Here’s the Royals’ plan for outfielder Jorge Soler

Since acquiring Jorge Soler in December 2016, the Royals haven’t seen much return on an investment that included all-star closer Wade Davis.

But they hope to get at least something from him over the final month of the 2018 season.

Soler will be sent on a rehab assignment within the next few days, Royals manager Ned Yost said Sunday morning. The outfielder has been out since fracturing a toe on his left foot in mid-June.

“We’d like to get him back to get some at-bats,” Yost said. “We’ll just move where we can move.”

With the Royals already eliminated from playoff contention, the plan with Soler is bent by a preference to get him some at-bats heading into the offseason. Yost said it’s not yet been determined if Soler will participate in winter ball.

For now, they hope to place him in a major-league lineup after receiving some plate appearances in the minors. But that’s likely all it will be. Although Soler has been running — and furthered that portion of his rehab before Sunday’s game — he’s unlikely to feature in the outfield. If he returns to the Royals this season, he will be used as a designated hitter.

“We want to make sure he’s ready to go come spring training, which he will be,” Yost said. “But he’s functioning now with no pain, so it’s time to go and let him get his timing back offensively.”

After the majority of his first season in the Kansas City organization was spent with Class AAA Omaha, Soler found more consistency before the toe injury halted his progress this year. He was batting .265 with nine home runs and 18 doubles across 223 at-bats. That carried an .820 on-base plus slugging percentage, his best number in four years. Since landing in Kansas City, Soler has totaled 320 at-bats.

Soler, 26, is signed through the 2020 season.

This story was originally published August 26, 2018 at 12:55 PM.