Rios (hand) will start hand-strengthening exercises in about 10 days after he received encouraging news about his X-rays on Monday, Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star reports. Rios is currently on the 15-day DL but he'll likely need another DL stint before his hand gets back to full functionality. As a result, Paulo Orlando is in line to spend some extra time in right field with the return date of Rios still uncertain.

Rios (hand) will get X-rays on Monday to determine whether or not he can begin strength exercises, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports. Rios continues to recover from a hand fracture dating back to mid-April. He's slated to miss 3-6 weeks due to the injury, and still remains weeks from a return even if the X-rays clear him to begin strength drills.

Rios (hand) was placed on the 15-day DL on Tuesday. The 34-year-old's deactivation was merely a formality, as the diagnosis of a fractured fifth metacarpal in his left hand carries with it an estimated recovery timetable of three-to-six weeks. Terrance Gore was pulled from his game at Double-A and will likely replace Rios on the roster, though Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando will likely see most of the time in right in his absence.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore estimated that Rios (hand) will be out for three-to-six weeks with a fractured fifth metacarpal in the left hand, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports. It would be pretty surprising to see Rios back with the Royals in just three weeks, but a return before the end of May is realistic. Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando are expected to get extra playing time in the outfield, and the Royals may opt to fill Rios' roster spot with a pitcher. The 34-year-old outfielder was off to an excellent start for his new team, going 9-for-28 (.321 BA) over the first seven games, with a home run, two stolen bases, four runs and eight RBI.

Rios has been diagnosed with a fracture in his left hand, and he will be placed on the disabled list, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports. While the Royals do not yet have a timetable for his return, Rios will likely be sidelined for longer than the minimum 15 days, as hand and wrist injuries are often tricky for batters. With Rios out for at least the next few weeks, Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando figure to get most of the playing time in right field.

The Royals were encouraged by strength tests on Rios's hand after Monday's win over the Twins, the KC Star reports. Rios was set for an x-ray Monday night. The Royals are off Tuesday to give him some extra rest, so it's possible that he won't even miss a game.

Rios was removed from Monday's game against the Twins due to a left hand contusion, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. The Royals relayed that Rios was taken out of the game for precautionary purposes after he was struck on the hand by a J.R. Graham pitch, so it doesn't appear at the moment that the outfielder is at risk of missing much, if any time. The Royals held an 11-3 lead when Rios was hit, which would seem to support the team's assertion that his removal was precautionary. Rios, who is batting .321 on the season, contributed a run and an RBI before departing.

Rios had a big debut for the Royals, going 3-for-4 with a 3-run home run. The thumb injury that plagued Rios toward the end of spring training no longer seems like an issue. Last season with the Rangers Rios hit .311 with just four home runs.

Rios (thumb) returned to the lineup Sunday, FOX Sports Kansas City reports. Rios missed three Cactus League games due to a thumb injury, which was a bit concerning considering how his numbers dropped last season due to the ailment. The 34-year-old outfielder has now played in back-to-back games, however, and owns a .333/.375/.600 slash line over 45 spring at-bats. Although he expects to be the everyday right fielder in Kansas City, this report suggests Rios will bat in the bottom third of manager Ned Yost's lineups, which could result in a minor dip in his expected fantasy output. A hot start could change that fast, of course.

Rios' thumb injury is considered minor, and he indicated he would be playing if it were the regular season, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. Rios' thumb injury shouldn't hold him out too much longer, but he'll at least sit out Friday's spring training game for some added rest. His status for Opening Day doesn't appear to be in danger, however, which is good news for owners.