4 Alex Gordon LF

Gordon is not in the lineup Sunday against the Indians, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Gordon will head to the bench after going 0-for-4 Saturday and dropping his season average (.198) below the Mendoza Line. Manager Ned Yost already said Gordon will remain a starter, though he may choose to give him more frequent rest until his bat wakes up a little bit. Melky Cabrera will slide over to man left field in his stead, opening up a spot for Jorge Bonifacio to start in right field for the contest.

Manager Ned Yost announced that Gordon's absence from Thursday's lineup was only to give the outfielder a rest, and was not a benching because of poor play, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Despite the veteran's .200/.288/.290 slash line and increased absences from starting lineups recently, Yost insists Gordon remains a starter. Everyday at-bats give him limited fantasy value in deeper formats, but the outfielder's performance doesn't warrant a role in mixed formats.

Gordon is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Gordon will cede duties in left field to Melky Cabrera in the series finale, marking the third time he'll be on the bench in the last six games. Only Cabrera and Lorenzo Cain appear to be locked into full-time roles in the Royals outfield, meaning that manager Ned Yost will likely be forced to bench one of Gordon, Brandon Moss and Jorge Bonifacio in most games while the other two players fill the remaining spot in the outfield or DH. Gordon's stellar defense may give him a leg up over his competition, but his .199/.289/.293 batting line on the season has rendered him an easy out at this stage of his career.

Gordon is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cardinals, Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star reports.

With one hit in 17 at-bats over his last five starts, Gordon's career-worst season has sunk to new depths, with the 33-year-old now sporting a .197/.288/.294 batting line in 2017. Though Gordon's reliable outfield defense has helped him maintain a regular starting role throughout the campaign, his continued struggles at the plate may be starting to test the patience of manager Ned Yost. Gordon will head to the bench for the second straight game Wednesday as Yost rolls out an outfield of Melky Cabrera, Lorenzo Cain and Jorge Bonifacio.

Gordon is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cardinals.

Gordon is just 2-for-20 (.100) in six games this month, so he'll head to the bench to clear his head. Melky Cabrera will slide over to left field in his place, opening up a spot for Jorge Bonifacio to start in right field.