Vargas scheduled for appendectomy

ST. PETERBURG, Fla. (AP) Kansas City Royals left-hander Jason Vargas was taken to the hospital Wednesday and had an appendectomy.

Royals manager Ned Yost, after Kansas City's 5-4 win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday night, said the surgery went great and that there were ''no complications.''

Yost says Vargas ''started really having severe discomfort'' around 4 a.m. Wednesday.

There was no timetable given for how long Vargas will be out. Bruce Chen could replace Vargas in Sunday's game against Detroit.

Royals All-Star outfielder Alex Gordon was scratched from Wednesday's lineup due to a sprained right wrist. He will have an MRI and see a hand specialist Thursday when the team returns to Kansas City.

Gordon did enter as a defensive replacement Wednesday in the ninth inning. He said the major problem is pain when swinging a bat.

''I don't think it's anything serious,'' Gordon said.

Yost said the injury could ''very well'' impact Gordon's status for next week's All-Star game.

Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas was also out of Wednesday's lineup with the flu. He was feeling better late Wednesday, but is not expected to start Thursday.