Central Notes: Tigers, Indians, Cardinals

Two members of the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate in Toledo, outfielder Anthony Gose and manager Lloyd McClendon, were involved in a contentious argument in the dugout during the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, writes Katie Strang of ESPN.com. McClendon then removed Gose from Toledo’s lineup in the third inning and the 25-year-old didn’t play in the second game. Gose’s personal belongings were not in his locker afterward, per the Toledo Blade. When asked about it, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, “Anytime a player reacts that way to a manager, it’s a concern, but it’s certainly not anything that can’t be dealt with or gotten past.” However, Gose failed to report to the ballpark Sunday, according to Tigers vice president of player development Dave Littlefield, who said their front office will discuss the matter during the All-Star break and decide how to proceed (Twitter link via George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press). The speedy Gose, whom the Tigers acquired from the Blue Jays for second baseman Devon Travis in November 2014, has appeared in 170 games with Detroit (30 this year) and hit .247/.315/.363 in 636 plate appearances.

A couple more notes from the majors’ two Central divisions:

• Indians left fielder Michael Brantley, on the shelf since May 10 because of right biceps tendinitis, will begin a Class-A rehab assignment Monday, reports Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. The Indians are “excited” about the progress Brantley has shown since receiving a cortisone shot June 21, said manager Terry Francona. Brantley underwent November shoulder surgery and didn’t make his 2016 debut until April 24, and he then succumbed to more trouble in that area after appearing in only 11 games. At 52-35, first-place Cleveland has been surprisingly effective without Brantley, who batted a superb .319/.382/.494 with 35 homers and 38 steals in 1,272 trips to the plate from 2014-15. One of many reasons for the Indians’ success is Jose Ramirez, but he’ll lose playing time when Brantley returns, per Hoynes. Ramirez, who has mostly divided his time between third base and left field, has slashed .296/.354/.418 with 26 extra-base hits in 315 PAs.
• Since 2010, the versatility-driven Cardinals have had no fewer than 20 players advance at a position more challenging or of a different discipline than the one they arrived playing, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details. Among the group is Double-A backstop Carson Kelly, a 2012 second-round pick who shifted from third base to catcher in 2014 and will partake in Sunday’s Futures Game. “When you look at the modern game, there does seem to be a real value in having a roster with some flexibility,” general manager John Mozeliak told Goold. “Having multi-position players is a benefit.”