Cleveland Indians Place Yan Gomes On 15-Day Disabled List

The Cleveland Indians placed catcher Yan Gomes on the 15-day disabled list on April 12 due to a right-knee injury. He is expected to sit out the next six to eight weeks.

The Cleveland Indians placed catcher Yan Gomes on the 15-day disabled list on April 12.

According to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, Gomes is expected to sit out the next six to eight weeks with a right-knee injury. Roberto Perez will replace him as Cleveland’s starting catcher in his absence. 

Gomes sustained the injury during the ninth inning of the Indians’ 9-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on April 11. “Tigers outfielder Rajai Davis slid into Gomes’ foot” at home plate, per Bastian. Doctors’ initial diagnosis had him spraining his right knee. 

To be more precise, an MRI exam revealed Gomes has a moderate sprain of the MCL (medial collaterate ligament), per MLB.com.  

Gomes had to limp onto the field in crutches to recevie his 2014 Silver Slugger Award prior to Cleveland’s 8-5 loss to Detroit on Sunday, per ESPN.  

Indians announce that an MRI on Yan Gomes confirms a moderate MCL sprain. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. pic.twitter.com/5ZO9mWwmvs— Baseball Tonight (@BBTN) April 12, 2015

Indians manager Terry Francona told Bastian Gomes’ injury “can be a season killer”:

“In the really big picture, it could’ve been worse. It’s a difficult loss, but he’s going to be OK. And anybody that’s been around Gomer for five seconds knows he’ll work, he’ll overwork, and he’ll be back the minute he can be.

“Losing Gomes, man, that can be a season killer. But Perez can handle this. He’s strong enough to catch every day.”

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana volunteered to revert to his former role of catcher on Sunday to back up Perez. However, Francona told Bastian on Sunday the Indians will bring Brett Hayes on board to fill that role while Gomes is out. 

The Northeast Ohio Media Group’s Paul Hoynes says Hayes started the season for the Class AAA Columbus Clippers. He will join Cleveland on April 14 for the start of the team’s two-game series against the Chicago White Sox. 

Francona explains the move to MLB.com:

“Brett Hayes will be here. For today, for a number of reasons, having Carlos saves us a roster spot where we could add two pitchers. Just with the state of what’s happened the last two days, I think we felt more comfortable getting two arms here.”

RT to wish Yan Gomes a speedy recovery! He was just placed on the 15-day DL. Get better soon Yan! #tribetowntweets pic.twitter.com/ekmLhWRj2Q— Tribe Town (@TribeTownTweets) April 12, 2015

The Indians previously invited Hayes to big league camp, where he stayed until April 4. He batted .333 with three home runs and seven RBIs, per Hoynes. 

Cleveland first felt Gomes’ loss when Perez “overthrew third base on a double steal,” allowing Detroit to score it first run on Sunday, per ESPN. Perez went hitless in three plate appearances.  

Santana volunteering to play catcher for a day allowed the Indians to call up Austin Adams and Shaun Marcum to beef up a struggling bullpen. The Tigers outscored the Indians, 17-10, during the first two games of their three-game set, per The Northeast Ohio Media Group.

Hoynes notes Cleveland’s bullpen allowed 10 runs on 11 hits during that span. 

As for Marcum, he left Indiana on Saturday evening after his Clippers played the Indianapolis Indians. He arrived in Cleveland at 3:30 a.m. on April 12. MLB.com’s August Fagerstrom says he arrived on time for that evening’s game against the Tigers, where he pitched in relief in the fifth inning. He allowed one run on three hits. 

It was his first taste of major-league action since July 6, 2013, when he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome on his shoulder. Despite the long layoff, Marcum told Fagerstrom he’s glad he’s back on the mound at the major-league level:

“It was nice to get back out there and not have it be a rehab game in Spring Training or anything like that. The main thing was to go out there and try to get some innings and try to let that bullpen rest.” 

Francona liked what he saw in Marcum, per Fagerstrom:

“I thought Marcum did a terrific job. He’s used to going against some of those types of lineups. I thought he showed the veteran way he handles himself — you can’t run on him, he fields his position, he changed speeds.”

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