Royals prospect Bubba Starling is battling heel injury

Bubba Starling, one of the Royals’ top position prospects, is expected to return to the field this week at Class AA Northwest Arkansas after missing more than a week with a heel contusion, assistant general manager J.J. Picollo told The Star.

Starling, 23, last played on May 19. He is batting .195 with a .282 on-base percentage and four homers in 35 games in the Texas League.

Royals sign reliever to minor-league deal

The Royals have signed veteran left-hander Joe Beimel to a minor-league contract, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports.

Beimel, 39, posted a 3.99 ERA in 47 1/3 innings for the Seattle Mariners last season. He missed all of the 2012 season because of Tommy John surgery.

The signing comes after left-hander Brian Duensing, who was pitching at Class AAA Omaha, opted out of his minor-league contract earlier this month. Duensing has since signed with the Baltimore Orioles.

This story was originally published May 29, 2016 at 10:38 PM with the headline "Royals prospect Bubba Starling is battling heel injury."