With second baseman Chris Getz returning from the disabled list, fan favorite Johnny Giavotella was optioned back to Class AAA Omaha on Tuesday to make room on the active roster.

Getz, who went one for three with a key sacrifice in the eighth inning in Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over Milwaukee, suffered a rib injury May 16 in a loss at Baltimore. He re-aggravated the injury May 21 against the Yankees, landing him on the 15-day DL.

Giavotella failed to capitalize in Getz’s absence, batting only .222 with two doubles and three RBIs in his last 13 games.

“(Having Getz back) improves our defense a little bit and he’s a bit of a table-setter for us,” manager Ned Yost said.

Before the injury, Getz was batting .287 with a career-best .386 slugging percentage. He went eight for 19 with two doubles, a triple and six RBIs in five rehab starts with the Storm Chasers.

“I’m just looking forward to getting back into a big-league ballgame,” Getz said. “There’s nothing like it, so I’m excited because it’s going to be fun. I felt good before I got hurt, so hopefully I get right back where to I was.”

Getz, however, was dismayed to learn he’d dropped from the American League’s top five in All-Star voting at second during his absence.

“I’m going to have to unload on some home-run balls, put ’em in the fountains,” Getz joked.

Sanchez to start tonight

Jonathan Sanchez was slated for a rehab start tonight with Class AAA Omaha, but instead he’ll be making that appearance at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals made the surprise announcement after Tuesday night’s game.

Sanchez was 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in six starts before he went on the disabled list May 9 because of left biceps tendonitis.

Tonight’s scheduled starter, Luke Hochevar, will be pushed back a day and will take the mound for the series finale Thursday.

The Royals will activate Sanchez today and make a corresponding move, likely shipping Vin Mazzaro or Nate Adcock to Omaha.

Quintero issues apology

Fox Sports TV cameras caught catcher Humberto Quintero making a perceived racist gesture behind pitcher Bruce Chen during an interview Saturday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Upon returning to Kansas City, Quintero made his first public statements about the incident.

“I apologized to (Chen) the next day and asked if he got offended, and he said, ‘No,’ ” Quintero said. “But some people, our fans and stuff, did get offended. I really apologize for what I did from the bottom of my heart and I won’t do it again.”

During a two-minute interview, Chen came up behind Quintero and hugged his battery mate.

NBA fans

First baseman Eric Hosmer left no doubt who he was cheering for in the NBA Finals, which started Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

Hosmer, who was born in South Miami, Fla., and makes his offseason home in Cooper City, Fla., proudly displayed his custom No. 35 Miami Heat jersey with his name stitched on the back in his locker before the game.

“You don’t even have to ask,” Hosmer said when asked for his rooting interest.

But a temperature check of the Royals’ locker room showed Hosmer to be in the minority.

By a 15-11 margin, with outfielder Lorenzo Cain included despite not being on the active roster, the Royals are rooting for the Thunder.

Injury report

Several ailing Royals are on the mend, including Cain, who is in Kansas City for rehab work with the team’s training staff.

Yost said he expects Cain, who originally suffered a left groin strain April 10 in Oakland and then tore a hip flexor April 24 during a rehab stint with Northwest Arkansas, to remain in town through the weekend.

“The hip feels good,” Cain said. “My groin feels good. It’s just a matter of time before I get back into the swing of things.”

Cain will be reevaluated Sunday, and the Royals will determine the next step, which is likely to include another rehab stint.

“When I leave here, I’m going straight to play — somewhere,” Cain said. “I’m not going back to Arizona (for extended spring training).”

• Speaking of rehab stints, catcher Salvy Perez’s return from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee continues to go well.

He went two for five with three RBIs on Tuesday at Omaha, but his return is far from imminent.

“I don’t think he’ll do the whole 20 days (of rehab),” Yost said. “There’s a possibility (he could return by the end of the road trip), but it would be late in the trip. … His knee is doing fine, but that healing process has to go the full mile. We have to make sure we don’t push him; that there are no problems with that. That has its own timetable.”

• Felipe Paulino, who left during the first inning in his last start June 6, threw on level ground for the third time and expects to throw a bullpen session “in the next few days.”

Paulino said his the strained right groin “has really improved.”

• Left-hander Everett Teaford returned from the disabled list and was optioned to Class AAA Omaha before the game.

Odorizzi wins again

Jake Odorizzi needed 95 pitches — only 57 of them strikes — to work through 51/3 innings Tuesday, but he put together another solid performance for the Class AAA OmahaStorm Chasers.

Odorizzi, 22, who was acquired from the Brewers in the Zack Greinke trade, struck out seven and allowed two runs on four hits with one walk in a 9-4 win against the Iowa Cubs.

He improved to 4-0 with a 2.41 ERA in six games since his promotion from Class AA Northwest Arkansas.

Attendance watch

Tracking the Royals’ home attendance:

•  Tuesday: 24,258

•  2012 season: 662,308 (through 29 games)

•  2011 season: 535,808 (through 29 games)

•  Ahead: 126,500

•  2012 average: 22,838

•  2011 average: 18,476