MILWAUKEE — When the Pittsburgh Pirates open their interleague series at Kansas City on Monday, shortstop Jordy Mercer won’t be with them. He will be back in Pittsburgh where the team’s medical staff will take a closer look at his left leg.
Mercer was forced to leave Sunday’s loss after colliding with Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez. Lined up on the other side of second base as part of a defensive shift, Mercer fielded Adam Lind’s grounder and tried to make the tag on Gomez, who dropped into a slide to break up a possible double play.
Gomez’s right knee slammed into Mercer’s left leg, and he was carted off the field after being tended to by the training staff.
Gomez and the Pirates got into a scrape last season when Pittsburgh thought the Brewers outfielder was showboating after a home run. Benches cleared in an early-season game and suspensions were levied, but there was no retaliation this time, nor was anyone on either side suggesting there was ill intent on Gomez’s part.
“I think if he’s on your team, it’s an aggressive slide,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “If not … you know, he was straight into the base path with a sideways slide. Misfortune. That’s pretty much how you’re taught trying to get out of the situation and keep the double play from happening.”
The loss of Mercer, who was only hitting .242 but has been o the upswing recently, is a big blow for the defensive-minded Pirates, who are 4 1/2 games behind the front-running St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.