Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer sat out Thursday’s 5-3 loss to Baltimore and likely will sit out Friday’s series opener against Arizona at Kauffman Stadium as well.

Manager Ned Yost decided to sit the struggling Hosmer, who was replaced at first by Billy Butler, effectively snapping a streak of 77 consecutive games Hosmer has started, the eighth-longest current streak in baseball.

Hosmer is hitting .174 in 144 at-bats this season, and was recently moved down in the lineup to sixth. Yost said Hosmer will likely sit today against left-hander Joe Saunders as well but was quick to note that Hosmer has been largely unlucky this year.

“He’s been doing a great job of staying positive, but I think it's time he just sits back and takes it easy,” Yost said. “The results aren’t showing. He’s probably hit 15-to-18 line outs where if he’d just found a hole with half of those, he’d be hitting .270. So when you don’t have a lot of luck, it tends to weigh you down a little bit, so this is good chance to sit back and clear his head.”

Teaford, Coleman return

The Royals added two fresh arms prior to Thursday's game after suffering a 4-3 loss Wednesday night to the Orioles in 15 innings.

Left-hander Everett Teaford and right-hander Louis Coleman returned from Class AAA Omaha after right-handers Vin Mazzaro and Nate Adcock were optioned to the same club.

The moves provide the bullpen with a rested long man in Teaford, who could also be in line for a spot start this weekend against Arizona. Coleman is also capable of pitching multiple innings.

“We need the arms,” Yost said. “It’s as simple as that. Our bullpen guys have been going two days on, one day off and two days on. We need extra protection in the middle, and we need protection with a long guy.”

Teaford and Coleman previously pitched this season for the big-league club. Their return became necessary after Mazzaro and Adcock each worked five innings over the two previous games, which effectively left them unavailable for the next few days.

Yost confirmed right-hander Luis Mendoza will start Friday’s series opener against Arizona in place of injured Danny Duffy. Mendoza worked 5 2/3 innings last Sunday at Chicago after Duffy exited because of what was later diagnosed as a torn elbow ligament.

The tentative plan is for Teaford to start Sunday’s series finale against the Diamondbacks -- if he isn’t used before then as a long reliever. If Teaford pitches prior to Sunday, the Royals would likely need to make another roster move.

Teaford, 28, opened the season in the majors. He was 0-1 and allowed seven runs and 11 hits in three appearances prior to his April 28 demotion to Omaha, where he was 2-0 in three starts while yielding just two earned runs in 17 innings.

Coleman, 26, opened the season at Omaha but was recalled April 15 before being returned May 5. He allowed four runs and eight hits in 8 2/3 innings in seven big-league appearances. At Omaha, he gave up three runs in 9 1/3 innings over five appearances.

Adcock, 24, took the loss Wednesday when he allowed Adam Jones’ homer in the 15th inning. It was the only run he allowed in five innings. Mazzaro, 25, got the decision Tuesday against Texas when he gave up three runs in five innings in a 7-4 victory.

“I told them,” Yost said, “that you’re not getting sent down for doing crappy. It’s the situation — the merry-go-round syndrome. We’ve just got to keep protecting ourselves in the bullpen until we get settled.”

Coleman later admitted he didn’t see his recall coming so quickly.

“We went down and we were starting, so I thought it was going to at least take a few weeks (to make it back),” Coleman said. “It’s a pleasant surprise, though.”

Fire at Kauffman?

The fire department made a trip to Kauffman Stadium on Thursday because of reports about a fire. A team spokesman said they were there to extinguish a smoldering winch atop the crown scoreboard, where the fireworks are located.

Medical reports

Second baseman Chris Getz said his ribs remain sore.

“I got through the night pretty good, but it’s still sore in the front and the back of the chest,” Getz said. “It’s still day-to-day.”

Getz indicated he could and would play if necessary, but with two lefties looming in the next three days — including Arizona’s Joe Saunders and Wade Miley — Yost said Getz should get plenty of time to rest.

“With these lefties coming up, we were planning on playing Johnny (Giovotella) and (Irving) Falu anyway,” Yost said. “He could play if we needed him to, but he’s got an opportunity to rest.”

• Injured left-hander Jonathan Sánchez departed Thursday for the club’s complex in Surprise, Ariz., as the next step in his recovery for biceps tendinitis. Sánchez will throw bullpen workouts in Arizona before, if all goes well, starting a minor-league rehab assignment. The best-case scenario for his return is early June.

• Yost said Thursday he recently watched injured catcher Salvy Perez hit in the cage, and estimated he is probably three weeks to a month away.

“He’s going to probably start catching side sessions after the weekend and start taking BP on the field after the weekend so that’s good he’s getting close,” Yost said.

Perez was placed on the 60-day disabled list before the season due to a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Royals catcher Humberto Quintero was removed as a precautionary measure after being hit in the head with a throw in the seventh inning. A team spokesman said the ball did not hit Quintero, but rather the earflap of his helmet.

Etc.

• The Royals also announced a trade sending minor-league utilityman Jamie Romak, 26, to St. Louis for cash considerations. He is a 10-year pro who was batting .147 in 11 games at Omaha.

• The Royals announced a new ticket promotion Thursday in conjunction with NightlifeKC.com. On five select Thursdays throughout the season, fans can purchase a $30 ticket and receive two free alcoholic drink vouchers. Fans will also be treated to a live DJ performance before and after the game in an exclusive bar with lounge furniture.

The NightlifeKC.com Lounge will be open for the first time on June 14 against Milwaukee. Fans must be 21 to enter. For more details, visit www.royals.com/NightlifeKC.