ATLANTA — Left fielder Jonny Gomes was pulled out of the Atlanta Braves’ game after the fifth inning Monday, and he was traded to the Kansas City Royals along with cash for minor league shortstop Luis Valenzuela.
Gomes, a 34-year-old right-handed hitter, batted .221 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 83 games with Atlanta this year. He went 0-for-2 on Monday in the Braves’ 4-0 loss to the Miami Marlins.
Gomes captured a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox in 2013, and he also has playoff experience with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 and the Oakland A’s in 2012 and 2014.
In 13 major league seasons, Gomes has a career .242 batting average with a .334 on-base percentage, a .438 slugging percentage, 162 homers and 522 RBIs in 1,191 games.
The arrival of Gomes gives the Royals cover at a position normally manned by Alex Gordon, who has been on the disabled list since July 9 due to a left groin strain. In the interim, Kansas City acquired utility man Ben Zobrist from the A’s, and he has seen most of his action with the Royals in left field.
Valenzuela, 22, played a combined 55 games for two low-level Royals farm teams this year, posting a .364 average, .385 on-base percentage, a .502 slugging percentage, four homers and 23 RBIs.
