Abreu, Dozier exit after 'violent' collision

CHICAGO -- The Royals and White Sox both lost a key contributor in the second inning of Friday's doubleheader opener when reigning AL MVP José Abreu collided with Kansas City's Hunter Dozier a few feet down the first-base line. Both players stayed on the ground as both teams’ training staffs ran out to check on them. Abreu and Dozier were both eventually helped off the field.

Abreu is day to day after leaving the game -- a 6-2 Royals win -- with a facial contusion and laceration, as well as a bruised left knee. An initial assessment for concussion was negative, according to the White Sox. Dozier, who left with quad contusion and neck discomfort, was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list and the club recalled Kelvin Gutierrez from Triple-A Omaha prior to the nightcap at Guaranteed Rate Field.

"[Abreu is] sore. He's not playing the second game,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “Because it's him, we'll wait and see [how he feels] tomorrow. But he can't go out there all guts in pain, so we'll see how he feels tomorrow."

With one out and Kansas City right fielder Jorge Soler on first base following a leadoff single, Dozier hit a soft popup. Chicago catcher Yasmani Grandal immediately ran under the ball, but as Dozier maneuvered around Grandal, he put his head down and didn’t see Abreu running toward the play.

Abreu had his eyes on the ball and didn’t see Dozier, either, and the two had a hard collision that quieted the Guaranteed Rate Field crowd.

“That was violent. That was scary,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “It looked like [Dozier] was trying to get away and go around the catcher, and didn’t even really see that Abreu was closing in. I think both of them wore that one pretty hard.”

Grandal moved to first base to replace Abreu while Zack Collins moved behind the plate. Following a go-ahead two-run home run by Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor, Hanser Alberto moved out to third base in Dozier’s place in the bottom of the inning.