Gordon out of lineup against White Sox lefty

KANSAS CITY -- Left fielder Alex Gordon, in a 0-for-14 swoon and batting just .149 in June, got a day off from the Royals' starting lineup on Saturday against White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana.

"Alex is like 2-for-14 off this guy," manager Ned Yost said. "It's a good day, it's going to be hot. He's grinding -- give him a day off."

Shortstop Alcides Escobar took over Gordon's leadoff spot in the lineup, and David Lough played left field.

Lough, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha when Jarrod Dyson was hurt, survived Dyson's return on Saturday. Second baseman Chris Getz was optioned to the Storm Chasers instead.

"It very well could've been me, it could've been somebody else in the clubhouse, and they felt that it was Getz," Lough said. "It's unfortunate because Getz is a class-act guy, a great teammate, you can't ask for anything better than him."

Lough has played well since his arrival on May 17, with a .290 (29-for-100) average in 28 games. He has eight extra-base hits with 11 RBIs and has played all three outfield positions.

"I'm satisfied. I'm a competitive person," Lough said. "There's always some type of hole in my game that I can fix. Overall, being up here for the second month, I feel very comfortable, so I think it can only get better."

Recently, the left-handed-hitting Lough and right-handed Jeff Francoeur have often been used in a platoon arrangement in right field. However, Yost emphasized he's not committed to that and will make lineup decisions day to day.