[alnorth]

well, this isn't good. Soria was asked about his elbow, and:

“Oh, yeah, I’m worried,” he admitted. “Since I’ve had my Tommy John surgery (in 2003), I’ve never had anything like that. I don’t feel it’s that bad because before the Tommy John surgery, all of my strength went away. This time, it hasn’t.

“So I don’t feel like it’s that.”

Even so, it’s ominous — particularly since Soria has little resembled his previous All-Star form in four spring appearances. The Royals characterized the injury as “soreness in his right elbow” and said he would be reevaluated within a couple of days.

“That’s a concern,” manager Ned Yost acknowledged. “No doubt, it’s a concern, but you can’t get crazy concerned until the doctors evaluate it and see where we’re at.”

Soria’s injury occurred shortly after the Royals announced right-handed reliever Blake Wood will be shut down for 10-14 days because of soreness that surfaced Saturday night in his right elbow in an appearance against San Diego in Peoria, Ariz.

Soria exited Sunday’s game after yielding three runs on three hits and a walk while making just 16 pitches in a 6-4 victory over the Indians at Surprise Stadium. Until Sunday, Soria had insisted he was healthy.

“I was feeling real good,” he reiterated. “I was feeling strong. I worked hard throughout the off-season to be ready. It all just happened today. I don’t know what is going to happen (next). I have to wait and talk to (the doctors) and see what they’ve got for me.”