Indians catcher Yan Gomes left during the sixth inning of Thursday's 4-1 loss to Minnesota after being hit in the side of the mask by a ball that deflected off Kurt Suzuki an inning earlier. Manager Terry Francona told reporters after the game that Gomes was examined for a concussion and that the team's medical staff will examine him again on Friday.
"He said he is feeling a lot better but we need to keep an eye on him," Francona said.
Earlier this season, Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley took hard hits to the head but concussion symptoms didn't completely manifest until the following day. Santana ended up being placed on the seven-day DL while Brantley missed three games.
Since the All-Star Break, Gomes is hitting .351, which is second in the American League among everyday players. He also has five home runs and 17 RBI. Gomes has played 109 games this season and is batting .284 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI.
Roberto Perez took Gomes' place and has played in 12 games since being called up on July 8.
