Joakim Soria got second and third opinions after being diagnosed with a damaged ulnar collateral ligament and they all agreed, so the 27-year-old Royals closer will undergo Tommy John elbow surgery on April 3.
Typically recovery timetables are 12-18 months, so Soria will miss the entire season and could be limited in early 2013 as well.
Soria is owed $6 million this season and the Royals have an $8 million option or $750,000 buyout for 2013 and an $8.75 million option or $750,000 buyout for 2014. Much like Adam Wainwright with the Cardinals last year, the Royals may have to make a decision on Soria’s future before having a clear sense of his recovery.
Jonathan Broxton and Greg Holland are the options to replace Soria as closer, but manager Ned Yost hasn’t made a decision yet. Or at least hasn’t announced his decision publicly yet. And with one of those two moving from a setup role to ninth-inning duties the Royals have canceled plans to shift Aaron Crow from the bullpen to the rotation.
Soria had a helluva run for the Royals, going from unknown to stud closer in 2007 and saving 160 games with a 2.40 ERA and 341 strikeouts in 315 innings over five seasons. During that time the only pitcher with more saves and a lower ERA than Soria was Mariano Rivera.