ESPN

MINNEAPOLIS -- Former All-Star reliever Chris Perez has lost his job as the Cleveland Indians' closer.

Perez allowed four runs and four hits in Thursday's 6-5 win over Minnesota, retiring just two batters. He was 25 saves in 30 chances but has a 7.52 ERA since Aug. 1, raising his season average to 4.33

Manager Terry Francona said he hasn't ruled out a return for Perez to closing in the playoffs, if the Indians make it. Cleveland began Friday one game ahead of Texas for the second AL wild-card berth.

"We want to get him back to helping us, because he's got a bunch of saves. You don't just give up on that," Francona said. "He says he's completely healthy. He's just not locating."

Francona indicated that he's likely to use several pitchers in the closer's role. Right-hander Justin Masterson, who leads the Indians with 14 wins, missed most of September because of a strained left oblique and returned with a perfect inning of relief against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Masterson has been a starter almost exclusively in his four seasons-plus with the Indians. He made 53 relief appearances for Boston in 2008-09.

"The plan is for him to be a weapon, and we'll see where it takes us," Francona said. "And I think he'll enjoy every bit of that."

Francona also mentioned Joe Smith, Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw as ninth-inning options.

CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox captain Paul Konerko was definitive with at least one part of his future, saying Friday that if he does decide to play baseball again, 2014 will be his final season.

What is left to determine for the 17-year veteran, whose contract is set to expire, is whether Sunday's season finale will mark the end of his career. The designated hitter/first baseman said he will take at least a month to decide whether he wants to play next year, and if he does, he will see what types of offers are available.

"The one thing I can give you of any substance today probably would be that if I do play next year, that will probably be it," Konerko said Friday before the White Sox faced the Kansas City Royals. "So that's really what it boils down to."

Options for Konerko in 2014 include signing with another club, retiring or returning to the White Sox.

General manager Rick Hahn plans on meeting with Konerko early in the offseason.

"We're going to let everyone get away for a few weeks and exhale," Hahn said. "We'll sit down with Paulie and have a direct conversation with him face to face about what he wants and how he's feeling and what he hopes to accomplish next year, as well as what the team's going to look like and how he could potentially fit and what the plan would be going forward."

At this point, though, it sounds like everything is up in the air.

"I'm as confused as anybody else," Konerko said. "You can tell. I don't really have answers. I think taking a month off, a month away from this, which I know if I do that, the more you don't play, the needle will always move toward wanting to play. That's what I feel would happen. That's what people tell me."

DETROIT -- Gates Brown, an outfielder who played his entire 13-year major league career with the Detroit Tigers, has died. He was 74.

The team confirmed Brown's death Friday.

Brown, jailed for armed robbery in Ohio before starting his baseball career, played on Detroit's 1968 team that won the World Series, and was part of another title with the Tigers in 1984 as a batting coach.

Brown never played more than 125 games in a season, but he made a nice contribution during the title year of `68, when he hit .370 in 67 games. He ended up playing 1,051 games in his career, finishing with a .257 average and 84 home runs.

His career with the Tigers began in 1963, a few years after his prison term. He'd been helped by a prison guard who had noticed his ability.

He hit a career-high 15 home runs in 123 games in 1964 and was known for his pinch-hitting ability. In 1968, he hit two walk-off homers as a pinch-hitter against Boston. That feat -- two pinch-hit, walk-off homers against the same team -- was matched this year when Cleveland's Jason Giambi did it against the Chicago White Sox.

CHICAGO -- White Sox general manager Rick Hahn confirmed Friday that Robin Ventura will return as manager for a third season.

Ventura signed a three-year deal with the team in 2011.

The news that the manager is coming back is significant, considering the White Sox (62-97 entering Friday night) are winding down one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

"I want to be back," Ventura said. "Per our conversations dating back a while, we have planned for the future [together]. We had to start trading players at the deadline, so the rest of the season has been about evaluating and moving forward."

The fate of Ventura's coaching staff is less clear.

The White Sox have made 121 errors after committing a MLB-best 70 last season. The club's baserunning and hitting have been abysmal, leading to speculation that Ventura's staff may change.

"I hope they are back," Ventura said. "I am happy with the work they have all done. Regardless of the record, they have done a ton of work. I know what went into it. That [decision] comes from somewhere else."

Pitching coach Don Cooper is the only coach under contract past this season. Cooper signed a four-year deal after 2011.

CLEVELAND -- White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko will miss Chicago's final road game with a bruised right kneecap.

The 15-year veteran fouled a pitch off his knee in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game against the Indians. Konerko dropped to the ground for several moments in pain after knocking right-hander Joe Smith's pitch off his knee. He stayed in the game and struck out before being replaced in the bottom of the inning. Konerko said it was "kind of embarrassing to foul a ball off your back leg."

Konerko, batting .248 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 122 games, doesn't think the injury will end his season. The White Sox open a four-game home series against Kansas City on Thursday. Konerko said he's sore but that his knee is not swollen.

The 37-year-old has not said if he plans to retire after this season.

CLEVELAND -- Michael Bourn walked into Indians manager Terry Francona's office determined to play. He left with his mind changed.

A sprained right wrist kept Cleveland's center fielder out of the starting lineup for the Indians' final regular-season home game. Bourn jammed his wrist sliding into second base in the fifth inning of Tuesday night's 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. While the injury is not believed to be serious, Francona wants his leadoff hitter to get some rest so he can come back at full speed.

The Indians are clinging to the second spot in the AL wild-card standings with five games left, but Francona wants Bourn as healthy as possible. He admired the outfielder's desire to play, but overruled him.

"I know where we're at in the standings and all that," Francona said. "But I think we're best served by letting him get some treatment so when he does play he can Bournie and not part Bournie, but I love his attitude. He's a tough little kid, man."

Bourn, who signed a four-year, $48 million free-agent deal with the Indians in February, doesn't think he'll miss much time as the Indians try to secure their first postseason appearance since 2007. He's batting .260 with six homers, 48 RBIs and 23 steals. Bourn has been one of the Indians' top hitters since the All-Star break and leads the club with 29 RBIs in the second half.

Francona said Bourn will likely wear a protective brace when he runs the bases, and there's a chance he could be used as a pinch-runner against the White Sox.

Bourn, who was a two-time All-Star with Atlanta, said he's not surprised by the way the Indians have gelled.