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Pena to have surgery on left hand

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By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com

05/04/09 8:25 PM ET

KANSAS CITY -- Royals shortstop Tony Pena Jr. will undergo surgery on Tuesday for a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.

Pena was injured in Saturday's 11-inning, 10-7 victory at Minnesota while swinging a bat. He continued to play the last two innings despite the injury.

"As tough as he was to go back up there and have another at-bat and turn that last double play, I've got to believe that if he heals up the way that we hope that it will, hopefully it won't run into a two-month ordeal," Kansas City manager Trey Hillman said.

"Hopefully it'll be four to six [weeks], and we'll get him back."

Pena was being used primarily for defensive purposes. At the plate, he was 0-for-11 in 10 games. His spot on the roster was taken by infielder Luis Hernandez, who was called up from Triple-A Omaha.

Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.