KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The break of Royals outfielder Jorge Soler's left first metatarsal is not severe enough to require immediate surgery, a CT scan confirmed on Saturday morning. However, Soler will miss a minimum of six weeks.
The Royals don't yet have a long-term plan for Soler's recovery, as they will re-evaluate the break in a week.
Soler was injured as he tripped running out of the batter's box in the sixth inning of Friday's loss to the Astros at Kauffman Stadium. He was making his first defensive start since he fouled off a ball off his foot and bruised the big toe a week ago in Oakland.
There's a chance the bone might heal on its own, a process that would require more time than inserting a pin or screws to aid recovery. But the Royals prefer to defer to natural remedies.
The Royals will place Soler on the disabled list and call up a minor-league player on Sunday.
In about a week and a half, Jorge Bonifacio, who was suspended 80 games for violating MLB's joint drug prevention and treatment program by ingesting Boldenone during the offseason, is eligible to return to the Royals' roster.
