Kansas City Royals put OF Jorge Soler on disabled list with strained oblique injury

The Kansas City Royals placed outfielder Jorge Soler on the 10-day disabled list with a strained oblique, the team announced Sunday after setting the 25-man Opening Day roster.

Soler, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in December for closer Wade Davis, was injured chasing a pitch out of the strike zone last Sunday in a minor league spring training game. An MRI revealed a Grade 1 strain of his oblique.

Soler's DL stint is retroactive to March 30, making him eligible to return on April 9.

Soler has been hampered by nagging injuries in his brief career. In 2014 as a minor leaguer with the Cubs, he missed more than two months with strains in both hamstrings. He also injured his oblique in 2015 and missed more than three weeks late in the season.

In addition, Soler missed nearly five weeks with a left ankle sprain in 2015 and last season was sidelined nearly two months with a strained left hamstring before returning to help the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908.

Soler hit .238 with 12 home runs and 31 RBIs in 86 games for the Cubs in 2016.

The Royals open the season on the road Monday against the Minnesota Twins. Paulo Orlando, who hit .302 with five homers and 43 RBIs in 128 games in 2016, is expected to replace Soler in right field.