Alex Gordon still not cleared to swing, throw as Royals approach beginning of spring training

Alex Gordon ambled onto the practice field nearest the Royals clubhouse, laid his gear in a neat pile and began a solitary session of sprints. Most of his teammates had already finished their activity for the day, straggling off the assorted diamonds before noon here as the sun overtook the fields.

The complex hummed with life on Tuesday morning, with veteran pitchers Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Jason Vargas already on site. As voluntary workouts take place, with the pitchers and catchers due to report on Thursday, Gordon stands as something of a man apart. He shagged flies as Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Jarrod Dyson took batting practice, but he did not swing. He also did not throw.

Gordon has yet to receive the medical authorization for either activity, the two most stressful exertions on his surgically repaired right wrist. He has ridded himself of the bulky cast he wore last month at FanFest, but he still sported a smaller brace on the field on Tuesday. Early next week, Gordon expects an appointment with team physician Bruce Toby, who operated on the wrist in January, to clear him to swing and throw.

“It might be a little slow getting back into it,” Gordon said. “But I’m confident when Opening Day comes, I’ll be fine.”

Even though he expects to miss at least a week of Cactus League games, Gordon has maintained this stance since he first went under the knife. It is an opinion shared by teammates and team officials alike. “That’s a man of steel,” backup outfielder Jarrod Dyson quipped as Gordon finished his workout.

He is also a man without a reliable replacement on the roster. Manager Ned Yost favors using Dyson as a pinch-runner and late-game defensive replacement, rather than an everyday player. The team’s outfield depth chart features rookies like Lane Adams, Jorge Bonifacio and Paulo Orlando. The most experienced outfielder invited to camp on a minor-league deal is Moises Sierra, who was claimed off waivers from the White Sox in October.

So, as always, the health of Gordon is imperative to the Royals’ success. He led the club with 19 home runs and a .783 on-base plus slugging percentage in 2014. He also collected his fourth-consecutive Gold Glove in left field. After damaging his wrist in July, he masked the discomfort throughout the second half. His production evaporated in September, when he hit .190 with only five extra-base hits.

During workouts this winter, Gordon aggravated the injury. He underwent the operation, a wrist extensor retinaculum repair, soon after. He has resumed lifting weights and conditioning, but the biggest tests for his health have yet to come.

“It’s more when I get in the training room and start stretching it out,” he said. “I mean, it’s a little stiff. I was in a cast for a while. There’s no pain. It’s just more about getting the flexibility and strength back. And I feel like that’s pretty close.”

He added, “Hitting will probably be the biggest challenge.”

Once Gordon receives the necessary clearance, his progression will be slow. He must prove himself capable of hitting off a tee, then taking soft toss, and then hitting in a cage before he can even begin to take batting practice with his teammates.

At times, the process moves as a pace that feels glacial. But a week removed from his 31st birthday, with a potential free-agent bonanza awaiting him after this season, Gordon understands the need for caution.

“The main thing we want to do is be smart,” Gordon said. “And take it slow.”

This story was originally published February 17, 2015 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Alex Gordon still not cleared to swing, throw as Royals approach beginning of spring training."