Manager Ned Yost announced that Gordon (.200/.288/.290) being absence from Thursday's lineup was only to give the outfielder rest, and was not a benching because of poor play, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Despite the veteran's increased absences from starting lineups recently, Yost insists Gordon remains a starter. Everyday at-bats give him limited value in deeper formats, but the outfielder's performance doesn't warrant a role in mixed formats.