KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Cleveland Indians open a three-game series with the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals on Monday, but without starting catcher Yan Gomes.While the Indians arrived in Kansas City, Gomes was headed back to Cleveland to have his right shoulder checked by Dr. Mark Schickendantz.Gomes hurt the shoulder Sunday in the fifth inning of a 6-1 victory at Minnesota when he stepped awkwardly on the first base bag while attempting to avoid the tag of Kenny Vargas.Gomes fell on his right shoulder as he stumbled to the ground while running at full speed and had to be carted off the field.As far as I know it is kind of like a shoulder separation, Gomes told Cleveland media after the game. Im going to Cleveland to be checked out and we will know more later.Indians manager Terry Francona said Gomes, who has started 63 games behind the plate, would be placed on the disabled list Monday. He said in all likelihood the Indians would activate catcher Roberto Perez, who had right thumb surgery in May. He has caught nine innings in a minor league rehab assignment.Things like this happen, Francona said. Hopefully, you are prepared so it doesnt get in the way of what youre trying to do.What the Indians are trying to do is win the American League Central. They hold a commanding 6 1/2-game lead over the Detroit Tigers, who beat the Royals 4-2 Sunday with a walk-off home run. They have an eight-game bulge over the Royals, who are just a game above .500. The Indians have lost seven of 12 since a 14-game winning streak catapulted them into control of the division.The Indians will receive no sympathy from the Royals on the Gomes injury. Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas is out for the season after knee surgery and Lorenzo Cain is on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Cain, however, could begin a minor league rehab assignment this week, but he wont return to the Royals in time to play in the Indians series.Alex Gordon, who missed 30 games with a wrist fracture, continues to struggle at the plate, hitting .207 with a puny .652 OPS.All I can say is, Ive played like crap, Gordon told the Kansas City Star.The Royals will need Gordon to turn it around quickly if they are to make it to postseason for the third straight year.Were going to need to get him going, thats for sure, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Hes going to be key.Corey Kluber, who is 9-8 with a 3.61 ERA, will start the series opener for the Indians. He threw six scoreless innings to beat the Royals in June at Progressive Field, but 10 days later he permitted eight runs, including three unearned, over five innings in a loss at Kauffman Stadium.Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is 12-for-45 (.267), with three home runs and 13 RBI off Kluber. Gordon has a .188 average, 6-for-32, but two of his hits are home runs.Edinson Volquez, who is 8-8 with a 4.85 ERA, will be the Royals starter Monday. In 11 Volquez starts that theRoyals won, he has a 2.18 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .225 batting average. In his eight losses, Volquez has a 9.44 ERA with opponents hitting .322.Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall has 14 hits and a .429 batting average against Volquez, while designated hitter Carlos Santana has a .167 average off the Royals right-hander he has two home runs.The Indians have defeated the Royals six times in 10 meetings this season, but are 0-3 at Kauffman Stadium. Anton Stralman Jersey . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. 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It was a Saints defense Brees faced daily in practice.The stakes on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will be a bit different as the 4-6 Saints attempt to make yet another climb toward .500 against the 4-6 Los Angeles Rams.After climbing to 4-4 and putting themselves back in the NFC playoff picture following an 0-3 start, the Saints have dropped their last two games in large part because of atrocious special teams play.New Orleans lost 25-23 to the Denver Broncos two weeks ago when Wil Lutzs potential game-winning PAT was blocked and returned 84 yards for the winning two points. Then, last week against Carolina, a Lutz field goal was blocked, leading to a late first-half touchdown -- and a 10-point turnaround -- in a 23-20 loss to the Panthers.So when Brees faces Williams defense on Sunday, he knows he will be in for a challenge. Williams, after all, was the architect of a ball-hawking Super Bowl defense in New Orleans that forced 39 turnovers in 2009.It was also the defense that, because of Bountygate, got head coach Sean Payton and Williams suspended for a year. The NFL ruled the Saints defense operated a cash-for-big-hits scheme, which led to Paytons 2012 suspension.Brees knows that the Rams, led by defensive tackle Aaron Donald and inside linebacker Alec Ogletree, are relentless in their pursuit.I know what I see on film, Brees said of the Rams defense that is allowing just 18.7 points per game. I know that the things he has done in the past are part of his scheme. I know that hes a very good defensive coach, and I know hes going to have some things for us that we havent seen. My philosophy going into every game is always to expect the unexpected.Payton called Donald a rare talent. In 10 games, Donald has 31 tackles, five sacks, three passes defended and a forced fumble. Donald has collected 20 sacks since 2014.He might be one of the most talented interior guys there is, Payton said. (Its) just his energy, his motoor and his ability, both in the run game and the pass game to be extremely disruptive.dddddddddddd (Hes) a guy you have to plan for in both phases. You know hes going to make some plays. You hope to contain him as much as you can.The Saints are averaging 28.5 points per game, and their defense has played more solidly in the last month. But special teams gaffes have been so bad -- the Saints have had three kicks blocked and two others deflected -- that Payton took the unusual step of hiring Kevin ODea, formerly of the Tampa Bay Bucs, as a special teams coaching assistant, working especially with the snapper, holder and kicker.Were looking to fortify the troops, not change them right now, Payton said. (ODea) comes with expertise in developing and training kickers.Rams rookie Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, will make his second NFL start. In the Rams 14-10 loss to Miami last week, Goff completed 17 of 31 passes for 134 yards and ran four times for 11 yards. It will be his first road start.It will be loud, thats about it, Goff said. I think (last weeks start) helped. There were a lot of things I learned, good and bad stuff. ... We still have a chance to make a run here, and its not too late. We can do some special things if we put it together.Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said he realizes his defense will have to continue its stellar play to give Los Angeles a chance.We play hard, were physical, and if you look at the points allowed and things like that, weve been doing a respectable job, Fisher said. But when we have an offense thats struggling, the defense has to do better. And when you lose a 14-10 game and get one turnover and have hands on three balls, you have to catch one of them.Mark Ingram was listed as questionable after going through the NFL concussion protocol last week, but he is likely to play.I think its encouraging with him, and I think Ive said that all along, Payton said.Saints left tackle Terron Armstead is questionable with a knee injury. ' ' '