Mondesi tore the ligament while attempting to steal second base on Tuesday night. Mondesi stood up and went off the field and into the tunnel after pulling up and feeling a pop, according to the president of baseball operations Dayton Moore.
After initial scans following the game, the Royals hoped to avoid the worst, but an MRI taken away from the ballpark on Wednesday revealed structural damage.
Mondesi will fly back to Kansas City with the club on Thursday evening and will be checked by team doctors over the weekend before establishing the next step and a recovery timeframe.
Surgery is an option, but it hasn’t been determined yet, and ACL tears normally heal in a year, however the injury can be different for everyone.
The infield shuffled around while the Royals waited to learn about Mondesi’s recovery timeframe.
After opening the season at second base, Nicky Lopez will switch to shortstop, while Whit Merrifield will move from right field to second base, where he was a Gold Glove nominee last season.
When Mondesi left Tuesday’s game, the Royals swiftly shifted the infield. What won’t happen as soon is Mondesi’s recovery from another injury, which has plagued him throughout his seven-year career.
Manager Mike Matheny said, “We talked a lot yesterday, last night, and this morning.” “Just keep [encouraging] him, keep loving on him, and let him know that this is a difficult situation for him, and none of us want to see him go through it again.”
“Some things keep happening to him that is difficult to explain.”