Report: Royals' Alex Gordon hopes to return from wrist injury Friday

Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon is intent on playing Friday after missing the last four games due to a wrist sprain, according to The Kansas City Star's Andy McCullough.

One of three Royals -- along with catcher Salvador Perez and relief pitcher Greg Holland -- named to the American League All-Star team, Gordon, 30, suffered the injury during the team's recent series in Cleveland and re-aggravated it last Monday against Tampa Bay.

Manager Ned Yost discussed the injury last week. From MLB.com:

Yost insisted: "I don't think we're going to have to DL him. It's a sprained wrist. I think he's going to go in, they're going to check it and they're going to inject it, and then, he's going to have four days [during the Detroit series] and four days [during the All-Star period], and he's going to be fine. If I put him on the DL, I'll lose him for another week."

Gordon, the No. 2 pick in the 2005 draft, is batting .268 with nine home runs and 44 RBI this season. Angels shortstop Erick Aybarreplaced Gordon on the American League All-Star roster.

The Royals opened Monday six and a half games back of Detroit in the American League Central and two and a half games back of the second wild card spot.

Alex Gordon says his wrist feels better. He plans to test it on Thursday in KC. He believes he'll be able to play on Friday.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) July 14, 2014

-- Chris Johnson