MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas collided while chasing a foul ball on Sunday, the Kansas City Royals gasped at the prospects of losing two All-Stars on one play.

A day later, the news could have been much worse.

Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday with a fractured right wrist, but he will not need surgery. Moustakas was held out of the series opener in Minnesota — he is considered day-to-day with a bruised knee.

The break in the scaphoid in Gordon’s wrist was non-displaced. He is expected to miss three to four weeks.

“That hurts,” manager Ned Yost said. “But we feel like we have enough to cover that.”

The All-Stars were injured in a loss to the White Sox in Chicago on Sunday when they slammed into each other while chasing after a fly ball in foul territory.

The Royals recalled infielder Cheslor Cuthbert to take Gordon’s place on the roster.

Gordon has struggled this season, hitting just .211 with four home runs and 10 RBIs for the defending champions, who started the day in third place in the AL Central.

Jarrod Dyson started in Gordon’s place in left field on Monday against the Twins, and Yost also can use Whit Merrifield there as well.

Merrifield was in the lineup at third base for Moustakas on Monday night.

Moustakas went out and tested the knee in pregame warmups but felt some discomfort and was held out.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — The White Sox didn’t completely break out of their offensive funk. But they scored just enough runs to win for the third time in 11 games.

Todd Frazier tied for the AL lead with his 13th home run, Melky Cabrera drove in two runs and the Chicago beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Sunday to avoid what would have been its first losing sweep this season.

“Hopefully, we can keep tacking on some more runs, because we still left a couple out there today that we could have easily gotten,” Frazier said. “We’re still focused and determined to get those in.”

Carlos Rodon (2-4) allowed two runs and pitched into the seventh inning for his first victory since April 13.

“We didn’t want to get swept during that series,” Rodon said. “I came out and pitched the best I could and gave the team a chance to win. We did that today. All around good baseball.”

David Robertson overcame dizziness to get three outs for his 11th save in 13 chances for the AL Central leaders.

Lorenzo Cain and Paulo Orlando had two hits apiece for the World Series champions, who had won six of their previous eight.

Yordano Ventura (4-3) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings for the Royals, who were trying for their first road series sweep. He is 3-0 in four home starts but 1/3 in five road games.

Rodon allowed eight hits and struck out four in his first time facing Kansas City.

“His confidence grows as he goes along, of just who he is and where he belongs and how he’s doing,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

Kansas City had four singles — including Orlando’s two-out RBI hit — to take the lead in the second. Orlando drove in three of the Royals’ eight runs in the series. He also doubled and is hitting .364 (20 for 55) in his career against Chicago.

Frazier’s homer, which matched Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo for the AL lead, brought Chicago even in the fourth.

Cabrera put the White Sox ahead with a two-run single in the fifth on an 0-2 pitch.

“We needed to win this game,” Cabrera said.

The White Sox were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 1 for 23 during the series.

“We’ve been scuffling with guys on base, especially with two outs,” Ventura said.

Omar Infante had a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

“You always want to win the series. That’s your No. 1 goal,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “You put yourself in a position to sweep them, but Rodon did a nice job of pitching today.”

A BREAK

Struggling White Sox 1B Jose Abreu had the day off. He is hitting .243 with six home runs and 39 strikeouts. Jerry Sands started at first base and DH Jimmy Rollins hit second.

“I’ve been swinging at a lot of pitches out of the zone and that’s not my approach,” Abreu said through an interpreter.

GOOD D

Both right fielders made impressive defensive plays. Orlando robbed Austin Jackson of an extra-base hit with a runner on third in the sixth by making a catch against the wall. Chicago’s Adam Eaton made a sliding catch in foul territory for the game’s first out.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LF Alex Gordon (bruised right wrist) is day to day after he collided with 3B Mike Moustakas while they pursued a foul popup in the seventh. Both remained in the game, and Whit Merrifield pinch hit for Gordon the next inning.

White Sox: Ventura and a trainer checked on Robertson during the final batter in the ninth. Robertson said he felt dizziness but was doing fine after the game. . C Kevan Smith was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Charlotte before Sunday’s game. He was on the DL since April 26 (retroactive to April 24) with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. He has yet to play in the majors.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (4-3, 3.24 ERA) is to start Monday’s series opener against Minnesota and RHP Ricky Nolasco (1-2, 4.74).

White Sox: RHP Mat Latos (5-1, 4.00) is to start a doubleheader opener Monday against Cleveland and RHP Mike Clevinger (0-0, 6.75). RHP Erik Johnson (0-1, 7.20) is to start the second game for Chicago against RHP Cody Anderson (0-3, 7.99).

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals hit the field with their starter on a 60-pitch limit and two key relievers unavailable because of overwork.

All they did was win a pitcher’s duel.

Lorenzo Cain hit a solo home run and five pitchers combined to allow seven hits in a 2-1 victory over the slumping Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

Danny Duffy and Peter Moylan combined for six scoreless innings. Joakim Soria (2-1) worked out of a seventh-inning jam and Wade Davis pitched a hitless ninth for his 11th save in Kansas City’s second straight win over the AL Central leaders.

“We win on pitching and defense and this was another good example of it,” manager Ned Yost said.

Cain’s leadoff shot to center in the sixth off Miguel Gonzalez (0-1) made it 2-0 after Eric Hosmer’s first-inning sacrifice fly.

Gonzalez allowed six hits, struck out eight and didn’t walk a hitter over six innings in his third start since being called up from Triple-A. But he got no help from an offense that’s frustrated. Chicago has lost eight of 10.

“It’s our first real kind of test in the division and the Royals are doing their job and we basically are not,” Chicago third baseman Todd Frazier said.

The Royals won for the sixth time in eight games despite needing bullpen help with Duffy on a pitch limit. He allowed four hits in 4 1/3 innings, throwing 63 pitches.

“I try to be available when my team calls upon me to do something. That’s what’s happened the past two outings,” Duffy said on being converted back to a starter.

“It doesn’t really feel weird. It’s not really as much of a task when you’ve got the defense that you do behind you and the bullpen behind you,” he said.

Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, activated off the disabled list after missing more than two weeks with a left thumb injury, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and misplayed a bunt to load the bases with nobody out in the seventh.

Soria replaced Brian Flynn and induced slumping Jose Abreu’s double play grounder to end Chicago’s 13-inning scoreless streak. Soria then got Frazier to ground to third before working a perfect eighth in his first two-inning stint since 2011.

Yost said “under no circumstances” would he use Luke Hochevar or Kelvin Herrera. Hochevar had appeared in five of seven games and Herrera four of six.

“They let me know that I might go one-plus, but I didn’t know two innings,” Soria said. “I felt good and I was hitting my spots.”

Not even more lineup tinkering by manager Robin Ventura could get the White Sox out of their offensive funk.

Jerry Sands played first base and hit cleanup, with Melky Cabrera moved to fifth and barely missed a home run with a fourth-inning double off the wall. Abreu hit second for the second straight day and was the DH and Tyler Saladino was again at shortstop in place of struggling Jimmy Rollins.

Rollins struck out pinch-hitting for Sands in the eighth for Chicago, which has scored four runs in three games.

Ventura said he sees players pressing, including Abreu before his double play.

“You could see it as far as getting in those situations trying to probably hit a seven-run homer,” manager Robin Ventura said. “You can’t get out of it that way. You’ve got to be able to relax and get through it. We’ll be there for him.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: To make room for Moustakas, Cheslor Cuthbert was optioned to Triple-A Omaha, where Yost said he’ll play second and third. “Did he deserve to go down? No,” Yost said. “There’s just not a spot for him.” … Yost said needing to stretch out Duffy while he was in the rotation is why they elected to keep 13 pitchers.

White Sox: RHP Jake Petricka (hip) is not ready to come off the disabled list. “He still feels a little something there,” Ventura said.

DYSON OVER ORLANDO

Despite his second three-hit game of the week Friday, Paulo Orlando was out of the Kansas City lineup. And for good reason. Jarrod Dyson started in right and went 3 for 4 with a stolen base while improving to 7 for 8 against Gonzalez.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Yordano Ventura (4-2, 4.85 ERA) faces LHP Carlos Rondon (1-4, 4.73) in Sunday’s series finale.

— Associated Press —