Royals first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who endeared himself to fans with his all-out hustle, is finished for the season.
Mientkiewicz will undergo surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles by Robert Watkins to remove a portion of a herniated disk.
A lower back strain put Mientkiewicz on the disabled list July 26, and it never got better.
“It’s not so much the back; he’s been experiencing weakness in his legs,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said.
The surgery should correct that problem, but the season-ending procedure could mean the end of Mientkiewicz’s association with the Royals.
He signed a one-year deal as a free agent, paying him $1.85 million and triggering incentives based on at-bats that added $175,000.
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