for some balls, it wasn’t getting any better,” Servais said. “He knows he’s not right and I think it started affecting him in the batters box a little with his swing. Let’s just be out ahead of this thing. He tried to play through it as long as he could, it just wasn’t working.”
With Gordon out, Jean Segura will take over in the leadoff spot, which was Segura’s primary lineup spot last year as well as 2016 while with the Diamondbacks. The Mariners will look to take advantage of Guillermo Heredia’s .429 on-base percentage, moving him up to number two. Mitch Haniger will hit third and Nelson Cruz should return to the cleanup spot on Wednesday.
Cruz is dealing with an assortment of dings and dents with the most serious being an elbow bruise he suffered when he was hit by a pitch Saturday.
Daniel Vogelbach has been called up to take Gordon’s spot on the roster. The Mariners were limited in options to call up as they only have three available position players currently on the 40-man roster.
Gordon’s DL move is retroactive to May 21.
