Octavio Dotel did not receive $5 million this past off-season to sit on the sidelines nursing an injury, but thus far that is exactly what the team’s closer has been doing.  Dotel injuried his left oblique in his last Spring Training appearance, forcing Kansas City to place him on the Disabled List prior to the start of the season, but an aggravation of that injury suffered Thursday could keep the fomer-All Star on the shelf much longer than anticipated.

At the team’s facility in Surprise, Arizona, Dotel felt the same discomfort when throwing off a mound as he did when he first sustained the injury.

It is not known how long he will be out.  In the interim, Joakim Soria will serve as Dotel’s primary replacement.  The rookie has yet to allow a run in five innings this season.  Soria picked up his first save of the season Tuesday night, tossing two innings in the Royals’ 6-3 win over Toronto.