Surprise, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Texas Rangers catcher Geovany Soto will be sidelined at least for the first two months of the upcoming season after tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee on Sunday.
Soto sustained the injury during the second inning of Sunday's Cactus League game against San Diego. The Rangers confirmed the 31-year-old will require surgery and have announced a 10-to-12 week timetable for recovery.
The news comes one day after Texas revealed that prized youngster Jurickson Profar, the team's projected everyday second baseman, tore a muscle in his right shoulder and is expected to miss around the same amount of time.
Soto had previously missed the early portion of spring training while recovering from left ankle surgery performed last month. He had been slated to begin the regular season in a timeshare with offseason pickup J.P. Arencibia behind the plate.
Arencibia will take over as Texas' primary catcher in the interim with journeyman Robinson Chirinos the likely backup.
The Rangers re-signed Soto, who hit .245 with nine home runs and 22 RBI in a backup role with the club last season, to a one-year contract in November.
[SportsNetwork.com]
