Goodrum suffers knee contusion in collision

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tigers first baseman Niko Goodrum left Friday’s 6-0 loss to the Twins in the sixth inning with a right patellar contusion after coming down awkwardly at first base while trying to field a throw from pitcher Tyson Ross.

Ross fielded a dribbler by Minnesota's Marwin Gonzalez to the left of the mound and hurried a throw to first. Goodrum leaped high for the throw, colliding with Gonzalez in the process.

Goodrum’s knee hit Gonzalez in the head. Gonzalez was down for several minutes before he and Goodrum both left the game.

“He’s very sore,” Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said. “They had it checked out; X-rays, the whole package, and everything came back negative. He’s going to wake up sore tomorrow morning. We’ll see how we go from there and just adjust.”

Gardenhire said he doesn’t believe Goodrum will need to go on the 10-day injured list.

Goodrum, who hit leadoff as Gardenhire switched up the lineup for the start of the four-game series, was replaced by Brandon Dixon.

Goodrum has played in 33 of Detroit’s 35 games this season and is tied for the team lead with three home runs. He’s hitting .221 with 11 RBIs, good for fourth on the team.

The Tigers got outfielder Christin Stewart back from the injured list on Friday and had Stewart hitting after Goodrum and before Nicholas Castellanos and Miguel Cabrera as Gardenhire tried to kick-start the offense. Stewart got the Tigers' only hit in seven innings against Twins starter Jake Odorizzi.