Cleveland Indians Place Yan Gomes on Disabled List

The Cleveland Indians have placed catcher Yan Gomes on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee sprain.

Just last night, Yan Gomes was involved in a collision at the plate when he placed his right foot on home plate to record a force out and Rajai Davis slid into said foot.  Medical staff quickly rushed to the field, and they helped to carry the catcher off the field.  Gomes notably did not put much weight on his right leg.

Scheduled to under go an MRI this afternoon, the Cleveland Indians took the safe route by placing Yan Gomes on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee sprain.  While a right knee sprain is certainly not a desirable outcome for a position that puts a lot of stress on the knees, it is definitely better than many other outcomes – such as a broken ankle.  More information will be available when the MRI results come in.  Gomes will now join Nick Swisher, Josh Tomlin, Gavin Floyd, and Zach Walters on the disabled list.

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Given the Tribe’s depth at the catching position, the injury is not as debilitating for the Indians as it would be for other teams.  Roberto Perez will presumably take over behind the dish until Gomes returns.  Last season, Perez played well last season, logging .271/.311/.365 slash line across an admittedly small 95 plate appearances.  With his six defensive runs saved in just 232.1 innings last season, he also boasts the ability to be an above average defender.

Another catching option would be Carlos Santana.  While he only played 93 innings behind the plate last season, he has played over 2,700 innings at the catching position in his career.  Santana may not be the best option, as his lifetime -14 defensive runs saved leaves much to be desired, but it could allow Brandon Moss to play more first base.  While Brandon Moss has historically played better in the outfield than at first base, it would allow Jerry Sands to receive more playing time.

Indians fans had high expectations for the Brazilian native this season, as his 4.6 fWAR ranked as the best amongst AL catchers last season and the third best amongst MLB catchers last season.  Gomes shows the ability to hit for power, as evidenced by his leading of American League catchers in isolated power and slugging percentage.  Hopefully, Yan Gomes will heal quickly and well and return to the Tribe’s starting lineup shortly.

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