Crown points

• After the Royals wrap up this week's series in Cleveland on Wednesday, they have an off-day on Thursday before opening a three-game weekend series in Detroit on Friday. Yost is thinking of using the off-day to skip scheduled Friday starter Danny Duffy's spot in the rotation and have Bruce Chen, Ervin Santana and Jeremy Guthrie pitch against the Tigers.

"I haven't made a final decision. I'm about 90 percent sure I'm going to do it," Yost said Tuesday. "I want my veteran guys out there in that series."

• Chris Getz entered in the ninth inning of Monday's game as a pinch-runner, his first game action since Sept. 3. In between, Getz dealt with concussion-like symptoms, but he passed the necessary tests and is healthy now.

"You do the best you can to keep the game under control," Getz said about adjusting to game action after being away from it. "But there's nothing that simulates a game like the game. Whether it's in your early work, your batting practice, you try to kind of up your intensity so it's not such a difference when you enter the game. So it is, yeah, I think it's a battle for any guy that hasn't played in awhile, but that's part of the gig. That's part of our job."

• Thursday's off-day marks the end of a 44-day stretch in which the Royals will have played 44 games.

"A real good time would have been about a week ago, but it's coming when it comes," Yost said.

The club had an off-day on Aug. 19, but a doubleheader on Aug. 16. And on Aug. 26, the Royals played a makeup game against Tampa Bay. Through the first 42 of those 44 games, Kansas City went 24-18.

"We've done really well through it, too," Yost said. "That's a very grueling, grinding stretch, 44 games in 44 days."