Dale fell awkwardly in the final minutes of the Bulldogs' 86-70 win over West Coast Eagles on Sunday, a win which saw them in seventh place - two wins ahead of 11th-place GWS and just one win behind the top six.
Bulldogs medical staff took Dale for a scan on Sunday evening which revealed a fracture that has ruled him out of at least the next five weeks.
Dale is set to miss matches against Gold Coast (away), Richmond (home), Fremantle (away), North Melbourne (home), Carlton (home) and Melbourne (away).
"In the final three minutes of the match, Bailey landed awkwardly in a marking contest, causing an acute injury to his shoulder," Bulldogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell told AFL Media.
"Scans have confirmed that he has a minor fracture that was caused by the injury mechanism.
"Having consulted specialists, Bailey will not require surgical management for this injury, however, a conservative approach will be taken to allow the fracture to heal.
The 195-game one-club player was enjoying the most productive season of his 12-year AFL journey, averaging a career-best 27 disposals and 6.4 rebound 50s per game.
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
