NewsGordon a hit in rehab start in Omaha
Nebraska native goes 1-for-3 before huge Triple-A crowd
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
07/04/09 12:56 PM ET
KANSAS CITY -- Third baseman Alex Gordon's journey toward rejoining the Kansas City Royals continued on Friday night at Omaha, where he went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter.Gordon lined a single to right field in his second at-bat, scored the O-Royals' first run and also walked twice.
"He looked exactly like we expected him to look," Royals manager Trey Hillman reported. "His legs looked a little bit heavy at times with the activity that he's going through, but he's not having any pain. That's the big plus. [He's] swinging the bat OK -- had a hit, a couple of walks, one was intentional. It's just going to be a daily process."
Gordon played just seven games for KC before undergoing hip surgery, which kept him out for 10 weeks.
The Triple-A game against New Orleans, which was suspended because of rain with the score tied at 2 after 10 innings, drew 23,532 fans to Rosenblatt Stadium, the seventh-largest crowd in franchise history. This was the first appearance as a pro for Gordon in his home state; he starred at the University of Nebraska.
"Hopefully they're all here for the fireworks," Gordon told the Omaha World-Herald. "I don't think I'm that big of a deal."
That also was his only game for the Omaha club, which now goes on the road. Gordon will switch to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. His target date for returning to Kansas City is after the All-Star break on July 17.
"They've got a program set up, depending on how his body feels, to get him at-bats but also ease him into defensive play," Hillman said. "But [they'll] limit his reps, as far as ups and downs and innings out there defensively. Depending on how he's feeling, they'll adjust that day-to-day."
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
