Indians' Swisher out with sore shoulder

Cleveland Indians first baseman Nick Swisher has a nagging left shoulder injury that will keep him out of action until at least Friday, manager Terry Francona said.

"We'll go all on him, on his symptoms," Francona said, according to MLB.com. "It's all dependent on how he feels. If he feels better and the medical staff OKs him, we'll play him before that."

There's a possibility Swisher could end up on the disabled list, Francona acknowledged.

Swisher received a cortisone shot, but he was out of the lineup for the second day in a row Monday when the Indians began a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals. Mark Reynolds moved from third base to first base, and John McDonald took over at third.

The Indians could get another key player back Friday. Closer Chris Perez hopes to return after sitting out three weeks due to a strained right shoulder.

Perez made his first rehab appearance for Class A Lake County on Sunday, pitching a scoreless inning. He's due to pitch an inning for Double-A Akron on Tuesday, and if all goes well, he could be back for the weekend series against the Minnesota Twins.