SUPRISE, Ariz.
Poised to earn a starting job for the first time in his career, Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson is now likely to begin the season on the disabled list because of a grade-two right oblique strain.
Manager Ned Yost said Thursday that the oblique strain, suffered Wednesday in the Royals’ Cactus League opener, will likely keep Dyson out for close to six weeks. The prognosis, revealed after an MRI, means Dyson likely will be unavailable when the Royals open the season April 3 against the New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium. The injury also could shake up the ongoing competition for playing time in right field, where Dyson was thought to be the front-runner.